Monitoring toilet paper usage

[Randy W]

A Chinese friend once told me that, in his youth, the community bathroom facilities were equipped with newspaper for use as toilet paper. They had to be VERY careful to cut our ALL pictures of Chairman Mao before using - this WOULD be checked.

 

in the NY Times

 

China’s High-Tech Tool to Fight Toilet Paper Bandits

 

 

Now the authorities in Beijing are fighting back, going so far as to install high-tech toilet paper dispensers equipped with facial recognition software in several restrooms.

Before entering restrooms in the park, visitors must now stare into a computer mounted on the wall for three seconds before a machine dispenses a sheet of toilet paper, precisely two feet in length. If visitors require more, they are out of luck. The machine will not dispense a second roll to the same person for nine minutes.