Observations from the toilet, Part 1

First, the SAS conference was really great. I like the small conference vibe- you can actually hear most of the papers that you want to hear, and it's easier to have those fun and relaxed conversations that make conferences worthwhile. Plus, my presentation went off well and I got lots of nice feedback about it. 

Now, on to the promised observations. Over the course of the two-day conference, I had ample opportunity and occasion to make use the adjacent hotel bathrooms. I couldn't help but notice, somewhat to my chagrin, that the toilet paper holder in the first bathroom I visited was installed like this:

If it had been installed according to the instructions, of course, visitors to the restroom wouldn't be able to see these words. Instead, it would look like this (taken in another stall):

I did a little survey research and was somewhat chagrined and astonished to find that, of the 8 bathroom stalls, only 2 had their toilet paper holders installed as in the 2nd picture; 6 (fully 75%!) were installed "upside down," as in picture #1.

I see several possible explanations as to why (most of) the toilet paper holders were installed upside down:

1) Maybe the person installing these toilet paper holders was not literate in English and therefore didn't understand the message printed on the toilet paper holders. This seems the simplest explanation.

2) The person could have been literate in English but simply inattentive - thinking about something else, long day, ready to go home and all that. This is the possibility that I find troubling; is it really possible to see words and not read them? I'm rather a compulsive reader, I suppose. But you'd have to be looking rather closely at the thing in order to install it; I'm not sure that it would be possible to simply not notice that there were words printed on it.

3) It could be that the person was literate in English, read the message printed on the toilet paper holders, and decided to flagrantly disregard it. This is, of course, my favorite possibility. I love the thought of a bathroom-toilet-paper-installer committing a small but brilliant act of resistance toward the disembodied hegemonic millimeter-tall inscription on a piece of metal. "Install with this side down? HA! I shall subvert your authority, oh feeble written word, and display the impotence your hollow command to the crapping public for all eternity!" Striking a blow for individual agency- God, I love it. It reminds me of the famous line attributed to Juan Ramon Jimenez: "If they give you lined paper, write the other way."

I'm sure that there are other possible explanations which have yet to occur to me. For now, I will simply say: Carry on, oh toilet-paper-holder-installers of the world. Carry on with your work of inspiring wonder.