Finding toilet paper

[MrNoodly]

Luckily, I have enough toilet paper and wipes to last a while, but I've avoided using what I have. I discovered that while the toilet paper shelves might be empty at Walmart or wherever, there's still plenty in the restrooms. Same for other places with public restrooms. At least for now. The general public don't have access to the big institutional wheels of TP. And the TP in most campgrounds is locked in the dispenser. Since I'm out there traveling around anyway, I can take advantage of public restrooms more easily than folks in their houses/apartments. And I might roll off a few extra yards of paper if the need arises.

 

[user 423]

These days it's hard to find telephone books and Sears catalogs.

 

[GypsyJan]

There is a surge of interest in bidets. The Simple Shower could be used as a portable one. I always have a water bottle, micro towel, and soap in my tote for washing the nether regions as needed at restrooms.

 

[owl]

The media frenzy will soon be over and the scare buying will slow. Stores will be fully stocked in no time.

 

[DanielParkins]

First off, this is the funniest thing to happen amind the crisis situation. People have totally flipped their minds over TP like there's no tomorrow. What's going on in their mind I really can't figure out. Corona doesn't give mass diarheea, don't realize how people got it in their heads that everyone will be mass-infected with it. Alas, it is what it is, and unfortunately for those who are out of TP and just want to buy some rolls like any normal person, you're gonna have a bad time for a while. Maybe it's best to order a bidet and install it quickly, cause who knows how long it takes until people understand they don't need to buy out all the TP in stores.

 

[WanderingRose]

A lot of 24 hour stores are closing overnight to clean and restock, also many are offering limited early hours for seniors only.

May help your chance of snagging toilet paper.

 

[Chuck Q]

I dunno. Taking something that isn't yours is called stealing and isn't right on any scale...sorry.
Use what you need and please leave the rest for the next user.
If you'll steal TP, you'll steal just about anything...it's a character thing not a survival thing.
Like my grandpa said, "The mark of a man is what he does when no one is watching."

Many alternatives to TP, folks got along just swell for thousands of years without it. Time to explore some new techniques for cleaning yourself. You might find a method you prefer over paper.......

For a laugh, check out the old Army joke about using only one square to "complete the job", highly unrecommended!

 

[JeanInaBox]

I remember that! Was taught that during MOS training.

 

[maki2]

A lot of 24 hour stores are closing overnight to clean and restock, also many are offering limited early hours for seniors only.

May help your chance of snagging toilet paper.

we used to have a lot of 24 hour stores in the Seattle city proper but by several years ago, all but a couple of pharmacy drive up windows and the 7-11s quit being open 24 hours. Too many robberies for the employee's safety.

But I am grateful that the stores are going to let seniors such as myself in early.

People will finally have a good use for all that junk mail.

 

[user 423]

Yesterday I call the DG store near me to confirm they were setting aside the first hour of business for seniors.

They said that was true but also said they wouldn't deny access to anyone else during that time.

Huh?

 

[Stargazer]

To those who made comments about stealing, I ask, Would you steal food if you, your child or someone you love were hungry or starving?  If they were sick and dying, would you steal or even kill for the medicine that would heal them?

 

[owl]

Think about this, if you are living in a vehicle on public land chances are you have made arrangements for going to the bathroom and don't rely on public toilets. If, during this crisis, you go to public bathrooms and take the toilet paper provided what will happen is the doors will be locked. Now a facility that many rely on with no where else to go are shut out. People visiting an establishment who have an emergency have nowhere to go. I would urge everyone to take care of themselves and consider how your actions impact others during this time. Stay well.

 

[maki2]

Yesterday I call the DG store near me to confirm they were setting aside the first hour of business for seniors.

They said that was true but also said they wouldn't deny access to anyone else during that time.

Huh?

Of course they will let them in, they are not going to start a TP riot in the parking lot.  Besides a paying customer is a paying customer and quite a few stores I have gone into lately that are not just grocery stores are ghost towns.

For instance the Walgreens, I was one of 3 customers during the typical rush hour of the day. I went to my local hardware store yesterday afternoon and was one of 2 customers in there. Walgreens and Rite Aid, CVS etc don't need to have senior hours, they just are not busy inside the store, people are scared to go inside a place where sick people go to and that works for me as a senior. They do stock some groceries and paper products. They even had TP left in the Walgreens the day I went in, I did not take any as I had some on hand.

 

[maki2]

Just got back from the "Smart Food Service" grocery store in my Seattle neighbor. It is one of the places I normally shop at because of the cost savings versus the Kroger store chain. They sell to cafes and coffee shops. They did have toilet paper, the smallest package size of it they sell is a bundle of 32 double sized rolls, on special discount this month for $15.00. case of it for $40 something. They don't even call it hoarding at that store when you get a whole case of toilet paper, because it is just business as normal in that store.

Of course I had to get it home right away in case someone in Seattle wanted to break into my vehicle for it

Just kidding of course, the streets were pretty empty of traffic this morning.

 

[nature lover]

There are tons of TP jokes out there. I think that hording it is crazy. But then I imagine living without it and the alternatives are not the kind of things I what to think or write about. One of my many camping experiences was a group outing when a young boy picked the wrong leaves to use as TP. Yes it was poison ivy. Several days after I had to take him to the hospital where they admitted him for a day. I used to have a large library and one of the funniest books I owned was "How to s*** in the woods". A great read - prepare to laugh.

 

[Cammalu]

I saw that Amazon is still selling those giant rolls you see in public bathrooms. At least a couple days ago they were. If you get in a jam....

 

[maki2]

There was someone on the Seattle craigslist selling giant rolls for $5.00 each. It left me wondering if he was stealing them out of restrooms by breaking the lock on the container covers.

It is going to be a lot longer than a 2 week self confinement in Seattle.

 

[Stargazer]

Maki2,

I agree, it will be longer than two weeks. But few people seem to be truly self confining anyway.

 

[crofter]

Along those lines, has anyone tried to do banking this week? I am working on financial stuff and the bank seems to have ground to a complete halt. The only service available is online, everyone else will talk to you but do nothing, no financial transactions happening. What's the deal with that?  Maybe they have gone out of business and I just don't know it yet.  ~crofter

 

[B and C]

I don't know what "financial stuff" you are referring to but I pay my bills online and my auto-payments from my checking account went through. I only go to the bank if I need more cash than the ATM will let me have. I go online to the bank to check what has cleared/deposited and see what my balance is. Supposed to get the social security auto-deposited next Wednesday.

No toilet paper to be found around here for sale.