A Curiousity: Portion-Controlled Toilet Paper

Yeah. Weird, right?

Yesterday I had the honor of attending a private party at Blue Hill Tavern in Brewer's Hill. I love Blue Hill. It's posh, classy and the food is simply delicious. Usually I stop in there for drinks or happy hour (try the hummus and fried guacamole), but I've been there a few times for lunch or dinner as well. It's fantastic, and I highly recommend a visit there.

But I digress... the restrooms at Blue Hill Tavern are equipped with automatic toilet paper dispensers, which I can't help but find incredibly strange. Am I alone in this?

Now remember that I'm a gal who likes technology. I'm all about being connected 24/7, and if someone could invent a phone, vacuum or blender that would also take out my trash... well, let's just say I'd be willing to pay a premium. But the restroom (to me) is a bit of a sacred place. I'm not really interested in any assistance when I'm in there.

So when I came across the automatic toilet paper dispenser yesterday I must admit that I became a little thoughtful. Who really wants this? There must be a benefit to having an automatic dispenser that balances the inconvenience of the purchase cost and battery replacement costs. So I did a little research... as it turns out, the manufacturers believe these machines offer a 20% savings for proprietors, working under the assumption that if you dispense less toilet paper (than people typically use) automatically, people will just go with it. Huh.

Well, for the record (and tip-toeing around TMI), I used two portions from the dispenser which is ten squares. I couldn't be comfortable with the mere five that I was initially offered. And apparently, I'm in the minority when it comes to using these dispensers. The manufacturer says, "Most people will take the amount given. People generally in life will take what you give them." Double huh.

So I'm not sure what the point of my post is really, except that as a technology-loving 30-something, I think an automatic toilet paper dispenser (or portion-controlled toilet paper) is weird. In a struggling economy, I suppose it's smart for business owners to look for more innovative ways to save money, but toilet paper quality and quantity shouldn't be negotiable in my opinion... I want what I want. But it's likely (yet again) that I may be in the minority. It sure would be interesting to know how much Blue Hill Tavern is saving in toilet paper costs, wouldn't it? Just curious...