# It's Not An Urban Myth , It's True **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 20, 2004, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-an-urban-myth-its-true/280822 "2004-12-20T17:39:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Girl)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-an-urban-myth-its-true/280822/61 "2004-12-22T07:09:58Z")
I couldn’t take it anymore. It’s [off to the Pit](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=293158). Sorry **Rayne Man**. ☹ I was really enjoying the thread up until it went cold. Hopefully, it’s not too late to save it. C’mon people, give us some more silly warnings. 🙂 ---
**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:** [December 22, 2004, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-an-urban-myth-its-true/280822/62 "2004-12-22T08:33:40Z")
> [@Ellis Dee](#): > > “Various (PC) Computers / Keyboard not detected. Press F1 to continue” > > Why is this a stupid message? In assembling various computers, I have occasionally forgotten to plug the keyboard in, gotten this message, plugged it in, and pressed F1. Exactly as intended. Except AT and PS/2 keyboards were not designed to be hot swapped and should never be plugged in under power, as it can damage the keyboard or motherboard (or both). It really is a stupid message. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-an-urban-myth-its-true/280822/63 "2004-12-22T11:40:05Z")
Remember that guy who ate a pound of french fries at McDonald’s every day? he attaempted to sue, based on his gross obesity…I know that case was hrown out. But, from a lawyer’s point of view, lawsuits against the fast food industry make a lot of sense, because: -obesity is now epidemic in the USA, and obesity-related ailments are a common cause of death -the FF industry is a good target, because it has large assets and a poor public image -the tobacco firms are just about “mined out”-there isn’t much money left for a new legal assault on that industry Finally, as a large pool of potentisal jurors (who could be expected to find against the FF industry) exists in most American cities, the potential for significant awards exist So, should we expect an explosion of litigation against Popeyes, Burger King, Hardess, McD’s etc.? ---
**Author:** ![Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eada6e/32.png) [@Go\_You\_Big\_Red\_Fire\_Engine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_You_Big_Red_Fire_Engine)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-an-urban-myth-its-true/280822/64 "2004-12-22T12:40:05Z")
> [@](#): > > Ansell Condoms / Do not return used condoms to the manufacturer through the mail. They’ve removed that in the last two years. You just know someone musta done it for them to stick that on there. ---
**Author:** ![High\_Cheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8797f3/32.png) [@High\_Cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/High_Cheese)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-an-urban-myth-its-true/280822/65 "2004-12-22T12:41:32Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > Except AT and PS/2 keyboards were not designed to be hot swapped and should never be plugged in under power, as it can damage the keyboard or motherboard (or both). > > It really is a stupid message. And I’m not sure what computers are being referred to. I’ve never used a computer where the designers/programmers were not smart enough to know you couldn’t use the keyboard if the processor did not recognize it. ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-an-urban-myth-its-true/280822/66 "2004-12-22T13:09:49Z")
Slightly OT. West of DFW is a little burg named “White Settlement”, which has a (relatively) new McDonald’s. While waiting on an order I was idly reading a kind of Desidarata-like script framed on the wall. (You know, stuff like “Never turn down an ice cream cone”, “Always join your children playing hopscotch”, etc. etc.). Right in the middle, completely out of context, was: “Never drive with hot coffee in your lap”. Someone at corporate has a sense of humor. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-an-urban-myth-its-true/280822/67 "2004-12-22T15:55:54Z")
Why the fuck do they make these coffee beverages so hot to begin with? I went to Krispy Kreme the other day, got a large coffee, and couldn’t even begin to drink it until I reached my destination _45 minutes later_, it was so hot. I even burned the tip of my tongue trying to get that first sip in. Removing the cover was not an option as it would have spilling all over the car. I can’t believe there’s people who heat up their mugs and drink their coffee at 190C. Have you burnt all the nerves of your tongue off? ---
**Author:** ![BoringDad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ad7895/32.png) [@BoringDad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoringDad)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-an-urban-myth-its-true/280822/68 "2004-12-22T18:17:21Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I can’t believe there’s people who heat up their mugs and drink their coffee at 190C. Have you burnt all the nerves of your tongue off? Of course they do not. It is physically impossible to drink coffee at 190F (changed the unit so that you were not trying to drunk coffee flavored steam). Putting 190F liquid in your mouth will burn you. No one does it. But acknowledging that fact means that the people who like to complain about the McDonald’s lawsuit have no basis for their outrage. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-an-urban-myth-its-true/280822/69 "2004-12-22T21:59:13Z")
Back to dumb warnings. I once had a paint stripper (hot air blower.) The instructions warned me not to use it as a hair dryer. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-an-urban-myth-its-true/280822/70 "2004-12-23T00:00:26Z")
> [@](#): > > Ansell Condoms / Do not return used condoms to the manufacturer through the mail. > > > [@Go You Big Red Fire Engine](#): > > > > They’ve removed that in the last two years. You just know someone musta done it for them to stick that on there. Well, yeah. Everybody knows you’re supposed to FedEx those things. My favorite: the cigarette machine in the vending area of the music building of my college had a sticker on it reading: “Warning: Children are prevented by law We support this law” That’s all it had. A lady brought her kids in one day and I pointed the sign out to her… ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-an-urban-myth-its-true/280822/71 "2004-12-23T02:14:24Z")
I just saw a confusing warning/entreaty the other day at the gas station. The words “PLEASE DON’T LITTER” … printed on a trash can. And it was just embossed in the black plastic of the trash can lid, so you had to be actually THROWING SOMETHING OUT to even be able to read it. So, am I not supposed to litter in the trash can? Where should I put my trash, then? Or am I just supposed to keep that thought, “PLEASE DON’T LITTER” with me throughout all my days? ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-an-urban-myth-its-true/280822/72 "2004-12-23T07:57:56Z")
Not exactly a _product_ but in the same spirit: there’s a Burger King I eat at occasionally that is built on a hillside. The hill has been cut back to make the parking lot level, with a retaining wall at the back end of the parking lot being well over eight feet tall. There’s a row of parking slots perpendicular to this wall, this is, if you pull into the slots normally, the hood of your car is pointed towards this wall. Picture that for a minute: it’s a wall of formed concrete over eight feet tall, at least forty feet side to side. The concrete is the usual very light gray/tan color, a clear color contrast to the black of the asphalt paving and the dark brown of the hillside dirt. Can you see that wall in your mind? Good. Stencil painted onto this wall, every few feet, in yellow paint, the letters about four inches tall, is the following: “Caution: Wall” Which flat out cracks me up in its utter uselessness. Come on! If I see well enough to see the yellow lettering, don’t you think I’d notice the humongous wall those letters are printed even if they weren’t there??? Besides, it doesn’t clarify the situation at all. Why doesn’t it say something like “Driving into a wall at speeds in excess of .10 mph may result in damage to your car”?? Huh?? Huh?? After all, if I’m too stupid to see an eight foot tall concrete wall before I ram into it, maybe I also imagine I can drive through it unscathed. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-an-urban-myth-its-true/280822/73 "2004-12-23T09:26:23Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > “Caution: Wall” That’s pretty funny. It’s gotta be for foggy, rainy nights or other such conditions, but the other 99% of the time, it must look monumentally stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-an-urban-myth-its-true/280822/74 "2004-12-23T09:35:44Z")
> [@toadspittle](#): > > I just saw a confusing warning/entreaty the other day at the gas station. The words “PLEASE DON’T LITTER” … printed on a trash can. Actually, that’s a lot less dumb than the usual: **LITTER**. What? If I use the bin, it’s not litter, is it? Is it a suggestion put there by the guy who has to change the bags? “Psssst… cut me some slack and toss it on the curb. Let some other schmuck deal with it.” 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-an-urban-myth-its-true/280822/75 "2004-12-23T17:38:11Z")
Another form of labelling that amuses me are serving suggestions . Suppose you buy a pack of frozen hamburgers . It will probably have a picture of a plate with hamburgers , chips ( frys ) and peas. Underneath will be written **serving suggestion**. What is this for ? Is it to stop people thinking they are buying a full meal ( complete with plate ) in the pack, or is it because the manufactures think the consumers would not know what do do with them otherwise? ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-an-urban-myth-its-true/280822/76 "2004-12-23T20:51:11Z")
> [@Rayne Man](#): > > Another form of labelling that amuses me are serving suggestions . Suppose you buy a pack of frozen hamburgers . It will probably have a picture of a plate with hamburgers , chips ( frys ) and peas. Underneath will be written **serving suggestion**. What is this for ? Is it to stop people thinking they are buying a full meal ( complete with plate ) in the pack, or is it because the manufactures think the consumers would not know what do do with them otherwise? The first one. You would be surprised what some people believe. Really. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-an-urban-myth-its-true/280822/77 "2004-12-23T21:49:54Z")
> [@Larry Mudd](#): > > Actually, that’s a lot less dumb than the usual: > > **LITTER**. It’s an organizational thing. Normally I wouldn’t understand that, but in this case, I’ll venture a guess and say the manufacturer is simply letting you know that, yeah, this is the place to toss the garbage. ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Girl)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-an-urban-myth-its-true/280822/78 "2004-12-23T21:57:44Z")
> [@Larry Mudd](#): > > Actually, that’s a lot less dumb than the usual: > > **LITTER**. > > What? If I use the bin, it’s not litter, is it? Is it a suggestion put there by the guy who has to change the bags? “Psssst… cut me some slack and toss it on the curb. Let some other schmuck deal with it.” 😕 Think noun not verb. It would help if they actually used a sentence, “Toss litter here.” or even just “Trash.” ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-an-urban-myth-its-true/280822/79 "2004-12-23T22:00:50Z")
Of course I understand what it’s _meant_ to convey, but the point is that trash isn’t “litter” unless it’s strewn about where it ought not to be. If it’s placed in a rubbish bin, then by [definition](http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=46623&dict=CALD) it _isn’t_ litter. It’s a perverse waste management paradox. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-an-urban-myth-its-true/280822/80 "2004-12-23T22:02:20Z")
> [@Cinnamon Girl](#): > > Think noun not verb. It would help if they actually used a sentence, “Toss litter here.” or even just “Trash.” The latter might get you the local hoodlums kicking the hell out of your bin. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-an-urban-myth-its-true/280822.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-not-an-urban-myth-its-true/280822.md?page=5)