Modern Flawed Designs
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: USA
Posts: 718
Originally Posted by Trim Stab
I have a photo album of wierd and impossible to understand hotel bathroom shower/bath taps. The worst ever was in a hotel in Mexico DF - just could not figure out how to turn on the shower and eventually had to get help from reception.
Maybe I should make a website of wierd hotel taps and make a fortune from advertising.
Maybe I should make a website of wierd hotel taps and make a fortune from advertising.
- Is the long end or the short end of the handle, the pointer to the H/C index?
- If there's no H/C index, I'll just go hard over and then back off a little from there... which way do I turn?
- If I try to go hard over and it just spins freely, where do I stop?
- If I just take a random guess and let it run for a while before I get in but it's still cold... Is is currently selected to cold, in which case I should move it over to hot? Or is it just slow coming up to temp, so I should leave it where it is, because if I move it I'll place it INTO cold?
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: troposphere
Posts: 777
Originally Posted by FullOppositeRudder
My pet peeve at present is the moulded hard clear plastic packaging which surrounds things like batteries, SD cards, and many other consumer items. There is always the risk of slicing off one or more fingers if one uses a box cutter / Stanley knife or similar device.
I almost had to resort to an angle grinder to unpack a new computer mouse I bought a few days ago.
I almost had to resort to an angle grinder to unpack a new computer mouse I bought a few days ago.
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Everett, WA
Age: 67
Posts: 3,588
Originally Posted by Tartiflette Fan
Got any details/reasonable estimates on how many people have been killed by these pathogens ?
I think they are largely reenabled, but I prefer the paper towels anyway.
I have had a number of dealers across various brands tell me that the reason you can't turn them off permanently is because without them the manufacturers can't meet their claimed MPG numbers and efficiency standards.
Gnome de PPRuNe
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Too close to Croydon for comfort
Age: 58
Posts: 9,871
My elderly aunt told me yesterday about her cleaner giving the washing machine a bit of sparkle. Didn't work afterwards. Highly tech savvy neighbour took a look, consulted manual and eventually resorted to phoning the manufacturer's help line. It turned out cleaner had somehow engaged the child lock... Certainly an effective feature.
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Scotland
Posts: 23
Originally Posted by Kiltrash
Train arrives and stops ...wait 10 seconds
Green door open button....wait 10 seconds
Door opens...at last
Meanwhile guard ( remember them ) is blowing whistle to hurry everyone up so train can depart on time
Ps Also train door closes and train defaults to a 40 second delay before moving off...
and we're spending zillions on HS2 to get to Birmingham 60 Seconds earlier😁
Green door open button....wait 10 seconds
Door opens...at last
Meanwhile guard ( remember them ) is blowing whistle to hurry everyone up so train can depart on time
Ps Also train door closes and train defaults to a 40 second delay before moving off...
and we're spending zillions on HS2 to get to Birmingham 60 Seconds earlier😁
Leaving the platform, it takes time for all the doors to close, interlock to kick in, signal to be checked, passenger corridor to be checked clear, signal rechecked, direction switch selected, power selected and traction motors fire up and move away. That's 15 seconds as absolute minimum. Add on 5 for older stock on right sided platforms so I can get back to my seat before taking power. Add on any number of seconds for muppets that will then try and open a locked door and not move back from the train, thus delaying the departure.
So for say a 15:55 departure time, my doors need to be closing at a bare minimum of 15:54:45
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Stafford uk
Posts: 10
Originally Posted by Tartiflette Fan
What make was that ? Certainly sounds like a small-claims case to me.
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Great South East, tired and retired
Posts: 3,791
Nothing gets me upset. Nothing...
My 6-y.o. HP printer/scanner has been annoying me.
Nearly every morning, the control panel is flashing, saying "turn me off at the wall and turn on again", which I do, and the machine settles down. Till tomorrow.
Then it started giving me a warning that the page feeder was jammed, and I had to open it up to clear the paper. I open it, nothing there. Tell the printer it is wrong, but oh, no, back comes the warning with zipping noises as it tries to do something. But I can still print, though the copy function is not accessible because the control panel is warning me of the paper jam.
Then the scanner stopped working. Well, the machine thought it was working, I tell it to scan, it thinks for a second, and says it is done, do I want another? But it didn't do anything. I need scanning for the business, but I put up with the flashing/turn off/ paper jam/ don't wanna scan for a few weeks.
Today I got fed up with it, and bought a new Canon bulk ink machine for $700. Get it home, unpack it.
Need to remove HP printer, so I turn it off at the control panel instead of the wall, and it takes about a minute to shut down. Curiosity gets me, so I turn it on again - and all the faults have cleared. The f***g thing works perfectly.
But nothing gets me upset. Nothing.
My 6-y.o. HP printer/scanner has been annoying me.
Nearly every morning, the control panel is flashing, saying "turn me off at the wall and turn on again", which I do, and the machine settles down. Till tomorrow.
Then it started giving me a warning that the page feeder was jammed, and I had to open it up to clear the paper. I open it, nothing there. Tell the printer it is wrong, but oh, no, back comes the warning with zipping noises as it tries to do something. But I can still print, though the copy function is not accessible because the control panel is warning me of the paper jam.
Then the scanner stopped working. Well, the machine thought it was working, I tell it to scan, it thinks for a second, and says it is done, do I want another? But it didn't do anything. I need scanning for the business, but I put up with the flashing/turn off/ paper jam/ don't wanna scan for a few weeks.
Today I got fed up with it, and bought a new Canon bulk ink machine for $700. Get it home, unpack it.
Need to remove HP printer, so I turn it off at the control panel instead of the wall, and it takes about a minute to shut down. Curiosity gets me, so I turn it on again - and all the faults have cleared. The f***g thing works perfectly.
But nothing gets me upset. Nothing.
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: on the ground
Posts: 381
Originally Posted by PAXboy
Mobile phone got slimmer and lighter because (I suggest) all the reviews highlighted how thin and light they were. After a while, the manufacturers responded. They made the battery non-replaceable to save thickness and weight (as well as the usual reasons).
New purchaser admires the lovely slim and light phone, with an outer casing so smooth it can easily slip from your fingers. So they put it inside a case to make the whole thing thicker and heavier ...
New purchaser admires the lovely slim and light phone, with an outer casing so smooth it can easily slip from your fingers. So they put it inside a case to make the whole thing thicker and heavier ...
And going all the way back to the very first post; the galley in my boat has a sink with a dead flat bottom and a plughole which is in the middle. As the boat never floats perfectly level, the sink never drains completely.
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: 43N
Posts: 145
Originally Posted by ramble on
I have just visited my parents house and they have a fairly new kitchen with new sinks.
They look attractive, modern and are deep but I have realised when using them that their design is flawed and they are a simple barometer of how modern designers take well evolved concepts and ruin them in the name of "modernisation" or asthetics.
Flat bottom sinks with square corners look modern but dont drain efficiently and leave all of the bits on the pan and take 4 times the effort and water to clean.
There should be a special place in hell where modern designers have to live in eternity with the crap they have come up with.
The washing machine that beeps incessantly and unendingly when the cycle is done, the toaster that has an alarm when the toast pops up, the dishbrush with soap dispenser that leaks liquid soap from.the refill point, the expensive plastic vacuum cleaner that snaps the moment you lean into your work, the car that has no room in the engine bay to reach in to change an oil filter, the phone where the headset jack is in the most inconvenient location or removed altogether.
Yes, I can imagine a special place in hell where they get to live with their little gems for eternity........
Submit
They look attractive, modern and are deep but I have realised when using them that their design is flawed and they are a simple barometer of how modern designers take well evolved concepts and ruin them in the name of "modernisation" or asthetics.
Flat bottom sinks with square corners look modern but dont drain efficiently and leave all of the bits on the pan and take 4 times the effort and water to clean.
There should be a special place in hell where modern designers have to live in eternity with the crap they have come up with.
The washing machine that beeps incessantly and unendingly when the cycle is done, the toaster that has an alarm when the toast pops up, the dishbrush with soap dispenser that leaks liquid soap from.the refill point, the expensive plastic vacuum cleaner that snaps the moment you lean into your work, the car that has no room in the engine bay to reach in to change an oil filter, the phone where the headset jack is in the most inconvenient location or removed altogether.
Yes, I can imagine a special place in hell where they get to live with their little gems for eternity........
Submit
The flat bottom square basin must be cleaned constantly unless you like caked on whiskers and dry toothpaste spittle. Despise it.
Join Date: Apr 2020
Location: Rhones-Alpes
Posts: 350
Originally Posted by FullOppositeRudder
My pet peeve at present is the moulded hard clear plastic packaging which surrounds things like batteries, SD cards, and many other consumer items. There is always the risk of slicing off one or more fingers if one uses a box cutter / Stanley knife or similar device.
I almost had to resort to an angle grinder to unpack a new computer mouse I bought a few days ago.
I almost had to resort to an angle grinder to unpack a new computer mouse I bought a few days ago.
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 2,450
Originally Posted by Tartiflette Fan
Most blister-packs have a card-backing with an intermittent serration along the length to allow the product to be easily pressed through the back. Not a lot of ,people know that !
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Glorious Devon
Posts: 690
Originally Posted by Tartiflette Fan
Most blister-packs have a card-backing with an intermittent serration along the length to allow the product to be easily pressed through the back. Not a lot of ,people know that !
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: England
Posts: 456
Originally Posted by oldbeefer
There used to be a sign in the toilets at Shawbury that said 'rub hands under air blower then dry on your flying suit'
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Melb, Aust
Age: 49
Posts: 39
Originally Posted by Chrisbowe82
Train arrives. Driver checks signal and platform, places brake to 'high' selects Neutral on Drivers' directional switch, confirms left or right platform and then energises corresponding side doors. Not exactly 10 seconds but this is why there's a slight delay from arrival to doors opening.
Leaving the platform, it takes time for all the doors to close, interlock to kick in, signal to be checked, passenger corridor to be checked clear, signal rechecked, direction switch selected, power selected and traction motors fire up and move away. That's 15 seconds as absolute minimum. Add on 5 for older stock on right sided platforms so I can get back to my seat before taking power. Add on any number of seconds for muppets that will then try and open a locked door and not move back from the train, thus delaying the departure.
So for say a 15:55 departure time, my doors need to be closing at a bare minimum of 15:54:45
Leaving the platform, it takes time for all the doors to close, interlock to kick in, signal to be checked, passenger corridor to be checked clear, signal rechecked, direction switch selected, power selected and traction motors fire up and move away. That's 15 seconds as absolute minimum. Add on 5 for older stock on right sided platforms so I can get back to my seat before taking power. Add on any number of seconds for muppets that will then try and open a locked door and not move back from the train, thus delaying the departure.
So for say a 15:55 departure time, my doors need to be closing at a bare minimum of 15:54:45
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: London
Posts: 442
Originally Posted by Ascend Charlie
My 6-y.o. HP printer/scanner has been annoying me.
Serious question: Can anyone recommend a printer brand that hasn't been caught up in this, and still manufactures a decent product?
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Scotland
Posts: 23
Originally Posted by Paul C
That seems like a lot. I'm a driver in Oz and we don't do half that stuff. You obviously check signals and platforms before you actually come to a stand, brake pressure at least 100kPa out of a max 275kPa, directional switch as you call it remains in forward (honestly fluffing around with it introduces the chance you may inadvertently put it in reverse which has happened here). Our doors will be unlocked within 1 or 2 seconds of stopping. On departure we have STDS, signal, time, departure sequence then second look at signal. We do not need to leave our seat depending on left or right platforms as we have either mirrors or cameras to check both sides. Total time permitted at a station is 20 sec between stopping and moving off, in peak hour this can get blown out by a bit though, sometimes it's hard to not depart in say 15 sec as you would get in trouble for that so have to just wait out the 20 sec.
On reflection (no pun intended) I prob do a lot of stuff like checking signal and platform subconsciously before coming to a stand but wrong side door opening is obviously potentially fatal so a quick marching pace before committing is muscle memory for me 😁 we do normally have idiots trying to open the doors too before I've actually stopped. Top fun.
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 2,450
Originally Posted by Paul C
That seems like a lot. I'm a driver in Oz and we don't do half that stuff. You obviously check signals and platforms before you actually come to a stand, brake pressure at least 100kPa out of a max 275kPa, directional switch as you call it remains in forward (honestly fluffing around with it introduces the chance you may inadvertently put it in reverse which has happened here). Our doors will be unlocked within 1 or 2 seconds of stopping. On departure we have STDS, signal, time, departure sequence then second look at signal. We do not need to leave our seat depending on left or right platforms as we have either mirrors or cameras to check both sides. Total time permitted at a station is 20 sec between stopping and moving off, in peak hour this can get blown out by a bit though, sometimes it's hard to not depart in say 15 sec as you would get in trouble for that so have to just wait out the 20 sec.
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Melb, Aust
Age: 49
Posts: 39
Chrisbowe82 and ATNotts
Yes we are heavily based on a UK system and procedures although we're on broad gauge. I drive 4 different trains, the oldest was first commissioned in the early 80s, a couple of early 2000's and a very new train from last year. We're considered SPOT drivers, single person on train so no guards or equivalent. In our state Driver Only means only 1 person up front ie no fireman but still a guard,
Our newest trains will not allow the doors to be opened on the wrong side and will not even allow them to be opened if you're not fully on the platform. I did approx 120 stops today but idiots seem to affect railways the world over.
Interesting to hear your views from the other side of the world.
Paul
Yes we are heavily based on a UK system and procedures although we're on broad gauge. I drive 4 different trains, the oldest was first commissioned in the early 80s, a couple of early 2000's and a very new train from last year. We're considered SPOT drivers, single person on train so no guards or equivalent. In our state Driver Only means only 1 person up front ie no fireman but still a guard,
Our newest trains will not allow the doors to be opened on the wrong side and will not even allow them to be opened if you're not fully on the platform. I did approx 120 stops today but idiots seem to affect railways the world over.
Interesting to hear your views from the other side of the world.
Paul
