Getting ready to go down to Coney Island for the annual Nathan's hot dog eating contest? You might want to throw some toilet paper into your beach bag. The Post is reporting that attendants in the public restrooms on the famed boardwalk are being forced to dole out "a few measly squares per patron" to women looking to use the loo (men seeking free TP? Don't bother). Considering the state of the Parks Department budget, it really shouldn't be that surprising.
"Never in my life have I experienced anything like this," one 25-year-old complained to the tabloid. "I walked toward a stall, and a bathroom attendant stopped me by shouting, 'Hey, mami! There's no toilet paper here,' and she whipped out a big roll for me to grab some."
The Parks Department—which despite running 14 percent of the city's land recently saw its budget cut down to $232 million dollars, out of a $66 billion budget—swears there is enough TP to go around. "Bathroom supplies are stocked daily," a spokesman said, "and our budget for these supplies is consistent." But employees privately told the paper there simply wasn't enough single-ply to go around.
The lack of paper is a sore point for local businesses who agreed to pitch in to keep the public bathrooms open later. "I gave $1,000 but would've been better off buying $1,000 worth of toilet paper and dropping it off," one owner said. This seems like the perfect time for Charmin to swoop in for a summer edition of their pop-up toilets...
