# How could I have missed THAT?!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-i-have-missed-that/834473>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [May 24, 2019, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-i-have-missed-that/834473 "2019-05-24T19:30:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\
**Post date:** [May 24, 2019, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-i-have-missed-that/834473/1 "2019-05-24T19:30:59Z")

</div>

Got any examples of having noticed something for the first time - after having been around that thing many times before? Maybe my example will explain what I’m asking.

I do most of our cooking. The other day, my wife trimmed some asparagus and had it sitting on the gas stove in a pan with water, ready for when I started dinner. I thought it odd that she had placed the pan smack dab in the middle of the cooktop. When I picked up the pan to place it on one of the 4 burners in the corners of the cooktop (front right - that’s my favorite! ;)) , I realized there is a **5th BURNER** , in the middle.

We bought the stove about 5 years ago. I know I tend to be unobservant about some things, but how the fuck could I miss a burner right in the middle of the stove, with a knob on the front?! :smack:

Share your stupidity to help me feel like less of a dolt.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\
**Post date:** [May 24, 2019, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-i-have-missed-that/834473/2 "2019-05-24T21:52:39Z")

</div>

Bike pedals have one thread that is reversed. Adding a snipe pipe to loosen off said pedal results in a new crankset. And pedals.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\
**Post date:** [May 24, 2019, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-i-have-missed-that/834473/3 "2019-05-24T22:08:34Z")

</div>

> [@swampspruce](#):
>
> Bike pedals have one thread that is reversed. Adding a snipe pipe to loosen off said pedal results in a new crankset. And pedals.

Same thing for the flush lever on a toilet; left hand thread. Applying brute force the other way to loosen it results in a new toilet tank.
