Rant, OPP

[doneat54]

My (failing) eyesight is my problem, no one else's. But packaging? OMG, I don't care if you are 24 years old, you should not need to go get a Sawzall from the shop to open a heat sealed USB stick you bought for $4. PISSES me off.

I do know, BTW, why they do that. Packaging engineers are designing for the retailer (security) NOT the consumer. But there are still a whole bunch of packaging engineers that I want to slap...

 

[frayne]

I read somewhere that many of the Christmas time ER visits are due to someone trying to open packaging and instead open themselves.

Another thing that gets my goat is all the damn buttons (50+) on the Comcast remotes, I use about six at the most. arggggghhhhhh !!!!!!!!

And don't even get me started on my iPhone and plethora of apps that I don't use and can't get rid of.

 

[kcowan]

Taking the lid off of Costco jars of sun-dried tomatoes. Too big for most of the assistance devices.

Trying to read the score on the game on TV when it is covered by their news feed (or other things). I use binoculars to see the tennis scores sometimes.

They flash the twitter feedback and, by the time I focus, it is gone.

Siri gets to talk to me much more than I want. Usually I just say "check email" to get rid of her!

Why are remote controls all laid out differently?

(I have lens implants and so I can read anything with a bright enough light.)

But why do people put green lettering on a green background etc (you choose the color combo)?

 

[Telly]

.......In an attempt to foil mice and meal moths, I store all cereal and similar dry goods in lidded plastic containers saved from the box store. The containers for Orville Redenbacher popcorn are particularly good for this: wide-mouthed, with built-in handles. If the item is going to take a long time to use up, I store the plastic container in the freezer......

Originally posed by W2R
.......I always keep cold cereal in the freezer to keep the bugs out. This is a habit that I learned from my dear departed mother back when I was a teenager living in Hawaii, where bugs abound. I don't live in Hawaii any more, but old habits die hard and it is so easy to just toss the cereal box in the freezer.

Since the invasion of the meal moths episode, DW repackages all pastas, flour, etc. into plastic containers with snap-on lids. Cereal boxes are a weak link still, but repackaging that would be a big pain, and in our side by side refridge, spare freezer space is about nil. In fact, an avalanche of frozen bags of chicken, vegetables, etc. often greet DW when she looks for something. I, on the other hand, settle for whatever is on the top of the pile, rather than tempting fate

 

[W2R]

Since the invasion of the meal moths episode, DW repackages all pastas, flour, etc. into plastic containers with snap-on lids. Cereal boxes are a weak link still, but repackaging that would be a big pain, and in our side by side refridge, spare freezer space is about nil. In fact, an avalanche of frozen bags of chicken, vegetables, etc. often greet DW when she looks for something. I, on the other hand, settle for whatever is on the top of the pile, rather than tempting fate

Sometimes life just fights back, doesn't it! Oh well, best of luck in your battle to keep the bugs out of your cereal.

 

[imoldernu]

Best
1. Scissors
2. Closed Captioning
3. Slider Ziplocks

Now, if someone could come up with am affordable wireless lighted keyboard my world would be complete.

 

[braumeister]

I have been very happy with this app:

Magnifying Glass With Light - digital magnifier with flashlight

It's remarkably useful in a dark restaurant to read the small print on a menu.

And another feature is if you're trying to see something not easily accessible, you can hold your phone as needed to take a lighted, magnified photo of it, then read it easily afterward.

 

[grasshopper]

Taking the lid off of Costco jars of sun-dried tomatoes. Too big for most of the assistance device.

Same here I use a can opener to pop the seal first, than I am able ro get the lid off.

 

[kcowan]

Same here I use a can opener to pop the seal first, than I am able ro get the lid off.

Does the can opener pierce the lid?

 

[gayl]

Incomplete index at the back of the 3 book Honda car manual. Yes they give you 3 books and unlike Saturn, the index doesn't list some of the most basic items (like how to get the service now message off). What's even more frustrating is that when you call them, they can't tell you how to do it over the phone and don't know where it is in the manual either!

 

[athena53]

A few more OPP pet peeves:

Tiny font on OTC medication labels.

Background music in movies and TV shows that drowns out the dialogue.

White font on Black on a TV screen.

User manuals printed in tiny font in 4 languages. How about giving me ONE, in legible font, in English?

 

[grasshopper]

Does the can opener pierce the lid?

No, I use it on the edge to lift the lid enough to break the seal and release the vacuum, usually they just turn right off after that.

 

[kcowan]

No, I use it on the edge to lift the lid enough to break the seal and release the vacuum, usually they just turn right off after that.

Thanks. That should save my wrists!

 

[txtig]

You can also take a picture with your cell phone and expand it.

+1. I do this all the time.

 

[BTravlin]

Restaurants that combine hard to read menus with dim lighting.

 

[mpeirce]

Restaurants that combine hard to read menus with dim lighting.

These days almost all restaurants have their menus online. We always give them a look before we go. DW has celiac, so she's always worried that a place will be able to accommodate her. Checking the menu reassures her.

The added benefit is how easy it is to read the menu before hand.

 

[kcowan]

Restaurants that combine hard to read menus with dim lighting.

The flashlight app on our cell phones to the rescue.

 

[RunningBum]

Speaking of fonts--the labels on Google and other online maps that stay the same size no matter how much you zoom in on the map. Which makes the labels seem even tinier compared to the zoomed in area.

Speaking of packaging--"all-natural" products (yeah I'm looking at you, Jessica Alba, and that "Honest Company" schtick--but good for you for creating an empire) that come in five or six layers of difficult to deal withwrapping--the clamshell, the cardboard, the shrinkwrap, the plastic thingie around the neck of the bottle, the foil thingie under the cap). Thanks for saving the environment!

That's a good one about the Google maps. Exit numbers, especially, briefly get bigger and then shrink to unreadable (for me) size.

And I'm looking at Jessica Alba whenever I can too, but not for the same reason as you.

 

[W2R]

Restaurants that combine hard to read menus with dim lighting.

These days almost all restaurants have their menus online. We always give them a look before we go. DW has celiac, so she's always worried that a place will be able to accommodate her. Checking the menu reassures her.

The added benefit is how easy it is to read the menu before hand.

The flashlight app on our cell phones to the rescue.

Those are great ideas. Also I like those keychain LED lights. I have one that is about the size of my thumbnail, and yet puts out extremely bright light in a small area when squeezed. It is perfect for reading menus or for putting brilliant light on tiny print in general. Mine is attached to the shoulder strap of my purse, so it's always right there when I need it.