Do you ever use a product and wonder... "Who in the world thought this would work?"
That seems to be an issue with a lot of items in life.
Like, who designed all these extra dinner forks?
It's all too confusing when you just want to eat a salad and a steak.
Let me keep my fork.
You're wasting water on all the cleaning.
Think before you create.
Redditor DongLaiCha wanted to discuss some products that may need more in-field research, so they asked:
"What products are clearly made by people or companies who never actually use them?"
Remember CDs?
It was easier to break into the Pentagon than open that plastic wrapping.
Who thought that idea up?
Too Dry
Hair Bathing GIFGiphy"I swear that people who design some shampoo and conditioner bottles have never tried to use them while wet."
danarexasaurus
Assessments
"Elementary state assessments. They are the most obtuse, poorly written, unrealistic questions on earth. They enrage me. They are clearly written by people who either have zero experience in elementary education or haven’t had any in a decade or so."
meadow_chef
"I have a BA in English and couldn't figure out one of the answers to my child's third-grade ELA state test practice. I spoke to the teacher about it and she sounded so defeated about the testing. There's no way to prepare children for a test when the questions and answers are so poorly written that the students, their teacher, and the parents can't pick the correct answer."
DistractedHouseWitch
Cheap and Expensive
"A few years ago we wanted a coffee maker with a slightly larger carafe. The only 14-cup one we could find at a reasonable price was branded with Drew Barrymore's name. Whatever, we bought it. It was the worst kitchen device I've ever owned. The interface to set the clock, program it, etc. was absolutely baffling to use, never seemed to do the same thing twice."
"The instructions were apparently written by whatever guy at the factory had a cousin who'd seen an American TV show once. And when it actually did somehow make coffee, it came out shriekingly hot, to where I would put a couple of ice cubes into my travel mug when I left for work just to get it down to drinkable temperature."
Fabulous-Quality-282
Flip It
"Those who make the 'pull this flip to open' on plastic packaging of cold cuts."
MissNatdah
"Similarly, the people who make 'resealable' packages of food products where you have to cut it open in a certain place, but cutting there either results in: A) the package still being sealed closed, or B) ruining the internal sealing zipper. I have this issue with the frozen dumplings I buy and no matter what I do, I have NEVER been able to reseal the package as advertised and have to resort to a chip clip."
pls_send_caffeine
Punch a Hole
Mac And Cheese Eating GIF by Megan BatoonGiphy"The 'push here to open' spot on Kraft Mac and Cheese."
coop_doop
"Whenever I get a different brand I just punch a hole in the same spot out of habit. It’s about exactly as hard to do as with the Kraft ones. So they might as well take out the perforating step and save .001¢/box in the production process."
Reaper_Messiah
Why do they want to keep our Mac and Cheese from us?
Give me my meal!!
Tearing Sheets
office paper GIFGiphy"Those toilet paper holders in public toilets that cut off at two sheets."
theshortlady
"Same area: those paper towel dispensers that require a two-handed pull, commonly leaving you with two little torn-off triangles of paper in your hands."
repowers
Useless
"Zebra printers. I swear Zebra customer service is useless. I've had to call the help desks for the specific companies I've worked for because the Zebra CS is just like 'Huh!?'"
monotoonz
"We wrote our own internal manuals for how to setup, manage, and troubleshoot Zebra printers. It includes helpful information like 'Do not call Zebra about this issue, instead, see Appendix A' (which is screenshots of conversations about how it is is a known issue and the resolution should be coming shortly (dated 2016))."
001235
City Life
"Maybe a bit off-topic, but in a meeting with a former colleague of mine, the person in charge of the metro for a nearby city admitted that he had never used the metro. Not that he didn’t use the metro, but that he had never used it in his life, even once. I suspect that this kind of thing isn’t uncommon for government services."
KireGoTI
"Similar story. A lifelong friend of didn’t even know we had a Metro until a recent expansion meant she had to drive a different way into her office. She works for the city council."
TheKingMonkey
Warn You
"Hospital beds. From the standpoint of the person who has to push it around and mess with rails that get caught in the mattress and plug it in with a long dirty cord that gets mixed up with another random cord that no one knows its purpose. No retractable cords so they constantly drag on the ground and try to trip you when pushing the bed."
"Brakes that are in the most awkward position that you have to invert your knee to reach with your foot. And worst, the screeching, ear-piercing alarm that they emit to 'warn you' that the bed is not locked. Hospital beds are obnoxious."
Agitated-Effort3423
Help Please
Customer Service Waiting GIF by Juno CalypsoGiphy"Customer-facing software. Developers should be required to hire grandmas under the explicit condition that if grandma can't look at a menu option and decide what to click without giving up and calling the help desk your functionality has failed."
Puzzleheaded-Bat8657
I can't even begin to get into software options.
It brings back too much PTSD.
Shoplifting is a prevalent issue, but why do people do it?
Some reasons can be as banal as boredom, but other are far more intruiging.
Redditor WineOhCanada wanted to understand why people steal, so they asked:
"People who shoplift on the regular: why do you do it?"
I loved shoplifting.
Until I was caught, that is. I was a price tag switcher.
I apologize.
So Excited
Happy Thomas Lennon GIF by ABC NetworkGiphy"It makes me feel alive. Jk I don't any more but as a kid, it was for sure a thrill thing."
silly-billy-goat
The Need
"I’m going to give an actual honest answer as someone who has not done this in many years… it becomes addicting."
anewchapteroflife
"Came here to say this. Back in my high school days, I would do it all the time. It's like a rush. Now my shoplifting days are when I forgot the can of soup on the bottom of the grocery cart and don't realize til I'm loading it in the car."
TheRumpleForesk1n
"I used to work in loss prevention. A lot of times we would let you go; especially teenagers. We knew you would be back and have pictures on the wall of you. We focused on shoplifting rings with a higher dollar amount and employees. Employees rob you blind."
taco_cop
The Hit
"I was greedy and had poor impulse control. While shoplifting was terrifying... having the shiny new thing after gave me a dopamine hit. I got caught three or four times and I thank Christ I was under 18 each and every time."
happyele
"It was less about greed for me I think, I've never been addicted to any drugs, whenever I got caught I would always test negative for anything, the custody sergeant who would take my fingerprints/DNA/drug swab would say 'Sean you're the only one that comes in regular that's not on any drugs, what's going on?' I explained that I was homeless, lost my job because the company I worked for folded, and life just kicked me in the butt."
"Flirty Chez I called her, and she would always give me extra food whenever I was brought in, I just thought that was how she was, then one day she said I need a girlfriend and I shot her down, no more flirty Chez. She was shooting her shot and I rejected her without even knowing it."
hardcoresean84
Exchanges
"Much to my mom’s embarrassment, I was a serial shoplifter as a baby. At least I had the presence of mind to take off my socks and shoes and leave them scattered around the store in exchange."
UsualFrogFriendship
"I was once on a camping trip with my parents. We left the campsite for a day and when we got back our soap had been stolen from the tent. Just our soap, nothing else was taken, but we did find the shoes of the perpetrator!"
"This kid left them right at the entrance of our tent, so it was not difficult to find out who did it. When we went to get the soap back and give him back his shoes, sadly the kid threw it over a fence, so we never got it back."
ptbroeke
Influences
Breaking Bad Crying GIFGiphy"My easily influenced mind was corrupted by TV. If it's good enough for Marie Schrader then it's good enough for me."
DavosLostFingers
TV rots your brains and decision making capabilities.
Do the opposite of your favorite characters.
End of Times
Nbc Shoplifting GIF by SuperstoreGiphy"When I was bedridden due to Covid, I had a friend who shoplifted a whole damn box worth of medicine from different drugstores."
"I was very impressed and confused, as I didn't ask for it. Great friend though!"
pepper-blu
Criminals
"As a former loss prevention officer, most of the people I stopped were stealing to resell the items. Many people were clearly drug addicts and many people I stopped had meth and other drugs on them. Not every shoplifter is stealing to buy drugs, but a ton of them are."
"A lot of other people just stole items they wanted, and some people just have a stealing problem and would take whatever random BS they came across and thought would be easy to steal. If I ever saw someone stealing food I'd usually look the other way, but that was pretty rare to see someone taking food, it was usually clothes, electronics, makeup, or tools."
BigBudZombie
The Rush
"Addiction. And that's addiction to shoplifting, not drugs. It's a rush. Confidence grows with each success. It becomes an obsession. It brings an amount of power when stealing from giant corporations. For me, this question is similar to asking an addict why they are addicted to drugs or alcohol."
"I haven't shoplifted in three years. I attended Shoplifters Anonymous and continue to go to therapy which are both very helpful. I'm very lucky I didn't lose everything."
tacoterrarium
Self-Control
"In high school, I dated this guy who would shoplift and I got influenced to start doing it. After we broke up I kept doing it all throughout college since I was a broke college student who had no self-control. I only shoplifted from big retail stores and told myself it was 'okay.' Post college I stopped because the possible consequences as an adult and to my career were not worth it."
isatacobelle
There was no good in it
"I used to do it as a means to support my drug habit. I wouldn't call what I was doing shoplifting though. I moved the volume and high-end merchandise. Honda generators from Home Depot or Lowe's. Shopping carts full of Tide pods, and Similac baby formula. I'd hit Nordstrom during the holidays for their perfumes and colognes. COACH, Burberry for purses."
"I made a good chunk of change from it, yet I was still homeless. Most of my money went to drugs, and hotel rooms at shi**y hotels. I'm no longer like this. I reached out and went to rehab this past July. I now have 132 days clean and sober, and work an honest job. My life's boring as hell now and I love it. Even though people on the street complimented and applauded my skills."
"I was never proud of myself for any of the stealing I was doing. There was no good in it. Now I feel good about myself and can be proud of what I do. It's a nice feeling to go into a store and not have to be aware of my surroundings and not tighten up when the greeters ask for a receipt. Because now, I can happily show them one. Lol."
Crotch-Monster
Think First
Steve Austin Wrestling GIF by WWEGiphy"I work for a 3-letter retail store in NV and we have a ton of theft. I see a lot of random products for sale on the FB marketplace. If it adds up to over $1,200 it’s grand larceny and you get arrested."
"Walmart also allows up to a certain amount to be returned with no receipt and you get cash back."
samisalwaysmad
What have we learned kids?
Theft never really pays.
Do you have any experiences? Let us know in the comments below.
Redditor darodori asked:
"What’s your 'Sir, this is a Wendy’s' moment?"
If your wife was treated here...
"Not me, my daughter. She answered the phone, appropriately, 'Radiology'."
"Guy on the phone was looking for some test results, but she couldn’t find his name, or his wife’s name anywhere. Long confusing call."
"Finally she asks for the name of the animal."
"'What animal? I’m asking about my wife’s test!'"
"'Sir, this is a veterinary hospital'."
- Sparky-Malarky
What was the answer?
"My wife was doing an interview and the interviewer asked her 'How she would handle a situation if there was an elephant in the room'."
"Not being familiar with the phrase she proceeded to describe in detail all the things she would consider to help get the elephant out of the room."
"The interviewers allowed her to finish and she didn’t realize it until she told me about it later."
- Overrated_22
GiphyCoupon Clippers
"I actually work at a Wendys, and someone tried to use an Arby's coupon."
- QwertytheCoolOne
"I worked at A&W and someone gave me a McDonald's coupon for a Big Mac."
"Sir. I literally can't make this for you."
- Opening_Wafer_3952
"Similar story, I work in an auto shop. A customer came in with a coupon for Jiffy Lube trying to get us to use it."
"After a few minutes of arguing I actually looked at the coupon. It was only $1 less than our regular price."
- PM_ME_UR_SELF
GiphyMore Coupons
"One time this older dude rushes up to order and slams a coupon on the counter saying 'I want this!'."
"I pick it up It has menu items for KFC. I ask him 'What exactly would you like to order?'”
"He instantly gets disgruntled with me for not reading his god damn mind and shakes his finger at the coupon and said 'Well Whatever is on the coupon, obviously!?' in a condescending tone."
"I just look at him for a minute an say word for word 'Sir, this is McDonald’s. I don’t know what you want me to do with this KFC coupon'. He looks at me dumbfounded."
"Then looks behind me at the menu and around the store, yells 'Awh, Shit!' (Like this isn’t his first time walking into the wrong establishment), grabs the coupon and storms off."
- Apprehensive--Toe
9-1-1, what's your problem?
"Former police/emergency dispatcher."
"People would call for all sorts of things, like settling an argument over the rules of Monopoly or other board games, answers to crossword puzzles, complaints about the weather, etc..."
"My favorite over the years:"
"'The power's out, can you have the fire department come over and hook up a generator? I need to watch the ballgame'."
- Faelwolf
That won't fit in the book drop.
"I worked in the tech department of my university’s library. Some guy called and asked who he needed to contact to donate his body to the medical school when he died."
"I was like 20, and I had no idea how to respond especially since the medical school is another campus."
"I explained to him that he needed to contact the medical school, and he told me he already had."
"I was like… okay… I can’t really help you. This is the tech service department of the library."
"I was on the phone with him for like 35 minutes."
- spiderlegged
Did she see cars?
"A woman came in our shop demanding to help her fix her car because it was our job to do so."
"I worked in a pawn shop. I told her that the car repair store was at the corner of the street and she got the address mixed up."
"She looked ashamed and I never saw her again."
- Ok-Age3061
Driving Them Crazy
"I used to work at a drive through coffee stand. Two guys came through, clearly high af, asking for cheeseburgers."
"We explained that this is a coffee stand, we have breakfast sandwiches, but if they want cheeseburgers they’ll have to go down the street to Jack in the Box."
"It took them a solid 5 minutes of us re-explaining this to them before they understood."
"Another time it was super early in the morning, working at the same coffee stand. A woman rolls up and it legit looks like she’s sleeping."
"She orders her coffee and hands me a punch card for a different local coffee stand. I said oh wrong card (happens all the time).
"She looks at the card, looks at me, looks around, and says 'what, where am I?'"
"And I’ve just realized neither of these people probably should have been driving, yikes 😬"
- pnwrdh
First ExxonMobil Trust
"Had a guy scream at me over the phone because I told him I can't transfer money from his savings to checking."
"Why?"
"I work at a gas station."
- Jaycket
At least it wasn't your core warranty.
"I work at a nuclear power plant."
"A few years ago, the control room emergency phone number got out to telemarketers."
"We get a call on the emergency line. One of the reactor operators picks it up 'xxx power station emergency line'."
"He hears a click [of a person being connected]. Then some dude is asking if we want to upgrade our home security system."
"The reactor operator is like 'Do you have like, microwave or infrared detectors? Oh no, we do. Do you have an option for hand geometry scanners?'."
"This goes on for a few minutes and he’s finally like 'Dude you called the control room for a nuclear reactor. You don’t have anything that could upgrade what we already have for security. Never call this number again.' and hangs up."
"I was dying laughing."
- Hiddencamper
GiphyThe Origin?
"This is really weird that this became a meme, because I swear this is true. In about 95 I was driving from New England to Florida for a college spring break trip."
"Somewhere in South Carolina we stopped at a Wendy's. Near the hallway to the bathrooms they had a big map of South Carolina and I said to a person 'Can you tell me where we are?"
"I was pretty clearly indicating the map."
"The lady said 'Honey, you in the Wendy's!'"
- SabinaDrumm
GiphyWe've probably all been on one side of this situation as either the confused person or the victim of their confusion.
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