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Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: Ben on March 24, 2005, 06:26:07 AM

Title: Consumer Goods People You Want to Tar and Feather
Post by: Ben on March 24, 2005, 06:26:07 AM
What designers of consumer goods and goods packaging do you want to see tarred and feathered?

I was reminded of who I want to see get it yesterday when a package of DVDs and CDs arrived from Amazon. What idiot came up with the tape sealer over the CD case idea?!?!? That stinkin' thing is impossible to remove if you don't have fingernails. Couldn't they at least have put a pull tab on it so you can just peel it back? Plus, you don't get to it until AFTER you open the stinkin' plastic wrapper. I mean really, did they purposely hire someone to come up with irritating packaging methods, or what?

The other people I want to see get it are the ever popular "child-proof cap" people. I had a sore muscle the other day and decided to pop a couple of Aleve. I noticed that Aleve is recommended for arthritis. Though I can open the bottle fine now, I was thinking that if I were 80 and arthritic, I could never get the stupid cap open to get to the pain relief. Well, I could -- I would probably just shoot the cap off ala Homer Simpson. Smiley
Title: Consumer Goods People You Want to Tar and Feather
Post by: Jason on March 24, 2005, 06:34:56 AM
Car Dealerships.  Why is it that this seems to be the only big game when it comes to purchasing something?  Just about every other purchase we make in our life is pretty straight forward.  None of this "Well, how much can you afford a month?"  and pricing used items above new items just to get you to buy new.    I despise car dealerships.
Title: Consumer Goods People You Want to Tar and Feather
Post by: Phantom Warrior on March 24, 2005, 08:31:51 AM
Quote
I was reminded of who I want to see get it yesterday when a package of DVDs and CDs arrived from Amazon. What idiot came up with the tape sealer over the CD case idea?!?!? That stinkin' thing is impossible to remove if you don't have fingernails. Couldn't they at least have put a pull tab on it so you can just peel it back? Plus, you don't get to it until AFTER you open the stinkin' plastic wrapper. I mean really, did they purposely hire someone to come up with irritating packaging methods, or what?
A good knife.  The tip to get the plastic started and the edge to slip under the tape sealer and peal it off.  People always roll their eyes when I whip out my knife, but I'm also not sitting there for ten minutes trying to open it.
Title: Consumer Goods People You Want to Tar and Feather
Post by: Ben on March 24, 2005, 08:41:42 AM
I actually keep a Benchmade fixed blade on my coffee table just for opening stuff up. Usually to use on that other irritating packaging method, the sealed, molded plastic container.
Title: Consumer Goods People You Want to Tar and Feather
Post by: Sean Smith on March 24, 2005, 08:43:31 AM
Quote from: BenW
I actually keep a Benchmade fixed blade on my coffee table just for opening stuff up. Usually to use on that other irritating packaging method, the sealed, molded plastic container.
Agree on both counts.  I think they do that to discourage returns, since you often have to exterminate the packaging just to get at the product.
Title: Consumer Goods People You Want to Tar and Feather
Post by: mtnbkr on March 24, 2005, 08:51:01 AM
Quote
I think they do that to discourage returns
Never stopped me.  If the item inside isn't as advertised or doesn't work, I'll return it even when the packaging is shredded.  It's not my fault some marketing hack thinks he's being cute by designing sealed packages.

Chris
Title: Consumer Goods People You Want to Tar and Feather
Post by: Larry Ashcraft on March 24, 2005, 08:59:04 AM
Quote from: BenW
I actually keep a Benchmade fixed blade on my coffee table just for opening stuff up. Usually to use on that other irritating packaging method, the sealed, molded plastic container.
A 24" stomp shear works great on those.  Don't you have one?
Title: Consumer Goods People You Want to Tar and Feather
Post by: Wildalaska on March 24, 2005, 09:01:07 AM
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Usually to use on that other irritating packaging method, the sealed, molded plastic container.
Teeth!

WildmumblesAlaska
Title: Consumer Goods People You Want to Tar and Feather
Post by: jefnvk on March 24, 2005, 09:18:40 AM
Yep, that hard plasticy thing.  In fact, if I could sue for damages done to me by those ...
Title: Consumer Goods People You Want to Tar and Feather
Post by: Waitone on March 24, 2005, 09:29:55 AM
Careful about marketing hacks.  We are sensitive people.  We have feelings.  rolleyes

CD's have always been prone to being pirated by average thieves.  The style of packaging against which you rail is "Tamper Evident" packaging.  It is designed to be difficult and self destructive.  Same with OTC drugs.

Opp, forgot the thread.  I want to tar and feather the idiot who came up with "Extreme" marketing.  I will not buy anything featuring extreme, PERIOD.
Title: Consumer Goods People You Want to Tar and Feather
Post by: mtnbkr on March 24, 2005, 09:35:41 AM
Quote
Careful about marketing hacks.  We are sensitive people.  We have feelings
<-------Has a Marketing Minor and is as much a product manager as IT dweeb.

Chris
Title: Consumer Goods People You Want to Tar and Feather
Post by: Phantom Warrior on March 24, 2005, 10:37:24 AM
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I actually keep a Benchmade fixed blade on my coffee table just for opening stuff up. Usually to use on that other irritating packaging method, the sealed, molded plastic container.
Word.  Benchmade 732SBT, right hand pocket, all the time.
Title: Consumer Goods People You Want to Tar and Feather
Post by: Matt Payne on March 24, 2005, 01:23:55 PM
Brita -- the filter pitcher people.

I have a countertop unit with a spigot at the bottom. The spigot sits a full inch above the bottom of the unit, so you can't dispense the last half gallon. WTF?
Title: Consumer Goods People You Want to Tar and Feather
Post by: grampster on March 24, 2005, 01:45:30 PM
WA,  Do you remove yer teeth and use like a pair of pliers? or tin snips?  HeH.

I take the cap off the pill bottle and cut the little plastic nipple thingy off the cap so it can't catch on the bottle.  It still snaps on and off, but easily.
Title: Consumer Goods People You Want to Tar and Feather
Post by: crt360 on March 24, 2005, 03:46:54 PM
Whoever designed the clear plastic packaging that is heat-sealed together around the edges.  It's absolutely impossible to open with your bare hands - even with a good knife it takes some effort.  The only thing that works quickly is a pair of game shears.  The cut up package is worthless and has a bunch of sharp edges that are guaranteed to poke through your plastic trash bag at a least opportune moment. angry
Title: Consumer Goods People You Want to Tar and Feather
Post by: Ben on March 24, 2005, 04:32:48 PM
Quote
24" stomp shear works great on those.
Heh, had to Google that, but it would definitely do the trick...... on the packaging designer that is. Cheesy
Title: Consumer Goods People You Want to Tar and Feather
Post by: Wedge on March 24, 2005, 05:18:40 PM
Quote from: crt360
Whoever designed the clear plastic packaging that is heat-sealed together around the edges.  It's absolutely impossible to open with your bare hands - even with a good knife it takes some effort.  The only thing that works quickly is a pair of game shears.  The cut up package is worthless and has a bunch of sharp edges that are guaranteed to poke through your plastic trash bag at a least opportune moment. angry
Yeah man, I cut myself when I opened up one of those packages last Sunday.  I ended up cutting my wrist and it bled through 2 band-aids.  The cut wasn't deep but man do little cuts on the hand or wrist like to bleed!!!  And yes I was even using a knife to open the package, I shoudl have used some scissors but my leatherman was handy.
Title: Consumer Goods People You Want to Tar and Feather
Post by: Standing Wolf on March 24, 2005, 05:29:02 PM
Quote
Car Dealerships.  Why is it that this seems to be the only big game when it comes to purchasing something?  Just about every other purchase we make in our life is pretty straight forward.  None of this "Well, how much can you afford a month?"  and pricing used items above new items just to get you to buy new.    I despise car dealerships.
I'd have traded in my car two and a half years ago if I'd been able to find a dealer who actually wanted to sell me a car instead of acting like some seventeen-year-old kid in a toxic testosterone mood.
Title: Consumer Goods People You Want to Tar and Feather
Post by: Zundfolge on March 24, 2005, 06:36:45 PM
In my entire life I've owned close to 20 different cars ... I bought exactly TWO of them from a dealer (and both from the same dealer ... good guy who's no longer in the used car business).
Title: Consumer Goods People You Want to Tar and Feather
Post by: Guest on March 24, 2005, 06:51:06 PM
Benedryl Capsules and my other sinus med in the Bister pack you peel off one edge...and supposedly lift off to expose. I used my knife instead.

My  Hostess Cupcakes were smushed coming out of the vending maching at school - I didn't want my icing on the cellophane.

How come knives, scissors and other sharp pointy things are in blister packs that require a sharp pointy something to open?



Smartest Packaging:  

 Top Award goes to Zippo and the dispenser they use for their Flints.

Honorable mention:
Pull top lids on cans of Soup.  Folks with arthritis could use more easy open stuff.
Title: Consumer Goods People You Want to Tar and Feather
Post by: Sylvilagus Aquaticus on March 24, 2005, 06:56:51 PM
Gramps, ain't your (prescription) medicine bottles like mine with threads on both ends of the cap?  I just flip my caps over and use the male threads on the other side instead of the female 'safety side' ones.

What really gives me fits are the center-punch DVD disk holders that you have to have 3 hands, 12 fingers, and a Dremel to release without snapping the disk in half.

Regards,
Rabbit.
Title: Consumer Goods People You Want to Tar and Feather
Post by: Guest on March 25, 2005, 12:31:07 AM
Quote from: sm
Top Award goes to Zippo and the dispenser they use for their Flints.
Agreed, especially when contrasted with the Ronson "bend the card and hunt for flints in the carpet" method.
Title: Consumer Goods People You Want to Tar and Feather
Post by: Antibubba on March 25, 2005, 01:56:04 AM
CD cellophane?  What about the jewel cases themselves?  They crack if you even look at them funny.
Title: Consumer Goods People You Want to Tar and Feather
Post by: mfree on March 25, 2005, 04:48:34 AM
The office bought me a Honeywell humidifier a couple weeks ago, because the humidity in my office often dumped towards 12%. Well, when i opened the box, no warnings or anything, the darned thing fell apart, and the top-heavy water tank hit the floor and shattered. Seems the morons just lay all the components in a tray, and it functions like that. I mean seriously, a 1/8" deep lip of plastic to hold and stabilize a 8" tall water tank with a heavy molded plastic handle on top?
Title: Consumer Goods People You Want to Tar and Feather
Post by: Guest on March 25, 2005, 06:24:14 AM
Take a look at First Aid Kits, and some of the supplies sometimes.

Now I have worked in a OR, I know all about Sterile.

I have also used a First Aid Kit and the supplies on other folks. I mean no big deal for me to open the kit and use the supplies. Band-Aid - no problem.  Tape and guaze - not a problem. Using on other folks - or them on me.

Now By oneself,
bleeding all over the place, and needing to Open the darn thing, and get the guaze out of the plastic wrappers, get the tape to "pop open and out"  ... scissors...umm I am not talented enough to use my toes to use scissors...just easier to stand over the sink with toilet tissue and bleed for a bit...that and make a dash for the Scotch Tape.  Scotch tape and Tissue paper works pretty well...
Title: Consumer Goods People You Want to Tar and Feather
Post by: grampster on March 25, 2005, 06:29:51 AM
How about DayQuil and NyQuil capsules in those blister pacs that you are supposed to be able to tear open.  Grrrrrrrrrrr
Title: Consumer Goods People You Want to Tar and Feather
Post by: Azrael256 on March 25, 2005, 07:56:54 PM
Canned fish with the ring pull.  Even if you don't bend the heck out of the can pulling it open, the top always snaps into a funny shape when you get it off, splattering everything within 300 yards with kippered herring juice.  Ditto on the molded plastic packages.  Tinsnips work pretty well, but butane soldering tools are the best.

Oh, and whoever makes transformers.  It seems like they were designing bombs, and just built in the electrical capabilities as a secondary function.
Title: Consumer Goods People You Want to Tar and Feather
Post by: doczinn on March 27, 2005, 02:15:39 PM
For CD's, just find the nearest sharp corner and swipe the edge of the CD against it - plastic comes right off.