An effort by the city of Port Moody to inject some laughter in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic may have wiped some people the wrong way.
Wednesday, the city’s social media feeds announced a special giveaway of limited-edition “I [heart] Port Moody” toilet paper.
“We know you love to show your Port Moody pride when you’re out and about,” the post said, adding, “Since many of us are staying in whenever possible these days, why not show your Port Moody pride at home, too?”
The event would happen for one day only, the post said, with a limit of one pack per household. It then pointed readers to a page on the city’s website for further details, where the true nature of the giveaway was revealed.
But not everyone got the joke, or made note of the date, April 1 — April Fool’s Day.
“I totally thought this was legit,” said one poster to the city’s Facebook page.
“This is a bad post,” said another, while yet another chastised the city for making light of a serious situation for many families that are finding themselves running low on toilet paper. “I find your joke a pathetic attempt at playing off a bad situation in our city.”
Most people, though, appreciated the respite from all the stress and anxiety.
“Very clever,” said one, while a few even admitted to falling for the prank.
On its webpage, the city used the joke to remind people how they can help each other get through the health crisis, including messages to avoid panic buying, wash hands often for at least 20 seconds and practise physical distancing.
