toilet paper storageA man staying in a low-cost motel in Charlotte, North Carolina, found that his room was out of toilet paper. His rage-filled reaction -- causing $2,000 in damages to both his and a nearby room -- is being characterized as crazy by most news sites reporting it.

Never mind that the guy is living in a no-tell motel reserved for the homeless and those living on the fringes, like the place where the guys kept house on My Name Is Earl. I seriously doubt if the whole place is worth $2,000. But even if it were a Holiday Inn, I can think of a lot of situations in which this is a perfectly normal response.

What could lead a man to such a desperate reaction to a lack of tee pee?

1) Maybe he is a frustrated husband and father. I can imagine my husband doing this when I have forgotten to replace the toilet paper one too many times. See, the shelf where we keep the 900-roll packet from Costco is just out of my reach. So rather than find the step-stool, risk being toppled by my rampant toddlers, and replace the toilet paper, I do have the bad habit of just ... forgetting. When my husband wants a nice, solitary moment in the “reading room” and finds instead that he has to call for help like the kids, I can imagine him rampaging around tossing Legos and pajama bottoms willy-nilly.

2) Maybe he is a toddler. “Momma, I have to pee and poop!” Penelope yells just as I am adding the last of the ingredients to the chicken pot pie mixture on the stove. “I’ll be right there!” I holler, and promptly forget to follow up because Abby has gotten herself tangled in her rocking chair (you read that right; I don’t understand it either). Ever the helpful child, Penelope then decides she will wipe herself, but can’t reach the toilet paper. She climbs down, but must remove the pants from around her ankles first, and then she gets sidetracked and tries to put them in the hamper before washing, flushing, or wiping. Yadda yadda yadda, 10 minutes later we have about $2,000 in damages.

3) Maybe he tripped. I don’t know about you, but I’m clumsy even when my pants are up. I’ve watched enough slapstick silent movies to expect the worst from the most innocent-looking banana peel.

What’s your reaction when you reach for the toilet paper and find there’s not a square to spare?


 
Image via Pakook/Etsy