8 thoughts on “The Mystery Of The Missing Toothpaste”

  1. I know from reading here over the last few years, that you travel quite a bit for both business and pleasure. And I would agree that the [idiotoid] TSA has made ANY travel harder. But I spent 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 weeks a month on the road for 5 years for business, so I get the travel difficulties thing.

    But in all the time I traveled then, and what little I can travel now, I always carry all my own necessities. If for no other reason than I want to CHOOSE what shampoo, tooth paste, etc, that I have with me. I tried to be as much ‘at home’ as I could, while being away from home. Three things I always carried with me toward that were, my pillow from home, my alarm clock [an old Baby Ben, wind up model I’ve had for 45 years that still works, and sits in my bathroom today, ticking away…] and I always carried my own TP. Not because I have Native American roots, [yeah, lame…but I like telling it this way…] I carried it because even the priciest hotel rooms often came with the kind of toilet paper they use in TRUCK STOPS! And all of this went into my checked bag. I had a carry on, small, for a days clothing change and a comb or brush, just in case the airline lost my bag(s).

    So, I don’t understand why anyone would WANT the hotel to provide anything I’m going to stick in my mouth or put on my…on ANY of my orifices in point of fact.

  2. It seems that you can request toothpaste at most hotels, but they don’t always provide it like they do soap and shampoo. Agree, not sure why that is.

  3. I travel a lot.

    I pack tooth powder, not toothpaste, in my carryon. No need to get it out to show the TSA. Plus, it works better than toothpaste, it doesn’t have any SLS to screw up my tastebuds or biochemistry, *and* because I keep it in the same ziplock bag with my toothbrush, it keeps my toothbrush dead bone dry and thus non-funky.

  4. In the bathroom at some of the hotels in Japan they provide a sealed package with a toothbrush and a tiny one-use tube of toothpaste. They also have them in a serve-yourself box near the front desk, along with combs, shampoo and soap.

  5. I like Japanese hotels over many American and European hotels for that (the toothpaste) and other reasons. Even the most seasoned traveler forgets or loses or runs out of stuff.

  6. I suspect the reason is that they can refill (or just top off) the shampoo/gel bottles, but they obviously can’t do that with toothpaste tubes.

  7. Quite ignoring the fact that “market failure” doesn’t mean what he seems to thinks it means, no-one chooses a hotel on the basis of which complementary toiletries they get. If they did, hotels would be very different, and not just in the bathroom.

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