Your pet peeve, technical or otherwise.

[james_s]

I've never seen any kind of packaging on bananas, here the loose bunches are just piled on a display shelf. They're sold by weight so it's common to split up a bunch and take only the quantity you want.

[PlainName]

It happens. There's even a photo of it in this thread if you don't believe it!

And splitting up a bunch is probably exactly what they are designed to prevent.

[james_s]

I believe it, I've just never seen it done here. There's no reason for them to prevent bunches being split up, as I said they are universally sold by weight here, it's perfectly acceptable to purchase a single banana.

[PlainName]

A good comparison is:

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/275280804

vs

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/303869954

The first is sold by weight, the second in a bunch of five. The first is cheaper per banana. It doesn't happen only with those but also with potatoes, onions, garlic, peppers,... Typically, the more expensive ones are sold packaged and the cheap ones sold loose.

Selling packaged means you can put a barcode on them and there is then less chance of, say, red onions being self-checked out as common or garden yellow ones. Or even a completely different product. Also, where they are relatively expensive, you get to sell all of them rather than only the good looking ones (with singles, eventually you get left with a box of discards you can't shift). And, of course, it is better to sell five rather than two or three.

[Zero999]

A good comparison is:

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/275280804

vs

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/303869954

The first is sold by weight, the second in a bunch of five. The first is cheaper per banana. It doesn't happen only with those but also with potatoes, onions, garlic, peppers,... Typically, the more expensive ones are sold packaged and the cheap ones sold loose.

Those bananas are not equal. The packaged ones are Organic Fair Trade and the loose ones aren't.

The premium product is always packaged because it's the easiest way to separate it from the rest. Ironically, those who are more likely to buy Fair Trade are also more likely to have an aversion to excess packaging.

[TimFox]

I believe it, I've just never seen it done here. There's no reason for them to prevent bunches being split up, as I said they are universally sold by weight here, it's perfectly acceptable to purchase a single banana.

My local Target store has a small grocery, which stocks bananas in normal bunches.
However, they only have self-checkout, and no scales built into the checkout terminals, so you have to specify bananas by integers, even though the weight of an individual banana can vary considerably by nature.
All other normal groceries in my neighborhood use weight for bananas and other produce.

[themadhippy]

eventually you get left with a box of discards you can't shift

unless you make wine, bananas make a cracking dessert style wine,and the blacker the banana the better the wine.

[PlainName]

eventually you get left with a box of discards you can't shift

unless you make wine, bananas make a cracking dessert style wine,and the blacker the banana the better the wine.

Just recently out local Tesco has been flogging off the packaged bananas (don't think these are organic, but I never bother to look at the label) at about 30% of normal price because they were getting to the best before date. Even after languishing in the kitchen for a week they are still perfect - no black bits, precisely ripe. A couple got coopted for banana bread, but the rest are just great to eat on the rocks.

I think it's the season - I recall this (loads of them going cheap) happening last spring as well.

[eti]

Paper and glue have existed for time immemorial - why are you ONLY JUST doing this?

Because they've been banned from using alternative means, so have to fall back on paper.

How does this help anything?

Helps keep the bunch together. Partly that will be for shipping (which includes shelf filling) and partly to prevent 'shoppers' taking a freebie or sample. So it no doubt helps lots, otherwise they wouldn't bother - paper and glue is not cost free, you know.

It's hogwash. So why wasn't this new fad in place years ago? All ya have to do is tie a bit of string round em.

[PlainName]

Check the links I gave earlier - you'll see that some used plastic bags.

It's hogwash

What is?

[JJayzX]

Calling this better than factory.  The comment section also agreeing and believing this how a solder job should look.

[eti]

Here’s another. Computer UIs.

Computers UIs can be so idiotic. The interface designers of Win10 don’t think we are clever enough to be told basic info about an error?!! Trying to backup my iPhone to pc - windows just says “Something went wrong ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ “ …. Yeah? No shit!!

[james_s]

eventually you get left with a box of discards you can't shift

unless you make wine, bananas make a cracking dessert style wine,and the blacker the banana the better the wine.

Banana bread is also tasty and works well with bananas that are past their prime.

[SilverSolder]

Here’s another. Computer UIs.

Computers UIs can be so idiotic. The interface designers of Win10 don’t think we are clever enough to be told basic info about an error?!! Trying to backup my iPhone to pc - windows just says “Something went wrong ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ “ …. Yeah? No shit!!

They could at least have an option for "verbose error messages"...

[MrMobodies]

https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1736597/smart-meter-bulb-octopus-energy-bill-prepayment-meter

Smart meter horror as mum of two slapped with eye-watering £27k energy bill after mistake
The energy company mistakenly estimated that the woman used 100,000kWh worth of electricity, the amount a small business might use.
By JACOB PAUL
08:15, Sun, Feb 19, 2023 | UPDATED: 08:34, Sun, Feb 19, 2023

"The incorrect electricity billing happened when Bulb remotely connected Ms Coplin’s electricity meter to * the smart network"

*Sounds to me insulting like below:

Customer:  What network is it?
The SMART! network...
Customer: Which smart network?
A smart network is a smart network is a smart network is a smart network.... it's none of your bloody business... never mind how it works it has nothing to with you.

It is NOT "the smart network"    it is "the DCC network" (Data Communications Company).

That was what I was told last year by Octopus about a smart meter joining the "DCC network" either by some radio (can't remember which type) if South or cellular up North and that it was also owned by Capita when querying the terms and conditions about it being inaccurate and proprietary where they themselves have limited control over the functioning of meter but apparently it has a switch in there that can cut the supply off in the event that the bill has not been paid which they can do (as a last resort) if it is connected up remotely.

Google search: DCC Network

DCC network
What is the DCC? The DCC is building and maintaining the network to which Britain's smart meters will connect to. When the roll-out is complete, more than 30 million homes will be connected to our network. When will the smart meter roll-out be complete?

The smart <insert text here> 

[pcprogrammer]

People that think their turn signal gives them right of way 



The guy in the first bit of this video cuts in across a continuous line from the turn left lane in front of the truck and thinks he is in his right because he had his turn signal on 

[james_s]

Bars that have music playing that's too loud to have a conversation with the people on the other side of the table. If I go out to a bar it's because I want to talk to people over a drink, if I wanted to listen to loud music I could do that at home.

[MrMobodies]

What I notice a frequently in the UK, a car pulls out quickly from like a slip road onto a motorway or an "A" road at the same speed or faster of course but as soon as they level up in front they suddenly slow all the way down forcing the driver behind to brake a bit hard. 60 - 70 mph down to about 40mph and then they slowly speed up again. I don't understand the logic in that when they could just go with the flow or slow down slowly if they are feeling a little uncomfortable with the speed.

[pcprogrammer]

That is similar to the "a-holes" that overtake you at a marginal speed difference and then move to close in front of you and slightly drop their speed. Particularly annoying when you are on cruise control     

[pcprogrammer]

A general peeve about sloppy spelling in technical contexts:
Why do people waste money on "200 mhz DSOs"?
My DMM is faster than that.

This one plays a bit into your peeve.



At around 6:08 he states mega hertz, but the writing looks a bit like lower case m even though he drew it rather big. And the h should he H to my understanding. So MHz.

But that is not really my issue with it. Although he explains things nicely and makes things understandable, to me he is of with his FM and AM connection to the spectrum. Sure the defined radio FM band is at the given frequencies, but FM stands for a technique that can be used on any part of the spectrum and is not bound to the given range. Same for AM. So a bit of a miss.

[Haenk]

Just dialing in for bananas.
Due to scary costs of packaging material, bananas are usually not wrapped. Shops tend to limited their offer to 2 or so sorts, so they can easily be distinguised by the little manufacturer sticker at checkout.
However there are "miniature bananas" (usually EU agriculture) which are quite expensive and are in a bag. Probably to battle theft and destruction.

[TimFox]

People that think their turn signal gives them right of way 

The guy in the first bit of this video cuts in across a continuous line from the turn left lane in front of the truck and thinks he is in his right because he had his turn signal on 

I once took an advanced driving course given by Cook County after a stop-sign failure conviction.
At that course, the instructor noted that one only "has the right of way" when the guest of honor in a funeral procession.
All other mentions in the Illinois statutes are about "yielding the right of way" in various situations.

[pcprogrammer]

I has been a long time since driver education, but I was taught that you are not allowed to "take right of way". It has to be given to you. So even when coming up to a cross section where you have "right of way" you are not allowed to just take it. In case of an accident you are most likely to be in your right due to the fact that the other driver should have given you right of way, but one should not take it for granted.

[coppice]

Those bananas are not equal. The packaged ones are Organic Fair Trade and the loose ones aren't.

There seems to be a pattern here. The "socially conscious" option tends to be the environmentally hostile one, using more and less renewable packaging to look fancy.

[Ice-Tea]

As I tell my kids: having the right of way doesn't help if you're dead.