Sunday, April 06, 2008

[loo roll crisis] economy too far


There are some excellent things about the Russians - the warm-heartedness, the way everything is negotiable but there are also some not so good.
One of the worst is when they try to emulate the west in ripping people off.

They've learnt the art of curtailing services "for your convenience" and now they've hit the loo roll.


Now just look at the pic above - do they look the same size? Do they really look comparable? For a start, look at the:

1. overall size - hardly equal, wouldn't you agree;

2. squidginess - look at the firm, hard roll on the right, lovingly packed with paper and then the wobbly abomination on the left;


3. the outrageous claim - the one on the left trumpets "65 metres" and the one on the right has the maker's name. Ha - the one on the right is shorter, yes - I just measured them - and you know why, reader? Because the one on the left is half the bl--dy weight of the other and you don't need to be a genius to know what that means when that moment is reached.



This "tormoz" [local name for limited intellect] thought it was oh so clever to sell the new one on the left and no one would notice. Well I did - the moment I tried to take the wrapper off, half the roll came away [see photo above for evidence] and now I have half a soggy roll.


The word "Kalashnikov" hovers perilously close to the tongue and the trigger finger is itching right now.

What is particularly galling is that if you fronted the Receding Brow with said Kalashnikov, he'd claim it was market forces made him do it.
He can have a couple of rounds in his market forces then and see how he likes these new times we live in.

Now I wouldn't want you to get the idea I was a little less than gruntled of course. It is Sunday after all and we're meant to forgive and forget.


Hot damn - some more just came away and my fingers went through it. Right - I'll be back in a few minutes - spot of culling needs doing downstairs. Will you excuse me?

Many thanks to Nunyaa who sent the comment below - a carton of local loo roll is on its way to you right now.


5 comments:

  1. Depends on whether you are a scruncher or a folder !

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh a folder - always have been - and you?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ah, capitalism hits the toilet roll.

    A price increase by a decrease in the amount delivered for the same price. We are so used to it here.

    But to add insult to injury, with the example of yogurt, instead of decreasing the size of the container which would have cost them money, they put in 650g instead of 750g for the same price and you open to find it already at the 3/4 mark! The blighters!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ha! Cheered me up, James. I must say that when I lived in Prague, I found the loo rolls very eatern-block, so to speak.

    ReplyDelete

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