Urban Diplomat: Taking a free coffee shop newspaper into the bathroom is not cool, right?

Urban Diplomat: Taking a free coffee shop newspaper into the bathroom is not cool, right?

(Image: Daniel R. Blume)

Dear Urban Diplomat,
I regularly read in a coffee shop that’s well stocked with free newspapers. Last Sunday, a fellow café patron took a section of The New York Times into the washroom, emerged after 10 minutes and placed the paper back on the stack! Should I ask the staff to post a sign discouraging this?
Grossed out, THE JUNCTION

It’s safe to assume that 99 per cent of public washroom users want to get in and out as quickly as possible, and this guy represents the unholy one per cent. If you post a sign for this offence, what’s next? No Clipping Toenails Near the Butter Tarts? Please. The vast majority of adults don’t need common-sense manners spelled out for them. Just knock the contaminated publication into the recycling bin (using a spoon, which you will then take care to place in the dirty spoons canister, of course).

Send your questions to the Urban Diplomat at urbandiplomat@torontolife.com