Rolled the wrong way

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What's wrong with this picture? If you are an engineer, it is likely to be obvious to you. If you are not, you might roll your eyes in exasperation. (But make sure roll them in the right direction.) So, what is it? Well... It is the way the toilet paper has been put onto the toilet paper holder. Look at it, it is all wrong.

As you can see from the pictographic instructions on the paper holder, the toilet paper is supposed hang out in the front and not in the back. I think it is obvious why this should be so: You can grab the paper more easily, if it hangs closer to you and further away from the wall. The way the paper is hanging out now you have to go under the holder, with the paper being more difficult to grab.

The amusing thing about all this is that you can have fundamental philosophic discussions about it and not reach a conclusion. Next time you are at a friend's place, and he or she does it differently from you, ask them about it. Is it by chance, or is it a pattern? More often than not, it is a pattern. Be prepared for a religious discussion.

Copyright (©) 2007 Dirk Riehle. Some rights reserved. (Creative Commons License BY-NC-SA.) Original Web Location: http://www.riehle.org