Bring back the great American toothpick

DEAR EDITOR:

There are many unjust aspects of our society, and not least of which is the lack of publicly available toothpicks, particularly in restaurants. Patrons are provided all other necessities to enjoy a meal. Therefore, it is baffling to me as to why an essential aspect of any meal, the toothpick, is very rarely provided in restaurants anymore.

I would venture to guess that most of us would use a toothpick at a restaurant more regularly than we would a spoon; most situations do not require a spoon, which is generally only utilized during the consumption of soup.

Personally speaking, I would say I have food stuck in my teeth about 60% of the time after a meal; now, had I worn my retainer as instructed, this would probably be less of an issue for me, but nevertheless, I know food in teeth is a common problem even for the gapless-teeth individuals out there.

When I became an Eagle Scout, I was given a small multi-purpose pocket knife with an included reusable toothpick, an excellent item which in itself would’ve made becoming an Eagle Scout worth the time and effort.

Unfortunately, this toothpick must have grown legs and walked away, because I cannot find it; thus, I am in constant need of publicly provided toothpicks.

Ideally, I would be a proponent of flavored toothpicks, namely mint, but if that is markedly more expensive, then I suppose I’ll settle for plain toothpicks, but I can’t imagine the cost of toothpicks is a substantial increase to a restaurant’s expenditure.

Therefore, if restaurants do not begin to voluntarily provide toothpicks to their patrons, then they should be legally compelled to do so.

If you think that is government overreach, then be my guest and enjoy your self-inflicted periodontal peril.

JEREMY SANFREY

New Waterford