by When going overseas, it is essential to plan ahead and prepare for most contingencies. I did that when I recently went to South Africa. I used a travel agent to book my airfare, I reserved my room online for the night I arrived, and I used an expediting service to take care of my rifle permit from the South African Police Service.
An actual sign seen in a Caltex service station restroom near the town of Cradock in the Eastern Cape reminded me that even with all that preparation there were still some things I couldn’t foresee.
While I did not have an occasion to make that request, I do feel for those who saw the sign just a little bit too late. I’m guessing toilet paper is a more valued commodity in small town South Africa than I assumed and that management was tired of having it stolen.
The bottom line is to follow the Scout Motto: Be Prepared!
PS: I found that you can get individually wrapped baby wipes called “Stall Mates” from Amazon. (#commission earned)
Oh yeah… and don’t dare throw it in the toilet, it goes in the ‘can’ next to the toilet… sigh
I spent most of my career in rural law enforcement. One trick of the trade an old hand passed along early was to take half a roll of TP, put it in a baggie, and slowly drive over it. Thus flattened, it went in my go bag. It came in handy many times over the years. It is a tip I passed on to many a young officer.
Not just in South Africa. If you spent as much time in campgrounds as I do, you would note that the TP is on a bar locked into a steel frame. This was true even before the Great TP Panic of 2020. Recent changes have been the switch to giant industrial size rolls locked into a plastic housing. There was not an overall shortage of TP during the panic but a shortage of the small rolls used in homes. There was a surplus of the big rolls used in the locked down businesses.