5 Things I Could Do Without
Self-flushing toilets: Who thought it a good idea to have a toilet that flushes itself? Were people not performing that function? How many times have you used one of those and it mysteriously flushed while you were still on it? Or, because you moved your bum just a little to get some paper? How weird is that? And then, leaving the stall, it flushes again! That’s some water-saving device! Please, I can determine when I am finished and do the flushing myself, thank you.
Before we leave the toilet, how about those tornado-like electric hand dryers? I have seen little children scared out of their wits, begging their mommy to leave the bathroom rather than to endure such a frightening sound and motion. The most ubiquitous, the Xlerator has a powerful air jet technology with a velocity of 20,000 linear ft/min, a motor speed of 2400 rpm and an airflow of 39-64 cu.ft/min. It boasts drying time of 8 sec. Would you just give me a paper towel, please?
My personal bugaboo is “music” in the Fitness Center. Granted, I’m on the older (OK, old) side of people working out in my Y, but the head-banging stuff they try to pass off as motivational music definitely bums my mood and gives me a headache. And, as I look around at everyone listening on their own devices with electronic protrusions coming out of each ear, I ask why play music at all? Can’t those of us who prefer to “chill out” to a calmer vibe be allowed to do so without the steady thumping bass of some awful song?
Appliances with a dozen or so buttons that I’ll never use. I want my dishwasher to WASH. I want my microwave to HEAT. I want my vacuum to CLEAN. Those are the only buttons I need. Enough with the options I do not want. BTW our newest microwave, which I ONLY use to microwave, has buttons for Power Convection, Grill, Slim Fry, Auto Power Convection, Auto Cook, Turntable and Defrost. Notice anything missing? NO TIMER!
And, last, how about that phone announcement to “Please listen carefully as our menu items have changed?” You mean to tell me that ALL the companies I phone have changed their menu items? And why?
(A)Musings by Arlene 