# Bad Design in Everyday Life **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 16, 2007, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-design-in-everyday-life/411910 "2007-07-16T00:41:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2007, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-design-in-everyday-life/411910/201 "2007-08-30T04:14:18Z")
[QUOTE=Mishell] The light fixture in the stairwell in our townhouse. It’s about 12 feet above the landing, and we don’t own a step stool or ladder tall enough to reach. We have absolutely no use for a ladder right now, we’d be going out and buying a ladder just so we can change the damn light bulb in the stairwell, and then the ladder will just take up space in our tiny garage until next time the bulb burns out. The bulb is inside a globe that’s held in place with tiny screws, so there’s no reaching tool that can help. Can’t reach from the top of the stairs. So, basically, one of these days we have to remember to borrow a ladder from my in laws. Or call the landlord, which I refuse to do for such a tiny matter as a burnt out light bulb. [/QUOTE] Buy one of these [Light Bulb chaning poles](http://www.amazon.com/Changing-Telescopic-Bulb-Gripping-Attachments-UNGBCK03/dp/B0006VZAGW) ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2007, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-design-in-everyday-life/411910/202 "2007-08-30T14:44:28Z")
[QUOTE=Pullet] > [@Mishell](#): > > The light fixture in the stairwell in our townhouse. It’s about 12 feet above the landing, and we don’t own a step stool or ladder tall enough to reach. We have absolutely no use for a ladder right now, we’d be going out and buying a ladder just so we can change the damn light bulb in the stairwell, and then the ladder will just take up space in our tiny garage until next time the bulb burns out. **The bulb is inside a globe that’s held in place with tiny screws, so there’s no reaching tool that can help.** Can’t reach from the top of the stairs. So, basically, one of these days we have to remember to borrow a ladder from my in laws. Or call the landlord, which I refuse to do for such a tiny matter as a burnt out light bulb. Buy one of these [Light Bulb chaning poles](http://www.amazon.com/Changing-Telescopic-Bulb-Gripping-Attachments-UNGBCK03/dp/B0006VZAGW) [/QUOTE] You didn’t bother to read what you quoted, did you? I highlighted a relevant sentence to make **Mishell** ’s dilemma clearer. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2007, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-design-in-everyday-life/411910/203 "2007-08-30T16:50:26Z")
[QUOTE=InvisibleWombat] You didn’t bother to read what you quoted, did you? I highlighted a relevant sentence to make **Mishell** ’s dilemma clearer. [/QUOTE] I _did_ read the whole thing earlier, but that sentence somehow slipped right by me — I was thinking of mentioning the same kind of light changing pole that **Pullet** recommended. Glad I didn’t! I used one of those many years ago in a movie theater. It was quite an interesting experience: you would spit on the suction cups a little to try to get some grip, try to jab with sufficient force to stick to the bulb 30 feet above your head without breaking it, unscrew the bulb, and then watch in horror as the bulb wobbled off the top of the pole a foot away from the receptacle. Then you would just drop the pole as you tried to catch the rapidly accelerating bulb. Better not break one in the socket, either — there’s no way you can use the potato trick to get the broken base out from thirty feet down. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2007, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-design-in-everyday-life/411910/204 "2007-08-30T17:15:42Z")
[QUOTE=minor7flat5] I used one of those many years ago in a movie theater. It was quite an interesting experience: you would spit on the suction cups a little to try to get some grip, try to jab with sufficient force to stick to the bulb 30 feet above your head without breaking it, unscrew the bulb, and then watch in horror as the bulb wobbled off the top of the pole a foot away from the receptacle. Then you would just drop the pole as you tried to catch the rapidly accelerating bulb. Better not break one in the socket, either — there’s no way you can use the potato trick to get the broken base out from thirty feet down. [/QUOTE] My daughter and I were going into the Space Mountain ride at Disney World a couple years ago. The part we were walking through had tall ceilings with those movie-theatre type lights, and as we walked by a bulb fell right beside my daughter. Guess they didn’t tighten it well enough! ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2019, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-design-in-everyday-life/411910/207 "2019-10-17T11:42:40Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Thanks for mentioning the button lables. Look at the back of your VCR, DVD, whatever console. Chances are you need a bright light shone on the case to discern which is the cable in, cable out, audio, whatever. Raised lettering with no difference in color as the rest of the box is nearly impossible to see in the situation you usually encounter the back of the box- in a cramped dimly lit space. I actually solved this zombie peeve: painted the raised black letters in the most contrasting nail polish available between the three women who were present. If you haven’t used nail polish before, get assistance from someone who has (as with cyanoacrylate glue, most newbies tend to use too much). ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2019, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-design-in-everyday-life/411910/208 "2019-10-17T12:18:16Z")
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