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

[ScoutTN]

On 10/4/2021 at 5:18 PM, KungFuPanda said:

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

No cookie packages in my house ever need to be resealed! All gone! #Life with teens

Edited October 6, 2021 by ScoutTN

[plansrme]

On 10/4/2021 at 6:39 PM, Quill said:

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! 

I once chastised a really snotty rep for an HSA custodian that pointing out that I sounded like a woman (while I was impersonating my husband, in whose name the account was held but who would not have recognized our HSA if it slapped him in the face) was an inappropriate question to ask in this day and age. She shut up.

[Guest]

22 minutes ago, plansrme said:

I once chastised a really snotty rep for an HSA custodian that pointing out that I sounded like a woman (while I was impersonating my husband, in whose name the account was held but who would not have recognized our HSA if it slapped him in the face) was an inappropriate question to ask in this day and age. She shut up.

It's true, though! 

[Guest]

48 minutes ago, ScoutTN said:

No cookie packages in my house ever need to be resealed! All gone! #Life with teens

Totally relate. Completely. 

If I ever actually want an Oreo (they are not a cookie I find very tempting and are thus the ideal cookie for me to buy for my boys), I nevertheless am well aware that I need to extract that Oreo before it comes out of the grocery bag because it will next go to the vortex that is DS' room and will instantly turn into an empty package. 

[bensonduck]

Health insurance should allow the policy holder to authorize his/her spouse to communicate with the company about the spouse’s medical information.
 

I need my husband to call to get the insurance to correct some of my info (my birth date is wrong, for example). They won’t speak to me about my own information as I am not the policy holder. 

[Murphy101]

On 10/4/2021 at 9:23 AM, 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. 

I don’t understand why shampoo and body wash can’t come in toothpaste-like tubes with maybe a little hook on the end to hang so all the stuff you buy can actually be gotten from the package. 

[Murphy101]

On 10/4/2021 at 2:54 PM, SusanC said:

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...

True story. Everyone in my family uses my Panera subscription to pick up coffee for me.  A few weeks ago my husband goes through the drive through and they say, “You don’t sound like a Martha?” And my husband says back in his best Paltrow imitation, “You don’t know me! You don’t know my life!” And the guy just laughed and said, “no ma’am, I sure do not. Apologies. You’re order will be waiting at the window.”

[Carrie12345]

6 hours ago, Quill said:

Totally relate. Completely. 

If I ever actually want an Oreo (they are not a cookie I find very tempting and are thus the ideal cookie for me to buy for my boys), I nevertheless am well aware that I need to extract that Oreo before it comes out of the grocery bag because it will next go to the vortex that is DS' room and will instantly turn into an empty package. 

I am SO glad that Oreos are dh’s favorite cookies and mine are not! 😁

[Tanaqui]

Ah yes... "teens"... yes, teens certainly are the ones eating all the cookies in the house! Them and, uh, the dogs!

[Carrie12345]

6 hours ago, bensonduck said:

Health insurance should allow the policy holder to authorize his/her spouse to communicate with the company about the spouse’s medical information.
 

I need my husband to call to get the insurance to correct some of my info (my birth date is wrong, for example). They won’t speak to me about my own information as I am not the policy holder. 

My husband has almost 0 ability to handle health insurance matters. (Which is absurd, because he works with other types of insurance, but you know how health insurance is!) He will (has) literally leave a collection on his credit report rather than fight to get things fixed.

What’s even worse, dh has separate insurance from me and the kids. We all had an ACA plan, then he became ineligible, and now it’s me and the kids. I still run into glitches because, way back when I first applied, I put his name first. He is not on the plan, the bill is in my name, it’s paid from my solo account... wtf?

This just reminds me that I have not explicitly taught my kids how to handle health insurance issues, and now I’m freaking out a little. I still have one adult child who needs a week to prepare to schedule a doctor appointment! What is she going to do when her billing is screwed up?!?

[ScoutTN]

4 hours ago, Tanaqui said:

Ah yes... "teens"... yes, teens certainly are the ones eating all the cookies in the house! Them and, uh, the dogs!

Well, I am diabetic snd Dh eats low carb and doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth, so in our case it really is the kids. Though in my previous life, I’ve been known to enjoy a handful or Oreos, for sure. 😉

[Pawz4me]

5 hours ago, Tanaqui said:

Ah yes... "teens"... yes, teens certainly are the ones eating all the cookies in the house! Them and, uh, the dogs!

 

43 minutes ago, ScoutTN said:

Well, I am diabetic snd Dh eats low carb and doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth, so in our case it really is the kids. Though in my previous life, I’ve been known to enjoy a handful or Oreos, for sure. 😉

In our house it really is the dogs!

(I buy mini vanilla wafers just for them.)

[fraidycat]

I would love for every light-controlled intersection to have a countdown timer, whether or not there is a crosswalk there. I hate playing the guessing game on when the light is going to turn yellow - especially in the icy months!!

[Excelsior! Academy]

On 10/4/2021 at 11:24 AM, 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 anything like frozen vegetables and baking mix. 

On 10/4/2021 at 2:54 PM, SusanC said:

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...

Yes!  We ran into this with a mortgage company.  There was a reason several years ago that only dh's name was on the mortgage.  We live in a community property state so if anything had gone south between he and I, I was more than covered financially.  The company would not speak to me unless they had verbal "approval" from him first.  Not only did we change companies and add me back onto the mortgage, the company ended up with a class action lawsuit due to their practices.

[mlktwins]

19 hours ago, bensonduck said:

Health insurance should allow the policy holder to authorize his/her spouse to communicate with the company about the spouse’s medical information.
 

I need my husband to call to get the insurance to correct some of my info (my birth date is wrong, for example). They won’t speak to me about my own information as I am not the policy holder. 

My DH is the policy holder also.  There is a form/letter that he has to sign and mail in for me to be able to speak about anything on our insurance.  He does not like to deal with all that stuff and I’m the one that makes the calls 🙄!

[RootAnn]

On 10/4/2021 at 7:41 AM, KungFuPanda said:

Resealable bags in cereal boxes. 

You really don't want this. Your box of cereal will hold less, cost more, and have a bigger chance of not being sealed.  When we installed zippers on  bagged cereals, the line reliability went way down, our percent fills suddenly went too high (open bags), and we couldn't actually get the stupid zippers to work. [Used to work for a cereal manufacturer] Judging from the bagged cereal we buy now, the issues are still there!

On 10/4/2021 at 9:23 AM, 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. 

Angel Soft TP rolls don't have that issue. At least I've never encountered it. 

On #2, you might want to invest in a box of  Flip-It  lids. I have not had an issue with emptying shampoo, ketchup, or soap bottles since buying a box of flip-it lids.

Flip-It Bottle Emptying Kit

[AbcdeDooDah]

Search bars that leave the word “search” or “type a word”  after clicking in the field to type. How stupid is that?

[Ellie]

On 10/4/2021 at 1:30 PM, AbcdeDooDah said:

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. 

Those things aren't actually hooks. They really are doorstops, to keep the door from whacking the wall when it's flung open. Some of them have a hook under the stop, so that helps some.

[Garga]

On 10/4/2021 at 11:23 AM, prairiewindmomma said:

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.

You stole my idea! This drives me batty and was my first thought when I read the title. It’s impossible to clean out all the needless nooks and crannies that become slimy. 😞

On 10/5/2021 at 9:49 PM, bensonduck said:

Health insurance should allow the policy holder to authorize his/her spouse to communicate with the company about the spouse’s medical information.
 

I need my husband to call to get the insurance to correct some of my info (my birth date is wrong, for example). They won’t speak to me about my own information as I am not the policy holder. 

 

On 10/6/2021 at 5:08 PM, mlktwins said:

My DH is the policy holder also.  There is a form/letter that he has to sign and mail in for me to be able to speak about anything on our insurance.  He does not like to deal with all that stuff and I’m the one that makes the calls 🙄!

This is due to HIPAA laws. You can 100% get a letter, bensonduck, like mlktwins does with her insurance, to get authorization to handle all the insurance calls even if you’re not the policy holder. Call and ask them for it.

 

[bensonduck]

2 hours ago, Garga said:This is due to HIPAA laws. You can 100% get a letter, bensonduck, like mlktwins does with her insurance, to get authorization to handle all the insurance calls even if you’re not the policy holder. Call and ask them for it.

 

Thanks, I will do so for sure. As someone who is not super familiar with HIPAA, I always think of it as protecting my privacy. So the fact that I need a letter to discuss my own medical information with the insurance company seems a little wacky. They are diligently protecting my privacy from...myself! 😂

[73349]

Self-checkout areas need to have room for my ~6 reusable shopping bags. I'm at the self-checkout line because store employees don't bag things the way I want, not because I'm only buying two items.

[Tanaqui]

Oh, I thought of one. Well, a couple of things.

1. A few years ago I entered my address in something online, and they had me put in my zip code first and then *filled in my city and state for me* and now every time I have to type those things out I grumble about it. EVERYTHING should work that way.

2. Relatedly, it is 2021. There is no reason for any entry form not to accept hyphens in names. (Or apostrophes, which I assume these dated databases also don't accept.)

[Faith-manor]

1 hour ago, Carolina Wren said:

Self-checkout areas need to have room for my ~6 reusable shopping bags. I'm at the self-checkout line because store employees don't bag things the way I want, not because I'm only buying two items.

I understand that. I can check out faster, and have my items bagged in my reusable bags the way that makes sense, not just randomly. So I do find it frustrating that the self checkout bagging area is so tiny.

[Noreen Claire]

44 minutes ago, Tanaqui said:

2. Relatedly, it is 2021. There is no reason for any entry form not to accept hyphens in names. (Or apostrophes, which I assume these dated databases also don't accept.)

In my state, you can't have two last names on your license without a hyphen. My name IS NOT HYPHENATED, but the RMV gave me one anyway. When I went back to renew my license 5 years later, they *still* could not include both last names with a space, so the clerk just stuck them together as one word. 

Grumble, grumble, grumble...

[ScoutTN]

3 hours ago, Faith-manor said:

I understand that. I can check out faster, and have my items bagged in my reusable bags the way that makes sense, not just randomly. So I do find it frustrating that the self checkout bagging area is so tiny.

My Kroger does have nice, big space at the self-check. Room for 5 bags on a spinning stand, plus a large shelf. Not my favorite grocery, but that is a good feature.

[Laura Corin]

8 hours ago, Tanaqui said:

Oh, I thought of one. Well, a couple of things.

1. A few years ago I entered my address in something online, and they had me put in my zip code first and then *filled in my city and state for me* and now every time I have to type those things out I grumble about it. EVERYTHING should work that way.

2. Relatedly, it is 2021. There is no reason for any entry form not to accept hyphens in names. (Or apostrophes, which I assume these dated databases also don't accept.)

I have to change our address every time it auto-enters. It puts in our nearest town- where there is a house with the same name - rather than our village. The post code for that house is different but people still get confused. 

@Carolina Wren move to the UK where we bag our own groceries anyway. You can ask for help but most don't. 

Edited October 10, 2021 by Laura Corin

[Carrie12345]

1 hour ago, Laura Corin said:

I have to change our address every time it auto-enters. It puts in our nearest town- where there is a house with the same name - rather than our village. The post code for that house is different but people still get confused. 

For the first chunk of years we lived here, sites that needed county information were impossible for me to use, because my zip code is in one county and my house is in another. Same with township. Eventually, some sort of universal system caught up, because now I get a drop down box to pick the right one. 🤷‍♀️. 
But I’ll be moving to a new place, in the same township I’m currently in, with a zip code that doesn’t have my house in its geographical boundaries. That zip code is in a THIRD township. But the ‘right’ county, at least.

 

[Laura Corin]

1 hour ago, Carrie12345 said:

For the first chunk of years we lived here, sites that needed county information were impossible for me to use, because my zip code is in one county and my house is in another. Same with township. Eventually, some sort of universal system caught up, because now I get a drop down box to pick the right one. 🤷‍♀️. 
But I’ll be moving to a new place, in the same township I’m currently in, with a zip code that doesn’t have my house in its geographical boundaries. That zip code is in a THIRD township. But the ‘right’ county, at least.

 

One time when a tree was threatening to fall on a power line, I spent a long time on the phone to the utility trying to stop the neighbourhood losing power. They had no record of that pole in our postcode. I think I finally did a deep dive into postcode maps - the divisions are quite small, typically around fifteen houses - only to discover that the end of our garden, where the pole was, was in a different postcode to the house. The utility was great thereafter  - sending out a team on Christmas Eve.

[Carrie12345]

11 minutes ago, Laura Corin said:

One time when a tree was threatening to fall on a power line, I spent a long time on the phone to the utility trying to stop the neighbourhood losing power. They had no record of that pole in our postcode. I think I finally did a deep dive into postcode maps - the divisions are quite small, typically around fifteen houses - only to discover that the end of our garden, where the pole was, was in a different postcode to the house. The utility was great thereafter  - sending out a team on Christmas Eve.

Oh, dang! 15 houses??? Does that mean 1 physical post office manages multiple postal codes?

I was used to 1 physical post office and one code for each town/borough/village. If you lived in WTMville, WTMville had a post office and its own zip code for all homes in WTMville.
But now I don’t live in a town, borough, or village, lol.

[Laura Corin]

1 hour ago, Carrie12345 said:

Oh, dang! 15 houses??? Does that mean 1 physical post office manages multiple postal codes?

I was used to 1 physical post office and one code for each town/borough/village. If you lived in WTMville, WTMville had a post office and its own zip code for all homes in WTMville.
But now I don’t live in a town, borough, or village, lol.

Yes. For example, the post code might begin LE6 which means Leeds area 6. But there are more elements,  for example 4DN, making LE6 4DN in total, that just refers to a few tens of houses. It's actually quite convenient for satnav,  etc.

[Wheres Toto]

Our self-checkouts have a limit on the number of items you are supposed to go there with.  Usually it's 10 or 15, like an express lane.  But any store I've gone into, you can bag your own at a regular check-out.

We share a zip code with a nearby town so it's very hard to narrow down to my actual town when they want you to do it by zip code.   It doesn't help that the other town is called Abc and we are called Abc Township.  Even people who live near here don't realize that they are two separate towns, but we have our own school district, our own police and town government.  We just don't have a post office.     There's another one near here that there is a Town of Xyz, an Xyz Borough, and an Xyz Township, all different but some with the same zipcode and one actually shares a zip code with a completely differently named town.  

[TravelingChris]

On 10/4/2021 at 6:32 AM, 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.

Why I now carry scissors.  I refuse to injure my joints in opening stupid packages.

[Junie]

38 minutes ago, TravelingChris said:

Why I now carry scissors.  I refuse to injure my joints in opening stupid packages.

Yep.  I have kept a pair of kids scissors in my purse for years.

It's also why I use cooking shears to cut raw meat instead of a knife.  It's so much easier!

[kbutton]

14 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

Yes. For example, the post code might begin LE6 which means Leeds area 6. But there are more elements,  for example 4DN, making LE6 4DN in total, that just refers to a few tens of houses. It's actually quite convenient for satnav,  etc.

We have the extra four digits on our zip codes now, but they aren't used commonly except by businesses. I think they specify side of street and things like that. I don't know what my current plus four is, lol. 

[Laura Corin]

2 hours ago, kbutton said:

We have the extra four digits on our zip codes now, but they aren't used commonly except by businesses. I think they specify side of street and things like that. I don't know what my current plus four is, lol. 

We only have the detailed ones. I suppose you could write 'LE6' but, for example, online ordering sites wouldn't accept it.