It might not be the original intent of the story, it's just a tool to establish the daily routine that lends to experimentation.
But it ends up giving a very American feeling.
As with most Myth, folklore and urban legends, there is a part that is exxagerated and a part that might be based on a real case. This story is much more likely to propagate in the US as that very daily detail doesn't immediately give away that it's an urban legend.
It might not be the original intent of the story, it's just a tool to establish the daily routine that lends to experimentation.
But it ends up giving a very American feeling.
As with most Myth, folklore and urban legends, there is a part that is exxagerated and a part that might be based on a real case. This story is much more likely to propagate in the US as that very daily detail doesn't immediately give away that it's an urban legend.