A man traveling through Ohio thought he’d stop at a Fairfield Inn by Marriott to get a roll of toilet paper. While he documented he was successful in his endeavor, not everyone applauded his initiative.
TikTok creator BerryD Treasure Backup (@berrydtreasure_live), an online reseller, attempted to launch a series on the platform he dubbed, “Asking hotels I’m not staying at for stuff I don’t need.” He reports in the video, put up on Saturday and getting nearly 95,000 views since, that he was at a Fairfield Inn by Marriott looking to get a roll of toilet paper.
He films himself going up to the desk, asking for a roll of toilet paper, and being rewarded for his initiative by a front desk worker.
“This hotel’s actually in a really sweet spot,” he observes after procuring the Cottonelle roll of toilet paper, clearly feeling good about the operation.
@berrydtreasure_live #hotel #fairfield #marriott #humor ♬ original sound – BerryD Treasure Backup
But commenters had issue with his endeavor.
“People wonder why prices keep going up,” one observed. “Why steal toilet paper?”
Another countered, “He didn’t steal it. He literally asked. There’s a difference.”
“You’re not only cheap but you’re a thief!” contended another, going as far as to declare him “unattractive” for his behavior.
The creator has a series of follow-up videos in which he mixes it up with commenters who voiced their disapproval or just sought to dunk on him. He answered one critic who said his time would be better spent at a local Humane Society filming himself with animals needing to be adopted, retorting, “I’m at work all day, and this TikTok takes 13 seconds to make.”
A May 2023 Travel + Leisure article isn’t quite clear on whether toilet paper is fair game at a hotel, but does lay out a definite take/don’t take list.
“Toiletries, such as bar soap, shampoo, and disposable slippers, are okay to take,” said Mehmet Erdem, an associate professor of hotel operations and technology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in the article. “Just remember that some hotels work with charities to re-purpose such items, so find out if the property you are staying at is participating in such programs, and if they are, give consideration to those who really need such items. Also, remember that writing stationery does not have to be stationary (pun intended), so feel free to take pens, pencils, and note papers.”
He added, “Linens, such as towels, sheets, and pillowcases, are some of the big no-nos. Also, some guests incorrectly assume that books or magazines available in their rooms are up for grabs; they often are not. Hairdryers and steam irons are among the items known to get ‘accidentally’ packed away when checking out.”
The toilet paper question was specifically put to the Frugal Village online forum in 2010, with one responding, “The toilet paper belongs in the hotel. To me thats stealing. You ought to go to Sams Club and buy her a case [of] commercial grade tp for her bday.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to the creator via TikTok direct message and to Marriott via email.
Update June 4, 3:05pm CT: The creator tells the Daily Dot that he didn’t actually take the toilet paper. “I didn’t take anything from a hotel. See my other videos. I always go and put it back. I put it back immediately. Usually just go and put it in the lobby bathroom. I do it for views and people get all bent out of shape.”
The internet is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here to get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
