primitives discuss rationing bathroom tissue

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1414105

Oh my.

harvey007 (909 posts)     Mon Jul-04-11 04:23 PM
Original message
 
NYC rationing toilet paper at Coney Island

Hey buddy, can you spare a square?

The city is so hard up for cash that it's rationing toilet paper in women's public restrooms -- to the point where bathroom attendants are doling out a few measly squares per patron -- along the world-famous Coney Island boardwalk.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/ed_off_over...

You know, I don't want to get into a men-vs-women melee, but I've always been curious about something.

When I managed a privately-owned student union at the University of Nebraska circa twenty years ago, I noticed something most peculiar about restroom expenses.

The men's rooms were used more often than the women's rooms.

But the women's rooms used 4.5 miles of bathroom tissue (they came in very large rolls) for every 1.0 mile of bathroom tissue used in the men's rooms.

I could never figure that one out, and for some reason am content to leave it a mystery.

RandySF (1000+ posts)        Mon Jul-04-11 04:26 PM
Response to Original message
 
1. That will kill food sales.

Posteritatis (1000+ posts)      Mon Jul-04-11 04:27 PM
Response to Original message
 
2. Wonder how much of it they could buy for the cost of hiring someone to monitor it..

Downwinder  (1000+ posts)      Mon Jul-04-11 04:30 PM
Response to Reply #3
 
4. Austerity!!!

liberal N proud  (1000+ posts)        Mon Jul-04-11 04:31 PM
Response to Original message
 
5. Bad idea

People still need to go and if they don't have TP, god only knows what they will do instead.

I would hate to be the cleaning crew following that fiasco. But of course the one make this outrageous decision will never see the mess.

Uh huh.

Just like the spoiled children temper-tantrumming in the Wisconsin state capitol a few months ago, who didn't have to clean up their mess.

Dappleganger  (1000+ posts)      Mon Jul-04-11 04:33 PM
Response to Original message
 
6. BYOTP

Bring your own toilet paper. It's like livin' in the woods, only this time we get a stall.

zalinda (1000+ posts)      Mon Jul-04-11 04:37 PM
Response to Original message
 
7. I'm guessing part of the problem is that of people stealing the toilet paper rolls. Who ever made this decision, certainly made a bad one.

Downwinder  (1000+ posts)      Mon Jul-04-11 04:42 PM
Response to Original message
 
8. I hope that this cuts into Koch profits.

femrap  (1000+ posts)        Mon Jul-04-11 05:55 PM
Response to Reply #8
 
17. Hey....that's a bright outlook on this.

Sen. Walter Sobchak (1000+ posts)        Mon Jul-04-11 04:43 PM
Response to Original message
 
9. I call bullshit,

That would imply people use the bathrooms in Coney Island, the prevailing stench of the area suggests otherwise.

And Coney Island's a blue area, right?

Diclotican (1000+ posts)        Mon Jul-04-11 05:03 PM
Response to Original message
 
10. Exactly the same thing, that they did in east europe before the cold war ended in 1989... I do rembember visiting public rest room in Varna (3th biggest city in Bulgaria) in the mid 1980s, and we was given 2 leafs of something they did claim was toilet paper, who should do the trick.. As coming from a nation, where rationalzing of toilet paper was never any issue it was wierd stuff.. Specially becouse the toilet paper they claim was to use in th bathroom, was like sand paper...

canoeist52  (920 posts)      Mon Jul-04-11 05:06 PM
Response to Reply #10
 
11. Saw that in my travel to the USSR in the 70's too.

Handing out TP by the square. We knew there was a shortage ahead of times so we carried our own while we were there.

Diclotican (1000+ posts)        Mon Jul-04-11 05:23 PM
Response to Reply #11
 
13.  Usaly we had our own own tp when we was in that neck of the world.. Then we dosen't was in mutch need of what they claim as toilet paper anyway.. But I do rembember the One time I had to use public bathroom, and of course the only time we dosen't had toilet paper with us.. Oh wel, I survived it even tho I wil proberly rembember it to I die... It was rougly the same year I learned to swim too.. Learned it the hard way, but at least I managed to learn it .

Cirque du So-What (1000+ posts)      Mon Jul-04-11 05:22 PM
Response to Original message
 
12. Corn cobs will come back into fashion

They come in two colors - red & white. Standard procedure is to use two reds, followed by a white to make sure the job is done.

SoapBox (1000+ posts)      Mon Jul-04-11 05:45 PM
Response to Original message
 
14. So how much does Bloomy and his ilk earning at City Hall?

...I don't technically know if that is NYC proper domain but, whoever is in charge of the domain, what are they earning?

I have a simple response for some of the bureaucrats.

You are FIRED!

...now you have money for toilet paper.

Now, that's an atypical primitive, liberal, or Democrat reaction.

The typical primitive, liberal, or Democrat reaction would be, "The bureaucrats shouldn't have to pay anything for their medical insurance and retirement plans."

femrap  (1000+ posts)        Mon Jul-04-11 05:54 PM
Response to Original message

15. probably just the beginning.

People will just stay home.

WatsonT (1000+ posts)      Mon Jul-04-11 05:55 PM
Response to Original message
 
16. Will they let people bring in their own?

Someone could make a killing selling blackmarket TP outside the womens room.

originalpckelly  (1000+ posts)        Mon Jul-04-11 05:57 PM
Response to Original message
 
18. In Soviet America, toilet paper wipes you.

[Ballygrl]

You know, I don't want to get into a men-vs-women melee, but I've always been curious about something.

When I managed a privately-owned student union at the University of Nebraska circa twenty years ago, I noticed something most peculiar about restroom expenses.

The men's rooms were used more often than the women's rooms.

But the women's rooms used 4.5 miles of bathroom tissue (they came in very large rolls) for every 1.0 mile of bathroom tissue used in the men's rooms.

I could never figure that one out, and for some reason am content to leave it a mystery.

That time of the month adds to the need of using tons of toilet paper.

[Chris_]

Ew.

[Ballygrl]

Yes, pretty much Brooklyn is a blue area.

[Chris_]

Solution: people will bring their own TP.

Repercussion: blue area starts searching bags and charging for TP.

[GOBUCKS]

New York City - where it makes sense to have $30/hr. union labor rationing 25 cents worth of toilet paper. And each unionized toilet paper monitor needs at least one unionized assistant monitor. Great careers with AFSCME.

[thundley4]

(l) (/) (l) (\) (l)   That's a DUmmie wiggling to get rid of those last few drops and trying to save toilet paper.

[Ballygrl]

Lucky Luciano   (1000+ posts)           Mon Jul-04-11 06:19 PM
Response to Original message
24. Meh...Coney Island is a dump. Not a nice beach at all anyway. nt

That's racist! the majority of those that use Coney Island are minorities.

[GOBUCKS]

(l) (/) (l) (\) (l)   That's a DUmmie wiggling to get rid of those last few drops and trying to save toilet paper.

Twice is shaking. More than twice is playing.

[Ballygrl]

Cassandra   (1000+ posts)             Mon Jul-04-11 06:22 PM
Response to Original message
25. I was there for the Mermaid parade...
   
and yes, they did hand out toilet paper as you were going to the stalls. This was managed by the very nice and cheerful women who work there and you could ask for more if you thought what was offered wasn't enough. They may have been concerned about theft or whole rolls getting soaked.

That's racist too! since the majority of people who go to Coney Island are minorities you're insinuating that they'll steal the rolls of toilet paper or use it for purposes not intended.

[Chris_]

All the mermaids I've seen were white.

[GOBUCKS]

That's racist too! since the majority of people who go to Coney Island are minorities you're insinuating that they'll steal the rolls of toilet paper or use it for purposes not intended.

Duuuh.

[franksolich]

That's racist! the majority of those that use Coney Island are minorities.

You know, I was at Coney Island once, during the late 1980s.

It was in the middle of winter, and everything was shut down.

It looked like a ghost town.

By the way, there's a "Nebraska" restaurant (its real name) somewhere in that area; I forget where.

Intrigued, I stopped by.  The owner was a Greek.  He told me he named his place "Nebraska" because he liked the sound of the name; he knew nothing at all about Nebraska itself.  I sent the details to the Omaha World-Herald, and the guy got some publicity out here.  I wonder if the place still exists; it was a reasonably brand-new establishment at the time.

[Ballygrl]

You know, I was at Coney Island once, during the late 1980s.

It was in the middle of winter, and everything was shut down.

It looked like a ghost town.

By the way, there's a "Nebraska" restaurant (its real name) somewhere in that area; I forget where.

Intrigued, I stopped by.  The owner was a Greek.  He told me he named his place "Nebraska" because he liked the sound of the name; he knew nothing at all about Nebraska itself.  I sent the details to the Omaha World-Herald, and the guy got some publicity out here.  I wonder if the place still exists; it was a reasonably brand-new establishment at the time.

A lot of people live down in the Coney Island area but the summer is when they get most outside visitors. When we lived in Brooklyn we always went to Coney Island and Brighton Beach when I was a kid, we always stopped at Nathan's, people used to say they have the best hot dogs because they cook it in 100 years worth of grease LOL.

[Chris_]

people used to say they have the best hot dogs because they cook it in 100 years worth of grease LOL.

Dyer's says the same thing about their burgers in Memphis
[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URM04TnbIr4[/youtube]

I've made deep-fried burgers before... you have to make them very wide and flat because they shrink.  Haven't tried any hot dogs yet.

[Ballygrl]

Dyer's says the same thing about their burgers in Memphis
[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URM04TnbIr4[/youtube]

I've made deep-fried burgers before... you have to make them very wide and flat because they shrink.  Haven't tried any hot dogs yet.

Very cool!

Nathan's doesn't deep fry their hot dogs though, they grill them, but people used to jokes the grease on the grills are 100 years old.

[franksolich]

A lot of people live down in the Coney Island area but the summer is when they get most outside visitors. When we lived in Brooklyn we always went to Coney Island and Brighton Beach when I was a kid, we always stopped at Nathan's, people used to say they have the best hot dogs because they cook it in 100 years worth of grease LOL.

That was a pretty discouraging expedition for me, that time.

I thought Coney Island was in the process of being dismantled and hauled away to the junkyard, the way things looked.

That was the same expedition where I instructed the taxi-driver (an Italianate-looking guy) to take me to Todd Shipyards, only to find Todd Shipyards didn't exist any more.  And so then I instructed him to take me to the old family neighborhood (this was years before my own time), only to find out it had been torn up to accommodate the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair.  Finally I asked him to take me to the church where my parents had wed, on Manhattan, an Italian church by the way, "The Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel of the Holy Scapular," only to find it had recently been torn down, and moved.

<<always too late.

[Thor]

One positive thing about getting my own place. I can buy a six pack of TP and it will last a couple of months or more. I buy the giant economy size from Sams and it only lasts about a month, maybe a month and a half. (36 rolls?)

[Chris_]

Like I said, I haven't done any deep-fried dogs yet, but fried burgers are soooo good.. If you keep a jug of frying grease around like I do, its easy enough to cook.  I use a metal colander with a coffee filter in the bottom to filter my used frying grease into a large pot and a funnel from the auto parts store to pour it back into the bottle.  I think the oldest grease I have is about five years old, but it all tastes the same.

I was born on Long Island (Oyster Bay) but I've never been to Coney Island.  I bet my dad has been there a few times.

[Ballygrl]

That was a pretty discouraging expedition for me, that time.

I thought Coney Island was in the process of being dismantled and hauled away to the junkyard, the way things looked.

That was the same expedition where I instructed the taxi-driver (an Italianate-looking guy) to take me to Todd Shipyards, only to find Todd Shipyards didn't exist any more.  And so then I instructed him to take me to the old family neighborhood (this was years before my own time), only to find out it had been torn up to accommodate the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair.  Finally I asked him to take me to the church where my parents had wed, on Manhattan, an Italian church by the way, "The Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel of the Holy Scapular," only to find it had recently been torn down, and moved.

<<always too late.

You're lucky you didn't get hit over the head there in the 80's. They're trying to improve the area, they did a huge makeover at the amusement park, but there was a shooting and I guess something of a riot a few weeks ago there on the boardwalk. Also the Russian mob has a big presence in that area but they're nothing like the Italian mob, the Italian mob doesn't allow crime in their neighborhoods but in the Russian mob neighborhoods crime is rampant.

[Ballygrl]

Like I said, I haven't done any deep-fried dogs yet, but fried burgers are soooo good.. If you keep a jug of frying grease around like I do, its easy enough to cook.  I use a metal colander with a coffee filter in the bottom to filter my used frying grease into a large pot and a funnel from the auto parts store to pour it back into the bottle.  I think the oldest grease I have is about five years old, but it all tastes the same.

I was born on Long Island (Oyster Bay) but I've never been to Coney Island.  I bet my dad has been there a few times.

I love burgers but I'm not sure if I'd like them deep fried like that.

Very cool that you're from NY, we had family that moved out to Nassau County for a few years from Brooklyn.

[Chris_]

I barely remember it.  My parents had a small ranch house on a 1/2-acre lot the time.  I remember the last year we were there... summer was a kiddie pool in the yard and winter was snow piled up to the windows.  I remember trying to walk to the mailbox at the end of that 1/2 acre.  That was a long walk, but I was determined to get to that mailbox. I'm still not sure why, but I was determined to get there.  I do remember there was a black couple that lived across the street and that we were in a cul-de-sac off the street.

[franksolich]

You're lucky you didn't get hit over the head there in the 80's. They're trying to improve the area, they did a huge makeover at the amusement park, but there was a shooting and I guess something of a riot a few weeks ago there on the boardwalk. Also the Russian mob has a big presence in that area but they're nothing like the Italian mob, the Italian mob doesn't allow crime in their neighborhoods but in the Russian mob neighborhoods crime is rampant.

I was in Manhattan, and wanted to see the places where the parents and older brothers and sisters had been, before coming to Nebraska.  There were a bunch of taxi-cab drivers standing near Grand Central Station, and I approached the one who looked the most likely to understand (for a deaf person to understand), an Italian-looking guy with a big snoozle and very expressive body language.

I had a bunch of ancient addresses and photographs, and he agreed to haul me, for the fixed rate of $250 (this was the 1980s, remember) for eight hours.  After our first stop, which came up blank (a hospital on Long Island City where two of the brothers had been born), he then allowed me to sit in the front seat with him the rest of the day, which I considered a high honor.

He seemed very unhappy that we weren't finding anything left of the New York City of my parents and siblings, and at the end, when he was handing the vehicle over to another driver (I wasn't aware taxi-cabs are kept running 24 hours a day; only the drivers change) near to where he lived, he took me home to meet his wife, who fed me, kindly omitting the dead fish and mushrooms and stuff.

A very charming couple, this couple; I kept in contact with them until several years later, when I evaporated into the faraway socialist paradises of the workers and peasants.  I'm sure they've found favor with God.

[Ballygrl]

I was in Manhattan, and wanted to see the places where the parents and older brothers and sisters had been, before coming to Nebraska.  There were a bunch of taxi-cab drivers standing near Grand Central Station, and I approached the one who looked the most likely to understand (for a deaf person to understand), an Italian-looking guy with a big snoozle and very expressive body language.

I had a bunch of ancient addresses and photographs, and he agreed to haul me, for the fixed rate of $250 (this was the 1980s, remember) for eight hours.  After our first stop, which came up blank (a hospital on Long Island City where two of the brothers had been born), he then allowed me to sit in the front seat with him the rest of the day, which I considered a high honor.

He seemed very unhappy that we weren't finding anything left of the New York City of my parents and siblings, and at the end, when he was handing the vehicle over to another driver (I wasn't aware taxi-cabs are kept running 24 hours a day; only the drivers change) near to where he lived, he took me home to meet his wife, who fed me, kindly omitting the dead fish and mushrooms and stuff.

A very charming couple, this couple; I kept in contact with them until several years later, when I evaporated into the faraway socialist paradises of the workers and peasants.  I'm sure they've found favor with God.

Ooops, you were lucky you didn't get hit over the head in Brooklyn at Coney Island in the 80's.

New Yorkers are actually really nice people, they have a gruff exterior because they have to, but inside most of them are really good people. The really bitchy ones are the out of towners who move to NY.

[Chris_]

New Yorkers are actually really nice people, they have a gruff exterior because they have to, but inside most of them are really good people. The really bitchy ones are the out of towners who move to NY.

My last job, the company expanded from TN to NY/NJ after buying the rights to another company.  Yankees may be loud, obnoxious, and irritating but underneath, they're a bunch of pussies when you stand up to them.  All bark, no bite.

Personally, I think the north could use a bit of southern charm and calm down a bit.  There's no reason for all that hostility.