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Comment by ausvisaissues | Hacker News Reader

Most gates are automatic now in Japan (with a conductor sometimes checking tickets on Shinkansen after gates).

When I was in the US there was a guy handing me a towel in the bathroom. That is an incredibly meaningless and superfluous job!

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Towel guy is there to prevent fucking and drug use in bathrooms (without a bribe).

Also I have to imagine it cuts down on whatever the hell people are doing in unattended bathrooms where every bodily fluid ends up on every possible surface at some point.

> When I was in the US there was a guy handing me a towel in the bathroom. That is an incredibly meaningless and superfluous job!

On the other hand, most Americans live their entire lives in the US without ever seeing such a guy. Are you mind-bogglingly rich?

You too may experience this "luxury" by going to pretty much any club (dance or strip) on pretty much any weekend in pretty much any major US city. The opulence wears off quickly, as it is made clear that you're expected to tip and all you want to do is wash your hands like a decent person.

Oh. Gp made it sound like it was a common thing in America.

I'm 53 and the only time I've ever seen a washroom attendant was in Mexico.

It is a common thing in US if you go clubbing.

Theu don’t just hand you towels, they usually have OTC type things if you’re feeling ill - you’ll never be more thankful for them until it happens to you when clubbing

If the attendant is to my left, I rotate clockwise towards the door after I finish washing. Then it looks like I didn’t see him.

With wet hands, though, or damp pants, which is not a great look in either club environ.

I would just simply refuse to go to such places, but I've only ever gone at the strong insistence of friends and perhaps the insistence some strong drink.

Perhaps a real-life hack could be to bring sanitizer gel.

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