It used to be this simple old sign with a picture of a washing machine and the name in blue letters. Someone paid to update it and now it's this yellow circle with a clip art shirt that has a red X through it. I stood there for a minute trying to figure out if they were telling me not to wash clothes or if it was a bad joke. The new manager said it was supposed to look modern but now three people asked if the place was closed. Has anyone else seen a business wreck their own signage trying to be current?
I spent 3 hours on a Saturday last month swapping out a Honeywell TH3110 for a customer's old Trane in their basement and the zone panel kept kicking the new unit into emergency heat until I manually jumped the B and O wires.
I've been fighting with matted fur on doodles for ages, always going slow and careful to avoid cutting the skin. Last month I was working on a giant golden doodle in my shop, and out of frustration I tilted the clipper blade to about 45 degrees instead of flat against the skin. It went through the mats like butter with zero nicks. I tested it on three more dogs that week, and it worked every time. Why did nobody teach me this in grooming school? Has anyone else found a simple trick like this that just made your job easier out of nowhere?
She said it's one of the best fonts for people with dyslexia because the uneven letter shapes make each character distinct and easier to read. I always just thought it was ugly and overused, but now I'm wondering how many other 'bad' designs I've been totally wrong about.
I pulled into a Shell station in Columbus last week and both doors had the EXACT same sign: 'Push'. No handles, no arrows, nothing. I stood there for a solid 30 seconds like an idiot trying to figure out which one actually opens. I picked the left one, pushed, and it wouldn't budge - just a painted on door that was part of the wall. The right one opened fine but the sign was still wrong. Has anyone else run into fake doors that look totally real?
I went to return some books last Thursday and almost got knocked flat. They installed these huge, heavy glass doors that swing both ways, but there's zero warning before they move. No push plate, no handle, just a smooth surface. I watched three people in ten minutes walk right into them because they look closed when they're actually on a sensor. The worst part is the closing speed. It's way too fast, especially for kids or anyone with a walker. My neighbor's grandson got his fingers pinched pretty bad just trying to get through. The city spent a fortune on this 'modern look' but forgot that doors need to be, you know, usable and safe. Has your town put in any of these sensor doors that are more trouble than they're worth?
Honestly, a delivery guy almost got hit last week and yelled at me that it's a lawsuit waiting to happen, so now I warn everyone before they come over, but is this really just a 'user error' problem or a genuinely dangerous design flaw?
I was at the Cherry Creek Mall last week and found a restroom with a door that had two identical handles, one on each side. The problem is, one handle opens the door and the other is just for show. I watched three people in a row try to push the fake handle and get confused. It's a simple door but the design makes it hard to use. Why would anyone think this was a good idea? Have you ever seen a door that was made to trick people?
Tbh, I was just trying to sit down for five minutes last Tuesday at Miller Park. The bench has this huge, flat metal armrest right in the middle, so you can't actually lie down. Worse, the slats are spaced so wide apart my phone slipped straight through and cracked on the concrete. I had to fish it out with a stick. Has anyone else seen a public bench that seems designed to ruin your stuff?
We were waiting for the 7:15 bus in Portland last Tuesday, and she pointed out the roof only covers the bench if you're sitting perfectly still (which, you know, you never are). She said the designer clearly never stood in a downpour with a backpack, and now I can't unsee how the whole thing favors looking sleek over actually keeping people dry. Does a public shelter fail its main job if it's more about the city's image than function?
It took me 15 minutes to figure out you have to push the handle that clearly says 'pull' to get in. The sign is wrong and the push plate is on the opposite side. Has anyone else dealt with a door that fights you like this?
I've been pushing on the glass panel with the big metal handle for months, but it's actually a pull door and the handle is just for show. What's the most confusing door you've ever seen?
Took my kid to Mill Creek Park last weekend and grabbed one of those free maps at the entrance. The trail lines were all the same thickness and color, with zero landmarks drawn to scale. I spent 45 minutes trying to find the playground, following a path that just looped back to the parking lot. The only clue was a tiny, pixelated tree icon that could have been anywhere. We finally asked another parent who pointed it out, it was literally 200 feet from where we started. Has anyone else seen a map so bad it becomes an adventure?
I finally sat down and counted them all after a full week of trying to get comfortable. There are two for the arms, four for the back, three for the seat, and five more under the seat that I still don't understand. The manual is just a single sheet with tiny pictures and no words. I'm convinced the designer never sat in a chair before. Who needs this many ways to adjust something that should just work? Has anyone else found a chair that's actually simple to set up?
I was walking through Mill River Park yesterday and tried to sit on one of those new curved metal benches. They look cool from a distance, but the seat slopes forward so much you have to brace your feet the whole time! It's like they designed it to be a sculpture first and a place to rest second. Has anyone else found a public space with seating that's just plain uncomfortable to use?
It's literally just a decorative strip of wood that hits you right in the lower back, completely useless for actual sitting. What's the most pointless design you've seen lately?
He said the touchless sensor was amazing, but when I visited I spent a full minute waving my hands under it trying to get water. The sensor was hidden behind the spout, so you had to know the exact magic spot. Has anyone else run into a sink that fights you?
I was trying to pay for an hour in front of the Main Street library, but the touchscreen was so unresponsive and the menu was a mess. It kept jumping back to the main screen before I could confirm. I finally got it to work after pressing the same spot about twenty times. Has anyone else had a fight with one of those blue meters on 5th Avenue?
I got it because the ad said it had a touch sensor to turn on and off. The sensor only works if your hands are bone dry, so after washing something, you have to grab the dirty handle anyway. It also turns on randomly if a fly lands on it. I feel like I paid extra for a feature that makes my life harder. Has anyone else bought a 'smart' home thing that was just plain dumb?
They put the main push bar on the left side of a double door, but the right side is the only one that actually opens. I watched three people in ten minutes walk straight into the glass panel, lmao. It's like they wanted to make a human bumper car game. Has anyone else seen a door setup that bad?
Honestly, the battery died after a week and I was stuck with a sealed bin full of garbage, so has anyone else found a normal can that just works?
I was reading the local fire inspection report for my apartment complex online last night. It said a unit on the third floor failed because its exit sign, the one with the little running man, points down a hallway that ends at a brick wall. The inspector wrote 'egress path leads to structural barrier, not an exit.' I've walked past that sign for a year and never thought to follow it. Has anyone else found a safety sign that just points to nowhere?
I dropped a full bag down the chute last week and the door swung back and hit me right in the face. It's a solid metal door, so that was a fun surprise. I'm out twenty bucks for the glasses I was wearing that got bent. Who designs a door on a trash room to swing into the tiny space where you're standing? Anyone else run into this kind of backwards thinking?