Public toilet paper theft spreads to southwest China
Chengdu’s plans to improve the ‘toilet-going experience’ at scenic sites are derailed by rampant pilfering
Seven days was all it took for 1,500 rolls of toilet paper to be snapped up in a public park in southwest China, after the park started providing free toilet paper for visitors, a local newspaper reports.
It all started this month when the city of Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, launched a “toilet revolution” aiming to improve people’s toilet-going experience at scenic attractions by providing free toilet paper and soap. But already the goodwill campaign has been tarnished by rampant toilet paper theft, the Chengdu Commercial Daily reported.
The People’s Park in Chengdu started to provide free paper in 128 toilet cubicles on April 8, but they were consumed much faster than expected at a rate of 1,500 rolls in just seven days.
To find out just how fast the paper was being consumed, the park installed new rolls in 30 cells – which were all gone in 90 minutes, the report said.
A washroom cleaner in the park said she often saw people stuffing wads of toilet paper in their pockets. At other times, whole newly installed rolls were gone after only a few visits.