Tourist Caught Defecating in Public on Hillesøy Island: Calls for Better Toilet Facilities

When the person got out of the car and pulled down his trousers, Jørgen Løseth caught this flash.

ON THE DO: Jørgen Løseth witnessed the tourist making a mess at the turning point on Hillesøy. Now he wants toilets that are open to tourists on Sommarøy and Hillesøy. But the municipality has no plans to set up any more or to mark better. Photo: Jørgen Løseth Saturday 2 March at 19:41

Several places in Tromsø municipality struggle with tourists defecating in places other than the toilet.

This time – on Hillesøy – with a completely unabashed photo proof.

– It’s too bad if you let the kids out on the shore, and then bury them in human waste. I thought it needed to be reported because this happens too often.

That’s what Jørgen Løseth says, who on Friday witnessed a person doing what was necessary in broad daylight on Hillesøy.

Poor toilet facilities

– I was out walking the dog on Hillesøy when I saw a car stop. A person went out, took off his trousers and sat down. I thought I had to document it because it has become such a common problem, says Løseth.

Løseth, who has roots on the island, spends a lot of time there with his family at their cottage. He says that the problem is widespread and frustrating. It happens on a weekly basis:

– It is often when we walk on the shore that we see faeces lying there. We can sit in the living room window of the cabin and watch people “going to the toilet”. Now in the Northern Lights season, this happens on a weekly basis, but we experience it basically all year round.

The area is poorly equipped with toilet facilities, says Løseth. Now he is asking the municipality to take some measures to overcome the problem:

– There is one public toilet on Sommarøy, as well as at the hotel on Hillesøya. But I don’t know how happy the hotel is for non-guests to come and use their toilet all the time. From what I’ve heard, you have to buy something there. Tourists should be offered more opportunities, says Løseth.

– The municipality should take action

– Many of us experience this. I have family and acquaintances out here who think it’s a general problem. So I’m definitely not alone in feeling this way, says Løseth.

The culprits most often come in rental cars, he says. Therefore, he suspects there are tourists who may not be familiar with Norwegian toilet customs, and who may not be able to find the toilets that actually exist on the islands.

– There are not many opportunities here. There are far too few with so many tourists. The few toilets that exist are also rather poorly marked, says Løseth and adds:

– This is a very popular tourist spot. But things like this don’t just happen here. There was also a case from Ersfjorden where someone sat down in a bus shelter. There are many places missing there. Especially out here where there are so many tourists.

Until the municipality manages to set up more permanent toilet facilities, and gets these adequately marked, Løseth suggests that temporary toilets can be set up.

– I hope the municipality takes action here, he concludes.

The municipality: – At the moment we have no new plans

Unit manager for parks, sports and outdoor spaces in Tromsø municipality, Carl Joacim Fensbekk, says that the toilets they have are only open in the summer.

– On Sommarøy we have a number of toilets open throughout the summer season. But unfortunately they are not open during the Northern Lights season.

Although they currently have no upgrade plans in terms of toilets, the agency will submit a case for consideration in the near future.

– At the moment we do not have any concrete plans for new exit toilets on the outside. We will submit a case for political consideration regarding exit parking during the summer. There we will also describe the possibilities for establishing toilets in connection with the car parks. The case is in production, and not yet completed, Fensbekk states.

2024-03-02 18:41:09


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