# Instructions you routinely ignore **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 10, 2009, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instructions-you-routinely-ignore/480659 "2009-01-10T11:12:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instructions-you-routinely-ignore/480659/81 "2009-01-17T04:42:35Z")
> [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](#): > > Also, I’m talking about cold medicine or .25 Xanax before bed. Let me throw in the OTC acid-reducer **Zantac**. Had a couple beers earlier then was sipping on some bourbon for a nightcap. So I start feeling a little tired so I pop a Zantac. I wasn’t drunk but I knew I’d wake with some nasty heartburn so i wanted to nip it in the butt. I put on The Two Towers and jump into bed. Suddenly I start having trouble following the picture. “Whoah…I didn’t drink THAT MUCH, but maybe those last couple sips put me over the edge. Well, I’ll just head to bed and sleep it off.” Wake up 2 hours later: I’m in serious trouble! :eek: So I repaint the bathroom and jump back into bed. Wake up in the morning and do some research to find out that Zantac increases the rate of alcohol absorption in your stomach. It was a BAD experience. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instructions-you-routinely-ignore/480659/82 "2009-01-17T04:48:01Z")
> [@Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](#): > > It can? What do you mean by ‘eject?’ > > Now I’m paranoid. If you expand the tray on the right side of your task bar it will say “safely remove devices.” You use this to “eject” the drive, I think it’s effectively terminating the connection and turning it off. Not doing so rarely hurts anything unless you’ve activated some setting (I think “accelerate this drive” is usually the offender). If you’re not using a “speed boosted” flash drive or have one with the option but disabled it you’ll be fine 99 times out of 100 (in my experience at least). ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instructions-you-routinely-ignore/480659/83 "2009-01-17T08:41:48Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > If you expand the tray on the right side of your task bar it will say “safely remove devices.” You use this to “eject” the drive, I think it’s effectively terminating the connection and turning it off. Not doing so rarely hurts anything unless you’ve activated some setting (I think “accelerate this drive” is usually the offender). If you’re not using a “speed boosted” flash drive or have one with the option but disabled it you’ll be fine 99 times out of 100 (in my experience at least). Some Mac owner told me that ejecting them was only important on a Mac. Likely bs, either way. ---
**Author:** ![Caractacus\_Pott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@Caractacus\_Pott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caractacus_Pott)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instructions-you-routinely-ignore/480659/84 "2009-01-17T11:58:29Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > I ignore my CPAP instructions about cleaning my mask and tubes daily. In fact, if they read “clean every month” or even “every week,” I’d probably clean it more often than I do, but “daily”? Get fucked, please. That just tells me to ignore your batshit instructions freely. Wait, what? “Cleaning my mask and tubes daily.” I recognize the words but I don’t understand them grouped like that. Is this pseudo-language or something? **drastic\_quench** : Macs don’t like when you pull out removable media without ejecting. Sometimes you have to run the Disk Utility to get it to be recognized again. Voice of experience. PC’s? Unless the light is flashing, yank away. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instructions-you-routinely-ignore/480659/85 "2009-01-17T13:09:34Z")
Every thing I write is by definition pseudo-language. This may be a situation where NO ONE actually obeys the “daily cleaning” recommendations. I haven’t yet found someone who does, and I’m usually reasonably germophobic. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instructions-you-routinely-ignore/480659/86 "2009-01-17T13:58:38Z")
For all you cpap non cleaners, you are yucky peeps! When my kids do their breathing treatments, I sterlize the tubes and mask after each use. Germs… Yanno the instruction booklet that is as thick as Rhode Island is long that come with your shiny new cell phone? I toss it. I rely on my local teenager to give me guidance on VM and Txting. It’s much easier. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instructions-you-routinely-ignore/480659/87 "2009-01-17T14:30:38Z")
> [@Shirley\_Ujest](#): > > For all you cpap non cleaners, you are yucky peeps! > > When my kids do their breathing treatments, I sterlize the tubes and mask after each use. > > Germs… > Yanno the instruction booklet that is as thick as Rhode Island is long that come with your shiny new cell phone? I toss it. > > I rely on my local teenager to give me guidance on VM and Txting. It’s much easier. Okay, NOW I understand why you’re sometimes offline for over 12 hours per day–you’re sterilizing tubes and hoses and masks for multiple users. Now my question is how do you ever get the time to post? ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instructions-you-routinely-ignore/480659/88 "2009-01-17T14:54:55Z")
I almost never leave microwaved meals in the microwave for a minute or more after cooking. If anything I microwave ends up in there longer than it takes for the timer to be done, it’s because I’m in the middle of doing something else. Otherwise, it’s right out of the microwave a moment after the “ding!” ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instructions-you-routinely-ignore/480659/89 "2009-01-17T15:09:50Z")
I’ll go that one further. I don’t even look at the “cooking times” on microwaved stuff. If I put it in for 3:33, or 4:44 or whatever, I’ll eat it if it’s hot when it comes out, otherwise back it goes for 1:11 or 2:22 or what seems like it needs. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instructions-you-routinely-ignore/480659/90 "2009-01-18T05:14:09Z")
> [@Shamozzle](#): > > Also, I never wash fruit. You are a F’ing MANIAC! I always wash my fruit. ---
**Author:** ![Marlitharn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Marlitharn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlitharn)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instructions-you-routinely-ignore/480659/91 "2009-01-18T05:48:43Z")
I rarely check my gauge before beginning a knitting project. I know many adults and children of all sizes, whatever I knit is bound to fit someone, somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instructions-you-routinely-ignore/480659/92 "2009-01-18T06:06:09Z")
I do tech support for a certain non-Microsoft computer company. We have two rules that we are supposed to follow; 1\> Don’t provide support to people who are out of warranty without selling them a temporary support agreement, and 2\> Log every call with a case. HOWEVER, the problem lies in the fact that our performance rankings, as agents, teams and locations, are based entirely on customer satisfaction surveys generated by the cases. And our employer is stupid enough to send these even to the people who are denied support. Which means; 1\> We support a lot of people who don’t deserve it, because people who are denied service aren’t likely to report being satisfied by that non-service, and; 2\> We fail to log a lot of those denial of service calls, or when the customer is unreasonable, irrational or angry; because we’re not stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Caractacus\_Pott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@Caractacus\_Pott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caractacus_Pott)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instructions-you-routinely-ignore/480659/93 "2009-01-18T10:45:37Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > I’ll go that one further. I don’t even look at the “cooking times” on microwaved stuff. If I put it in for 3:33, or 4:44 or whatever, I’ll eat it if it’s hot when it comes out, otherwise back it goes for 1:11 or 2:22 or what seems like it needs. So you’ve missed the instructions on those swanky frozen dinners like Stouffers that have you do 3 minutes on medium, sit a few minutes, another 3 minutes on high, another rest, then the final 5 minutes on low? Comedy, sheer comedy! Like, cheah, if I was going to go through all that, I may as well cook something from scratch. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2009, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instructions-you-routinely-ignore/480659/94 "2009-01-18T18:34:41Z")
> [@Caractacus\_Pott](#): > > So you’ve missed the instructions on those swanky frozen dinners like Stouffers that have you do 3 minutes on medium, sit a few minutes, another 3 minutes on high, another rest, then the final 5 minutes on low? Comedy, sheer comedy! Like, cheah, if I was going to go through all that, I may as well cook something from scratch. Yeah, right! My microwave is from circa 1983 and has its own special rhythm. I kind of average everything out and then add two minutes for the old beasty to catch up. And yeah, the idea of cleaning the CPAP stuff every day is partly what made me never use it, and eventually donate it back to the medical supply place. (My apnea was weight-related and mild and I have lost some weight so I don’t feel the need for it.) ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instructions-you-routinely-ignore/480659/95 "2009-01-19T00:38:19Z")
During much of the late '90’s, I did work in Mexico which involved being on farms, including cattle ranches, for days at a time. I’d always laugh when filling out the US entry form on plane rides back to the US – “Have you been on a farm?” Like, name two hours when I WASN’T on a farm! But of course I always checked the “no” box. NOTE: Per SDMB rules, I am not advocating this behavior. Nor would I do such a thing myself anymore (cough). ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instructions-you-routinely-ignore/480659/96 "2009-01-19T09:42:27Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > During much of the late '90’s, I did work in Mexico which involved being on farms, including cattle ranches, for days at a time. I’d always laugh when filling out the US entry form on plane rides back to the US – “Have you been on a farm?” Like, name two hours when I WASN’T on a farm! But of course I always checked the “no” box. > > NOTE: Per SDMB rules, I am not advocating this behavior. Nor would I do such a thing myself anymore (cough). Yeah, because bringing Foot and Mouth disease into a country because you couldn’t be bothered waiting in a line would be a _real_ hoot, wouldn’t it? Especially the bit where they started slaughtering and burning the livestock. ---
**Author:** ![StuffLikeThatThere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc8723/32.png) [@StuffLikeThatThere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StuffLikeThatThere)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instructions-you-routinely-ignore/480659/97 "2009-01-19T15:42:23Z")
> [@Shirley\_Ujest](#): > > For all you cpap non cleaners, you are yucky peeps! > > When my kids do their breathing treatments, I sterlize the tubes and mask after each use. > > Germs… Yeah, my kid’s nebulizer apparatus gets cleaned and sterilized after each use, too. My husband’s CPAP junk gets cleaned when we think of it, which is not very often. I don’t know why, but it’s different. ---
**Author:** ![zenith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zenith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zenith)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instructions-you-routinely-ignore/480659/98 "2009-01-19T16:22:48Z")
> [@gravitycrash](#): > > Any packaged rice or pasta dish that requires adding water. Nearly every time I follow the instructions it comes out too mushy. It doesn’t matter which brand it is either. So if it says that it requires 2 and 1/2 cups of water it gets 2 cups of water. I almost always drop the amount of water added by a half a cup. This especially applies if I want to double the dish and the instructions say to just double the amount of water. Um, no. That never works, if it needs a combined 4 cups of water it gets 3 cups from me…comes out perfect every time. We have the same problem with frozen vegetables. Don’t the manufacturers have test kitchens any more? If they did, they’d know that they’re calling for you to waterlog eveything. ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2009, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instructions-you-routinely-ignore/480659/99 "2009-01-19T18:58:24Z")
> [@norinew](#): > > I’ve seen others here that I break the rules, too. But the one I do that _hasn’t_ been mentioned is the instruction in the hair dye to “test on a patch of skin 24 hours before using”. > > Does _anyone_ actually do that?? I’ll test things that recommend it, but I know I have stupidly sensitive skin which will get red and swollen and itchy at the slightest irritation. I almost never keep my veggie burgers and such frozen, because that would require keeping them not in the minifridge in my dorm room but to be stolen over in the common kitchen. Never gotten sick from it. I refuse to follow the instructions on my Carmex lip balm. You’re supposed to apply it liberally to all affected areas; I only apply it conservatively. (And this is printed directly above the sternly-worded admonition to use only as directed). And other than white towels (for fuzz issues) and brand-new jeans, all my laundry gets tossed, unsorted, into a cold wash cycle. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2009, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instructions-you-routinely-ignore/480659/100 "2009-01-20T02:57:48Z")
“Please pay attention to the in-flight instructions. Even if you fly regularly, every plane is subtly different …” … sure it is. Just lemme get my book out … [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instructions-you-routinely-ignore/480659.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/instructions-you-routinely-ignore/480659.md?page=6)