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back to article Beijing deploys facial scanners to counter public toilet abuse

Beijing authorities are forcing desperate defecators to submit to a facial scan before receiving an allotment of toilet paper, sparking a debate over privacy, crowd control and the toxic qualities of Chinese loo roll. The city's crapper commissars have installed a phalanx of automated loo roll dispensers at Beijing’s biggest …

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    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Toilet Paper in chinese toilets?

      My thought as well, even some fairly posh restaurants didnt have any when I was last there, as for public toilets (especially in summer), I would rather crap my pants than go within 100m of one (500m down wind). The stench is unbelievable - and this from someone who used to work on sewage farms for Severn Trent

      With my stomach issues, I would be stuck there waiting for extra paper for about 2 hours; having said that, my Chinese wife manages to use about TWENTY sheets just to pat herself dry after a pee.

      1 0 Reply
      1. Anonymous Coward
        Reply Icon
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Toilet Paper in chinese toilets?

        The Chinese 'squat' types do smell lots but IMHO nowhere near as much as those in rural Africa.

        The locals prefer to 'go into the bush' rather than use them even if there are snakes etc around.

        The worst I encountered was in southern Malawi. you could literally smell it from 400 yds away even if you were upwind of it.

        mind you, doing your business in N.E Siberia in January presents another problem entirely

        0 0 Reply
    2. adnim
      Reply Icon

      Re: Toilet Paper in chinese toilets?

      (since they double to clean your hands if there was no wash basin).

      However, one has to be careful which order one chooses.

      0 0 Reply
  2. Rich 11

    Oh sh*t

    retinal scan

    I expect I wasn't the only person to misread this at first.

    1 0 Reply
  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    They're going about it all from the wrong end. Simply install the scanner in the loo itself and dispense TP based upon the scan results. There's days where two squares is sufficient for me, and there's days where six squares just clears the way to the scene of the crime. Those are the days where I'd feel sorry if I had to use one of those intelligent toilets.

    6 0 Reply
  4. chivo243 Silver badge
    Devil

    Calling Elaine Benes!

    What, you can't spare a square?? Just one? One Square?!!

    https://youtu.be/Gysu0kgFwT0

    1 0 Reply
  5. Tikimon
    Coat

    Heard on the street

    "Hey Mister, I got toilet paper in 24-square pack, top quality only 5,000 yuan. Got American paper, 6,000 yuan, I give you bulk discount. Wipe you long time."

    No apology is sufficient, so I won't bother trying.

    6 0 Reply
  6. JLV

    %-( ?

    Wow, toilet paper must be very expensive in China!

    "Enculer une mouche" seems a broadly applicable French saying.

    0 0 Reply
    1. Pascal Monett Silver badge
      Reply Icon

      Agreed

      "concerns that pensioners are purloining large amounts of tissue from municipal facilities to use at home"

      There's your problem. No use trying to restrict public toilet usage, the solution is to distribute toilet rolls among the public. There must be some assbackwards (sorry, couldn't resist) economy rule at play here for this to even be a thing.

      I think we can file this under "growing pains".

      1 0 Reply
  7. TRT Silver badge

    Have they initiated...

    an Office of Bottom Inspection?

    1 0 Reply
  8. NBCanuck

    Travelling

    One thing I always take with me when travelling is a roll of TP. Hardly ever need it, but it has come in handy in places that were out, or had sandpaper single-ply stuff where you cold rub a couple sheets together to start a fire.

    2 0 Reply
  9. David 45

    A motion was passed.

    Police thought a crime had been committed but they had nothing to go on.

    2 0 Reply
  10. Anonymous Coward
    Trollface

    If 6 squares of toilet paper aren't enough.

    I think you can still get copies of Mao Tse-Tung's "Little Red Book" very cheaply, pretty much anywhere in Beijing :)

    "Yes Comrade Chairman, I am using your wisdom to wipe out the decadent filth!"

    6 0 Reply
  11. Herby

    In the USA we have Charmin commercials on TV

    Now there is something that might be interesting in China.

    The commercials try to extol the virtues of using LESS TP.

    Me? I like a nice wad!

    1 0 Reply
  12. Ken Moorhouse Silver badge

    Have someone posted outside with a placard that says:-

    "Say NO to Paper Cuts"

    This may frighten people enough for them to bring in their own supply.

    3 0 Reply
  13. Andy Non Silver badge
    Coat

    Due to the current toilet paper shortage...

    Customers are requested to use both sides of each sheet.

    0 0 Reply

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