With Homecoming underway, the fall leaves aren’t the only thing in the trees; toilet papering or TPing is occurring again this year. The lighthearted tradition of throwing toilet paper at the property of friends and teachers has existed for years.
“I think it’s a fun tradition as long as it stays within the bounds of no destruction,” science teacher Nick Kvam said. “My kids enjoy cleaning up the mess afterward,”
Sentiments about the tradition are mostly positive; however, some aspects of TPing can cause some frustration.
“One thing that annoyed me was that they put hot dogs in my car’s windshield wipers and gas cap,” senior Royce Lichtenberg said.
TPing doesn’t always include just toilet paper; many people also place hot dogs around, or stab forks into the ground. While TPing is viewed as fun by most, when it happens often, it can get old quickly.
“I thought it was funny until I started to get TP’d almost every day,” senior Keira LaSure said.
Of those who have been TP’d in the past, many believe those who TP’d them could have done a better job.
“The TP ran a little weak on the trees; there should be TP all over the place,” Lichtenberg said.
A lack of TP in trees was a complaint that many of those targeted mentioned. Some had opinions on where the toilet paper ended up.
“Some people have the inability to throw, so it ends up on the ground,” science teacher Paul Bell said.
Piles of loose toilet paper do not give the same effect as a tree filled with streams of toilet paper. While the quantity of TP needs improvement, it is not the only complaint. A common critique given by those who were TP’d is that TPers have to be sneakier.
“I think they could have done a better job because I caught them one night and chased them with my car,” LaSure said.
While some are not sneaky enough while TPing, others have complimented the stealth of TPers.
“They did a good job of picking the time I was in bed,” Bell said.
Waiting until a person is asleep is a common strategy of TPers and allows TPers to do more complete jobs, if done right, this allows for a fun shock in the morning for the target.
“They TP’d my trees, porch, mailbox, my car, gutters, pool, pool deck, and our trampoline,” Lichtenberg said.
With TPing, it is important for all parties involved to be safe and not take things to extremes.
“Have fun and don’t take things too far,” Kvam said.
