There’s simply a lot more automation going on in this country. Automatic doors abound. My toilet activates some sort of fan when I close the lid, but only if I’ve actually used it. It can tell. Even the little clock built into the bed in my hotel room detects when there’s been no motion in the room and dims its LCD display so as to provide a more soothing sleeping environment.

There’s a piece of hardware sitting under my telephone the purpose of which I have yet to discern. Given the sophistication of the other hardware in the room, I can only assume that it is constantly monitoring my emotional well-being and would immediately notify rectifying personnel if I were to find anything to be even slightly to my dissatisfaction.