What annoys you? (1 Viewer)

[John Dirk]

We sort of are... kind of... depending... metric. Some products come only in metric sizes. All pharmaceutical products are in metric sizes. Grocery items are pretty much all "soft metric" - have both lb/oz and metric listed on the labels.

But - we still use 2x4 lumber (in spite of it not having been 2" x 4" for decades), rulers are feet/inches although some have metric on one side, soda is liters for most bottles and oz on small cans, and other rather odd mixes/exceptions.

Yeah... the US was supposed to have gone metric by ~1981 but congress removed the time requirement and essentially said "Whatever..." so we now have this odd mix on everything. Lots of it comes down to how expensive it would be to have to convert everything, which includes "legacy" documents/products that are still in wide use. Based on product labeling I'd say it's coming. It's just taking a very, very, long time.

Informative. Thank you sir!

 

[Stan]

We sort of are... kind of... depending... metric. Some products come only in metric sizes. All pharmaceutical products are in metric sizes. Grocery items are pretty much all "soft metric" - have both lb/oz and metric listed on the labels.

But - we still use 2x4 lumber (in spite of it not having been 2" x 4" for decades), rulers are feet/inches although some have metric on one side, soda is liters for most bottles and oz on small cans, and other rather odd mixes/exceptions.

Yeah... the US was supposed to have gone metric by ~1981 but congress removed the time requirement and essentially said "Whatever..." so we now have this odd mix on everything. Lots of it comes down to how expensive it would be to have to convert everything, which includes "legacy" documents/products that are still in wide use. Based on product labeling I'd say it's coming. It's just taking a very, very, long time.

Did we ever have real 2x4 lumber? I learned basic construction from my father over 40 years ago and a 2x4 was more like a 1 1/2 by 3 1/2, or something in that range.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Did we ever have real 2x4 lumber?

Yup! They went the way of one pound tins of coffee and half-gallons of ice cream.

They are impressive pieces of lumber when you come across them.

 

[BobO'Link]

Did we ever have real 2x4 lumber? I learned basic construction from my father over 40 years ago and a 2x4 was more like a 1 1/2 by 3 1/2, or something in that range.

Over 100 years ago. Even then that was typically a rough cut size and was usually trimmed and dressed at a worksite making it smaller than 2x4. In the 20s most mills started planing at the mill making a smoother board and reduced the size to 1.75x3.75. The current 1.5x3.5 standard came in 1969 when the U.S. Department of Commerce unified lumber sizes across the country.

 

[BobO'Link]

Yup! They went the way of one pound tins of coffee and half-gallons of ice cream.

They are impressive pieces of lumber when you come across them.

Yep... product downsizing annoys me!

Quart jars of mayo are now 30 oz. 1lb. cans of veggies are 15 oz. Recipes I have from 50-60 years ago don't quite work as well as few of the product sizes in use then are available now.

 

[Stan]

I remember about 7-8 years ago, maybe longer. Dannon yogurt was selling in six-packs. They advertised "Coming soon, four packs". When they showed up, same price, 33% less product. I've never bought their brand since.

Canned tuna is another complaint. There are a few places to get full sized cans, but little by little they keep shrinking. What used to be 7 oz. is now 5.5. Naturally the price stays the same.

 

[RobertR]

It's all the consequence of the dollar being worth less and less over the years.

 

[TJPC]

Remember when you bought a dozen whatevers and there were actually a dozen in the package?

 

[Tony Bensley]

Frozen Chicken or Fish packs that are labeled "6 or more pieces", or something of that ilk.

Why can't they be more precise? These aren't Frozen Fries or Peas, for pity sake.

CHEERS!

 

[Stan]

Frozen Chicken or Fish packs that are labeled "6 or more pieces", or something of that ilk.

Why can't they be more precise? These aren't Frozen Fries or Peas, for pity sake.

CHEERS!

Don't know if it's available in your area, but Trader Joe's has fantastic breaded cod fillets. Sold by weight, no mention of how many pieces you get. Fry them up in a little oil, really good. If only they sold a decent tartar sauce. I make my own, their stuff is this goofy jalapeno mix, really strange.

 

[Tony Bensley]

Don't know if it's available in your area, but Trader Joe's has fantastic breaded cod fillets. Sold by weight, no mention of how many pieces you get. Fry them up in a little oil, really good. If only they sold a decent tartar sauce. I make my own, their stuff is this goofy jalapeno mix, really strange.

AFAIK, the only Trader Joe's Canadian location is in Vancouver. I got to sample some of their goods when visiting the U.S, but that was some time ago. Wish we had one in our area, but like other U.S. based chains, it would probably have a different flavor, so to speak!

CHEERS!

 

[BobO'Link]

Packages that show serving sizes as "About xx servings" when it's a product that's individual pieces, like cookies or specialty candy. So... a serving of cookies is 4 and there are "About 4 servings" which is actually 3 servings of 4 and 1 serving of 3 cookies.

How hard is it to have this come out even? If that package of 15 cookies can't have 4 full servings of 4 cookies than make it 5 servings of 3. See? I fixed it for you and you have lower calorie servings as a perk so you can tout that on the label. Better yet, just put one more cookie in the package and, if need be, raise the price accordingly.

But wait... that's why we have "downsizing" to start with... it's because some bean counter decided people wouldn't put up with raising the price to keep a product at the same size so they change the packaging so they can put on the label "New/Improved Packaging - Same price!" and people won't notice they've just been fooled with a new, smaller, size.

 

[BobO'Link]

The "new" (been out for several years) plastics being using for food packaging (crackers, cereal, chips, mayo jars, etc.) that starts to impart a very nasty plastic smell and taste to a product if it's kept just a little too long beyond the "sell by" date. It's that same smell you get from some Tupperware containers if they're left closed too long.

We used to stock up on pretzels, mayo, saltine crackers, and a few other products until that change. Pretzels will keep almost forever if unopened, same with crackers. Mayo in a jar would keep for years, as would most salad dressings. Now you can't stock up as almost everything in a plastic container or bag will ruin shortly after the sell by date due to that "improved" plastic manufacturers are now using.

 

[Ron1973]

I can think of two right now, ranked in order of annoyance factor.

1. People with shiny new cars who refuse to use the built-in Bluetooth functionality for phone calls. This functionality was created to reduce driver distraction yet it is ignored by so many and at great cost I suspect.
2. People who pay for small purchases [in supermarkets, etc] with personal checks. It takes forever and checks are about the most insecure form of payment available today.

I worked with a guy about 20 years ago who wrote a check for EVERYTHING and he'd brag about it. There was a place in the mall that sold sodas to mall employees for 50¢. He'd write a check EVERY SINGLE TIME. He was with his buddy in Walmart and he was short a few cents on a purchase. Yup, you know the story!

 

[Stan]

I never really liked drinking milk in the first place.

As I got older, I was eating cheese instead of drinking milk. I usually buy large quantities of inexpensive cheese at Costco, which can last 2 or 3 weeks (or longer).

If costco no longer carried any dvds/blurays, I would still be shopping there for the inexpensive cheese and fresh pizza or roasted chicken.

Costco used to be about two miles from my house, then they moved and are now about five miles away. Now they're building a new spot and will be almost 15 miles away. I'm done.The crowds, the horrible parking, the membership fee, just not worth the hassle.

The local grocery store beats them on prices almost all the time and so much easier to shop there. DVDs, etc. I get on Amazon.

 

[John Dirk]

Costco used to be about two miles from my house, then they moved and are now about five miles away. Now they're building a new spot and will be almost 15 miles away. I'm done.The crowds, the horrible parking, the membership fee, just not worth the hassle.

The local grocery store beats them on prices almost all the time and so much easier to shop there. DVDs, etc. I get on Amazon.

I've been a Costco member for over 20 years and they are admittedly not what they used to be. Still, their only real competition is Sam's Club and they don't seem to consider Costco a threat worthy of dismantling. I am a member of both. Costco excels in customer service which is a big one for me but Sam's Club is beating them in almost every other category. Selection, cleanliness, convenient hours... Aside from customer service [an area in which Sam's Club is sadly lacking] what keeps me onboard with Costco is the Executive membership. With its incentives, I easily recoup my membership fee three times over each year.

 

[Kevin Hewell]

Yup! They went the way of one pound tins of coffee and half-gallons of ice cream.

At Publix (one of our local supermarkets) the store brand ice cream is still an actual half-gallon. Their Publix brand premium ice cream is really good, too.

 

[Stan]

I've been a Costco member for over 20 years and they are admittedly not what they used to be. Still, their only real competition is Sam's Club and they don't seem to consider Costco a threat worthy of dismantling. I am a member of both. Costco excels in customer service which is a big one for me but Sam's Club is beating them in almost every other category. Selection, cleanliness, convenient hours... Aside from customer service [an area in which Sam's Club is sadly lacking] what keeps me onboard with Costco is the Executive membership. With its incentives, I easily recoup my membership fee three times over each year.

When you leave our local Costco, it's almost like TSA at an airport. They check everything, making sure you're not stealing or shoplifting. I found it very rude and insulting, just one more reason why I stopped shopping there.

Heck, even our local Walmart, which I rarely go to. The "greeter" at the door wants to check my bags when I leave. But a nasty stare, "like don't you dare" and they leave me alone.

 

[John Dirk]

At Publix (one of our local supermarkets) the store brand ice cream is still an actual half-gallon. Their Publix brand premium ice cream is really good, too.

Publix is the top tier supermarket in the areas they serve and, in general, you do get what you pay for. Great selection but even their customer service has declined.

 

[John Dirk]

When you leave our local Costco, it's almost like TSA at an airport. They check everything, making sure you're not stealing or shoplifting.

I should confess, my BIL works for them and, after hearing some of his stories, I totally understand why they have to do this. Sad but also a sign of the times...