Is it universal?
On the news (from PDI):
The All England Club, where the Grand Slam tournament takes place, confirmed that half of the 5,000 towels made available to players each year were not returned -- at a value of around 60,000 pounds (111,000 dollars).
Triple champion Roger Federer, who has earned 13 million pounds (24 million dollars) in his career admitted that he occasionally takes home the towels, which sell for 24 pounds (44 dollars) in the official shops.
"I do take a few," the Swiss star admitted.
"I have a big collection, stacked up back home. It's a good gift. We only get them on the courts and not in the locker room. I guess that's why, if they would give them away in the locker room too, there would be none left very quickly."
Organizers were alerted to the problem of the disappearing towels when America's world number one doubles team Bob and Mike Bryan detailed their exploits on their blog.
Bob wrote: "These towels have been a long tradition at Wimbledon and players make a habit of stealing as many as they can get their hands on. They make great gifts.
"For every match there are two new towels on your chair. When the match finishes, the ball boys try to snatch them from you, but if you shove them deep in your bag and run, they're yours.
"I played two mixed doubles matches today... I was two for two with the matches, but more importantly, I was four for four with the towels."
I remember many years back, I attended a seminar in one of the finest Hotels in Cebu, and the towels were really really good. I put one, really deep inside in my bag, and the feeling of stealing something was bugging me for several hours, afraid I would be discovered, hehehe. So during the check out time, I was the one most in a hurry of going; if discovered how shameful would it be on my part - taking a towel costing a hundred or two. The worst thing, if discovered, was that I was part of the organizing committee of the seminar, and I don't how would my expat Boss would react? hehehe. Would I be fired on the spot.
Days after, everytime I looked at the towel, I would feel guilty, hehehe. It is served as a badge, a material evidence how naughty I can be sometimes - and so I decided to give it away.
From then on, although it is a struggle, I have always been successful in leaving behind towels. I have not stolen one for many many years now.
But the urge is still there