A lot of things have become unnecessary now that everyone has a smartphone, but here’s one you don’t hear about much: Having a pen and paper in your hotel room. (Having a pen and paper anywhere really.)
A new poll asked people, “Is it unacceptable for someone to take home a pen from a hotel room they’ve stayed in?”
39% of people say it’s “always acceptable” to swipe the pen. And maybe that makes sense, they’re usually branded with the hotel’s name, so maybe most places consider it complimentary marketing.
32% of people say it “depends on the hotel,” and 18% of people consider it “always unacceptable.”
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Another poll asked if it’s cool to take home the pen that a restaurant server gives you to sign the bill. And 8% of people said that it’s “always acceptable” to steal it from the check folder thing. (???)
24% said it “depends on the restaurant” and 52% consider it “always unacceptable.”
The people most likely to steal hotel pens are Midwestern, Gen X women . . . while those who are most likely to take the pen from the server are Gen Z men from the Northwest.
Maybe some restaurants have those pens branded as well, but it feels different, right? They’re not offering you a pen to use as a convenience, they need you to settle your bill. If you take the pen, they’ll need to find another one for the next table.
