What is a minor inconvenience you’d love to see fixed?

[Carrie12345]

Mine is flour/sugar packaging.

I love that simple paper bags are fully and quickly biodegradable. That’s fantastic.  
But how, in 2021, am I still making annoying messes by simply opening the package, and then by pouring into a stable container???

We can go to space, see each other on the phone, operate on fetuses, and make fake meat, but I still have to get piles and sprinkles of food all over my kitchen like a toddler.

And that’s just when there isn’t a tiny hole or weak fold while transporting. 😱 

[HomeAgain]

I would like to see crosswalks all be required to have flashing signs.  We have 3 on a well trafficked road here, and due to shrubbery and trees it's really hard to see the edge of the crosswalk and whether there are people waiting.  It would make more sense and be less stressful if they used a light sensor gateway or button to make the crosswalk sign flash.

[Laura Corin]

Jacket and fleece pockets that don't have a little uptick at the bottom of the opening to stop your phone from sliding out.  I wear one fleece for nine months of the year simply for this reason.

[Carrie12345]

26 minutes ago, Laura Corin said:

Jacket and fleece pockets that don't have a little uptick at the bottom of the opening to stop your phone from sliding out.  I wear one fleece for nine months of the year simply for this reason.

I often choose my wardrobe based on phone security, too! I have a pair of fleece joggers I adore, but not if I don’t have a top that can reliably hold my phone.

I often depend on hoodies, but then my Chihuahua mutt’s leg gets stuck every time I go to put him down.  It’s like Sophie’s choice around here!

[Pawz4me]

Resealable bags that actually reseal. Most don't work at all, or not nearly well enough. Usually I don't even try anymore. Why even advertise something that doesn't work, when it just makes the customer mad or disappointed?

Packaging that is more friendly to those of us with arthritis in our wrists and fingers.

[Carrie12345]

3 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

Resealable bags that actually reseal. Most don't work at all, or not nearly well enough. Usually I don't even try anymore. Why even advertise something that doesn't work, when it just makes the customer mad or disappointed?

Packaging that is more friendly to those of us with arthritis in our wrists and fingers.

“Easy open” kielbasa packages are a lie.

[Drama Llama]

. . . 

Edited October 26, 2021 by BaseballandHockey

[KungFuPanda]

Resealable bags in cereal boxes. 

[Faith-manor]

29 minutes ago, BaseballandHockey said:

I want to know how, in the 30 years since I first volunteered in a Kindergarten classroom, we have gone from a copy machine that claimed to make black and white copies of single pieces of paper, but really just jammed half the time, to a machine and that claims to print and sort and collate and staple but really just jams half the time.  

The copy machine fairy has a vendetta against me.

Copiers, in my opinion, are possessed by evil gremlins!

[Faith-manor]

Less packaging across the board. Hey lego, I know plastic is cheap, but for the love of how much is spent on your product, how's about splurging for biodegradable bags for all the parts so at Christmas and birthdays for my grandboys, I am not throwing out all that nasty plastic? And maybe also when I go to the deli, old fashioned butcher paper and twine ties or biodegradable tape could be used because I am sick of deli-bags.

I just feel like so much more could be done to reduce plastics manufacturing and dependency, and some of it would not be super hard to convert to doing.

[SKL]

Instructions that don't get smaller the older I get.

[AbcdeDooDah]

Juice boxes that don't spurt when you put the straw in. My kids are way past juice box she but it obviously still bothers me. 

[WildflowerMom]

A glue that doesn't require you to shred through several layers of toilet paper just to get the roll started. 
 

wide enough caps on condiments, shampoo, body wash, lotion, etc so that you can turn them over to get the last drop without them constantly falling over. 

[Katy]

3 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

Jacket and fleece pockets that don't have a little uptick at the bottom of the opening to stop your phone from sliding out.  I wear one fleece for nine months of the year simply for this reason.

 

3 hours ago, Carrie12345 said:

I often choose my wardrobe based on phone security, too! I have a pair of fleece joggers I adore, but not if I don’t have a top that can reliably hold my phone.

I often depend on hoodies, but then my Chihuahua mutt’s leg gets stuck every time I go to put him down.  It’s like Sophie’s choice around here!

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08D6K54XP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_Y9KWM4Z8HP87NGGTD7RF?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I bought this phone lanyard because I was sick of the same thing.  It actually came with FOUR of the part that goes inside your phone case, so I have two spares and gave one and the wrist lanyard to a family member.   If you want it to hang around your neck alone it would probably be wise from a safety perspective to switch to a lanyard with a safety release, but the one it comes with is so long even a large person could wear it crossbody.  
 

The only minor con is that I needed to alter my Otterbox case to use the charge port on the bottom.  I used scissors to snip off the hard part of the case near the port. The soft part of the case is still there. It works fine with my other, standard case though.

[MEmama]

32 minutes ago, Katy said:

 

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08D6K54XP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_Y9KWM4Z8HP87NGGTD7RF?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I bought this phone lanyard because I was sick of the same thing.  It actually came with FOUR of the part that goes inside your phone case, so I have two spares and gave one and the wrist lanyard to a family member.   If you want it to hang around your neck alone it would probably be wise from a safety perspective to switch to a lanyard with a safety release, but the one it comes with is so long even a large person could wear it crossbody.  
 

The only minor con is that I needed to alter my Otterbox case to use the charge port on the bottom.  I used scissors to snip off the hard part of the case near the port. The soft part of the case is still there. It works fine with my other, standard case though.

This is brilliant!
Christmas present for my mom: ✔️

[prairiewindmomma]

Dehumidifier buckets are really hard to clean and sterilize. Manufacturers know they will be constantly gathering moisture and water—and thus be prone to mildew and slimy buildup—but it’s dang near impossible to get into the bucket to sterilize it beyond just doing a bleach soak.

[Emba]

That crack between the console and the seat of my car that is just big enough for my phone to slide into, but not big enough for my (small!) hand. I have to recruit children with even smaller hands to help, or fish around with a pen to push it out far enough to grab.

Also I want bigger front pockets on my jeans  again. (Funny story - my 14 yr old ds is now my height, and somehow he accidentally stole a pair of my jeans and wore them for weeks before either of us noticed. I found them in his laundry and stole them back. He said “I wondered why the pockets were so small.”)

[Ann.without.an.e]

13 minutes ago, Emba said:

That crack between the console and the seat of my car that is just big enough for my phone to slide into, but not big enough for my (small!) hand. I have to recruit children with even smaller hands to help, or fish around with a pen to push it out far enough to grab.

 

Oh my goodness, yes to this. 

[Laura Corin]

1 hour ago, Katy said:

 

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08D6K54XP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_Y9KWM4Z8HP87NGGTD7RF?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I bought this phone lanyard because I was sick of the same thing.  It actually came with FOUR of the part that goes inside your phone case, so I have two spares and gave one and the wrist lanyard to a family member.   If you want it to hang around your neck alone it would probably be wise from a safety perspective to switch to a lanyard with a safety release, but the one it comes with is so long even a large person could wear it crossbody.  
 

The only minor con is that I needed to alter my Otterbox case to use the charge port on the bottom.  I used scissors to snip off the hard part of the case near the port. The soft part of the case is still there. It works fine with my other, standard case though.

It looks good, but at work I am already wearing an ID lanyard and my mask around the neck - I really need my phone to be in a pocket.

[WildflowerMom]

38 minutes ago, Emba said:

That crack between the console and the seat of my car that is just big enough for my phone to slide into, but not big enough for my (small!) hand. I have to recruit children with even smaller hands to help, or fish around with a pen to push it out far enough to grab.

Also I want bigger front pockets on my jeans  again. (Funny story - my 14 yr old ds is now my height, and somehow he accidentally stole a pair of my jeans and wore them for weeks before either of us noticed. I found them in his laundry and stole them back. He said “I wondered why the pockets were so small.”)

https://www.buydropstop.com/
here’s what you need for the seat cracks… 

[fairfarmhand]

Lotion and soap pumps that get the last of the stuff out of the bottom of the bottle. I'm convinced that manufacturers  make the tube on the inside too short intentionally.

Edited October 4, 2021 by fairfarmhand

[Lady Florida.]

Public bathrooms should always have a hook for a purse, jacket, or whatever else you don't want to put on the floor. It's frustrating to to get in a stall and realize you have to somehow balance everything because there's no place to hang it or set it down.

4 hours ago, Carrie12345 said:

“Easy open” kielbasa packages are a lie.

"Resealable" bacon packages are also a lie.

[Kassia]

2 minutes ago, Lady Florida. said:

Public bathrooms should always have a hook for a purse, jacket, or whatever else you don't want to put on the floor. It's frustrating to to get in a stall and realize you have to somehow balance everything because there's no place to hang it or set it down.

 

Yes a million times to this one! 

[kbutton]

17 minutes ago, Lady Florida. said:

Public bathrooms should always have a hook for a purse, jacket, or whatever else you don't want to put on the floor. It's frustrating to to get in a stall and realize you have to somehow balance everything because there's no place to hang it or set it down.

"Resealable" bacon packages are also a lie.

Add the jump seat for kids in at least one stall! I was just about past needing one when I saw one for the first time. 

[kbutton]

4 hours ago, KungFuPanda said:

Resealable bags in cereal boxes. 

But will the people who won't roll the bag up inside the box bother with the zipper? That's the real problem in our house, lol! 

[Tanaqui]

Flour containers are often shaped like a bag of flour. It took me a while to work out, but the idea is that you cut the top of the bag and then put it straight in the container, bag and all. No spilling!

[MEmama]

17 minutes ago, Lady Florida. said:

Public bathrooms should always have a hook for a purse, jacket, or whatever else you don't want to put on the floor. It's frustrating to to get in a stall and realize you have to somehow balance everything because there's no place to hang it or set it down.

 

For that matter, bathroom stalls that have huge cracks, or doors that are only a couple feet high (I’ve seen this many times in bars—I get the reasoning but I think if anyone’s going to have sex in a bar bathroom, they are well beyond the point of caring who can watch). Why can’t we have ceiling to floor, actual toilet rooms like they do in Europe? Bonus points if they come with their own little sink. 

[Emba]

1 hour ago, WildflowerMom said:

https://www.buydropstop.com/
here’s what you need for the seat cracks… 

I think those are horribly expensive, but I’m thinking I can fiddle around with my sewing machine and work something out. . .

[HomeAgain]

1 hour ago, Lady Florida. said:

Public bathrooms should always have a hook for a purse, jacket, or whatever else you don't want to put on the floor. It's frustrating to to get in a stall and realize you have to somehow balance everything because there's no place to hang it or set it down.

 

And in front of the sinks, too.

[alisoncooks]

Dentist chairs should have little hand grips/rails to hold on to when they lay you back. Then I won’t feel like I’m about to slither head first onto the floor. (Dentist appointment this morning…)

[happi duck]

I'm currently waiting for a repair person.  I wish all things like this had a way to watch on a map if they're nearby or not.

I did get a call that reduced my window from four hours to one!  Yay!

[AbcdeDooDah]

2 hours ago, Lady Florida. said:

Public bathrooms should always have a hook for a purse, jacket, or whatever else you don't want to put on the floor. It's frustrating to to get in a stall and realize you have to somehow balance everything because there's no place to hang it or set it down.

"Resealable" bacon packages are also a lie.

I was in a public restroom this morning and the hooks were all straight, no curves, no catch on the end. Totally worthless. This is in a new building on a college campus. To add insult , the hook in the handicapped stall was up top, just like the rest. 

[rutheart]

When you call a customer service number about an order, but because the order was in the spouse's name, they refuse to talk to you. (sarcasm font) Yes, Best Buy, I must be trying to screw up my husband's life by reporting that we received laser print toner (retailing over $215) instead of the big Christmas present we ordered for our teen (a podcast mic kit, about $100). Never mind the fact that when I called about this exact order on Friday, my husband verbally told them that I was authorized to discuss the problem...

At least I got the customer service supervisor to say she would pass along my suggestion to management that once a person has been authorized to discuss a problem with a particular order, that authorization should cover ALL phone calls regarding that particular order. I can definitely see cases with divorces where you wouldn't want continuous authorization for the account, but most orders get resolved within two weeks, so having authorization last for the length of the particular order number should help in most situations.

As an aside, all of our other business accounts are in my name to avoid situations like this, but this account predated our marriage. After this order is resolved, we will either stop buying from Best Buy or create a new account in my name. This is the second order in a row that they have screwed up, so I'm inclined toward the former choice. We'll see how my husband feels after he calls them tonight, lol.

[Amira]

Right this second? WhatsApp and/or FB messenger need to come back online because that’s my only form of communication with way too many people.  Email and SMS aren’t done here.

[AbcdeDooDah]

3 minutes ago, Amira said:

Right this second? WhatsApp and/or FB messenger need to come back online because that’s my only form of communication with way too many people.  Email and SMS aren’t done here.

Right? I’m on a break between classes and wanted to meal plan. All my saved recipes are on Instagram.

[Lady Florida.]

1 hour ago, HomeAgain said:

And in front of the sinks, too.

Yes! Even if I was inclined to set my stuff down on the counter it's usually all splashed with water. 

4 minutes ago, AbcdeDooDah said:

Right? I’m on a break between classes and wanted to meal plan. All my saved recipes are on Instagram.

I keep checking, then running to Twitter for updates. You know all those memes and gifs people are tweeting about people checking Twitter to find out about facebook's outage? Yep. I'm one of those using Twitter for facebook outage updates. 😁

[Miss Tick]

1 hour ago, rutheart said:

When you call a customer service number about an order, but because the order was in the spouse's name, they refuse to talk to you.

Plus, what kind of criteria are they using to decide your gender? Maybe your name actually IS Franklin C. Jeffers III, who are they to tell you it is not? Maybe your dad was an early proponent for gender equality, maybe you suspect you were switched at birth, who are they to contradict you about your name? It wasn't a Zoom call, I'm guessing, although even if it was...

[plansrme]

3 hours ago, Lady Florida. said:

 

"Resealable" bacon packages are also a lie.

Enter--the bacon keeper. I do not have this exact one, but it is similar. The grid in the bottom is key, and not all models have that little grid.

[Miss Tick]

When I want to listen to something broadcast from my phone, I want to be able to tell which device is already connected to my Bluetooth speaker without having to wander the house logging in to every device to check Bluetooth status - computer? tablet? someone else's phone?

[Wheres Toto]

7 hours ago, AbcdeDooDah said:

Juice boxes that don't spurt when you put the straw in. My kids are way past juice box she but it obviously still bothers me. 

If you lift up the flaps, it doesn't squirt.  

5 hours ago, Katy said:

 

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08D6K54XP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_Y9KWM4Z8HP87NGGTD7RF?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I bought this phone lanyard because I was sick of the same thing.  It actually came with FOUR of the part that goes inside your phone case, so I have two spares and gave one and the wrist lanyard to a family member.   If you want it to hang around your neck alone it would probably be wise from a safety perspective to switch to a lanyard with a safety release, but the one it comes with is so long even a large person could wear it crossbody.  
 

The only minor con is that I needed to alter my Otterbox case to use the charge port on the bottom.  I used scissors to snip off the hard part of the case near the port. The soft part of the case is still there. It works fine with my other, standard case though.

I actually saw an ad for these on facebook this morning (before it went down) and was planning to look for something similar on Amazon.

[YaelAldrich]

4 hours ago, kbutton said:

Add the jump seat for kids in at least one stall! I was just about past needing one when I saw one for the first time. 

Japan has you covered in both these bathroom issues. That how you know it's civilized. Sigh. I miss Japanese bathrooms. Literally, it's the place my family runs to as soon as we get off the plane in Tokyo, even if we don't have to go.

Why Japanese bathrooms are best

Japanese Toilet Tour!

Another one, from a mom

Edited October 4, 2021 by YaelAldrich

[Elizabeth86]

Washable car seat straps. I mean, you can’t even saturate them in water.  

[KungFuPanda]

5 hours ago, kbutton said:

But will the people who won't roll the bag up inside the box bother with the zipper? That's the real problem in our house, lol! 

I never could sell my husband and kids on cereal.  They're just weird. I'm really the only one who eats it.  I don't even like breakfast, so it's a midnight snack and a box lasts me a while.  I should just get a plastic cereal saver thing, but it's easier to complain about packaging than it is to DO anything.

[KungFuPanda]

11 hours ago, Carrie12345 said:

Mine is flour/sugar packaging.

I love that simple paper bags are fully and quickly biodegradable. That’s fantastic.  
But how, in 2021, am I still making annoying messes by simply opening the package, and then by pouring into a stable container???

We can go to space, see each other on the phone, operate on fetuses, and make fake meat, but I still have to get piles and sprinkles of food all over my kitchen like a toddler.

And that’s just when there isn’t a tiny hole or weak fold while transporting. 😱 

I dump my flour and rice into airtight bins meant for pet food.  They have a handle, spout, and will hold 10-15 lbs of flour.  I make a point of filling it outside.  The rice is less risky, but I do that outside too because I have tossed some in the floor before.

5 hours ago, Lady Florida. said:

Public bathrooms should always have a hook for a purse, jacket, or whatever else you don't want to put on the floor. It's frustrating to to get in a stall and realize you have to somehow balance everything because there's no place to hang it or set it down.

"Resealable" bacon packages are also a lie.

Resealable cookie packages also lie a little bit.  The person sealing it really has to pay attention.

[Clarita]

3 hours ago, rutheart said:

When you call a customer service number about an order, but because the order was in the spouse's name, they refuse to talk to you. (sarcasm font) Yes, Best Buy, I must be trying to screw up my husband's life by reporting that we received laser print toner (retailing over $215) instead of the big Christmas present we ordered for our teen (a podcast mic kit, about $100). Never mind the fact that when I called about this exact order on Friday, my husband verbally told them that I was authorized to discuss the problem...

I don't bother. I just say "OK" wait 10s then say "Hello this is <spouse's name> speaking." Then go on with my concerns. If they complain I do a bad impression of a man speaking. Most of the time I don't get grief doing the 10s thing. I get the feeling the customer service person feels this is company policy is just as ridiculous. 

"Resealable" packages on grocery items. Seriously Ziploc can do it just pay them to do it for you.

[Guest]

8 hours ago, WildflowerMom said:

A glue that doesn't require you to shred through several layers of toilet paper just to get the roll started. 
 

wide enough caps on condiments, shampoo, body wash, lotion, etc so that you can turn them over to get the last drop without them constantly falling over. 

Right??? And let me piggy-back by saying I hate it when bottles/tubes are evidently designed in such a way that it is actually impossible to use the final 1-2 inches of product unless you cut open the bottle with a utility knife and put the product into a mason jar. (From experience…)

Its dastardly.

[Guest]

4 hours ago, rutheart said:

When you call a customer service number about an order, but because the order was in the spouse's name, they refuse to talk to you. (sarcasm font)

This is quite possibly the singular instance when I’m glad my husband has a name that is (currently) given much more often to females. Because, yes, I’m totally going to just say, “This is K______…” It saves me a ton of hassle. 
 

Funny story alert: a friend of mine had to use her husband’s credit card, but the cashier was like…”John???” with a puzzled look on her face. My friend feigned frustration and said, “Yes, John! My dad wanted a boy, okay??” No questions asked after that, lol! 

[Carrie12345]

1 hour ago, KungFuPanda said:

I dump my flour and rice into airtight bins meant for pet food.  They have a handle, spout, and will hold 10-15 lbs of flour.  I make a point of filling it outside.  The rice is less risky, but I do that outside too because I have tossed some in the floor before.

Resealable cookie packages also lie a little bit.  The person sealing it really has to pay attention.

Outside is probably a good idea for the future. Maybe I can score a non-rainy day next time. Or any time. Seriously, it’s got to stop raining at some point, right???

[math teacher]

Cookie bags-I'm ok with peeling it open from the top, but make the opening big enough to reach more than the middle 6 cookies.

[math teacher]

I would love to find a product that I can use to hang my degree in my classroom. It hung fine last year, but this year, not at all-with the same product.