Those Annoying Child-Proof Lids


davewyo

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It wasn't exactly an Ah-Ha! moment but this evening I made a life changing discovery.

You know those incredibly annoying "push-and-turn" caps that are on Watco (and many other) products?

I always have trouble "pushing and turning" those stinking lids.

It's not so bad when the can is right off the shelf, but once it has been opened and resealed I just can't seem to get the danged thing off.

I push down and I hear that cap bumping along over the ridges that it's supposed to engage.

I press down harder and continue twisting, to no avail.

I press harder still with the same results.

Then I resort to the "channel -loc" pliers and I am usually successful.

Tonight I had no luck and I resorted to prying that offensive plastic cap off of the can.

 

It turns out that the annoying plastic cap covers a perfectly normal "tin" screw cap, just like we older folk remember from "back in the day".

 

From now on, I intend to pry off all the "twist-and-turn" lids I come across.

 

Which brings us to the topic of annoying packaging in general...

 

Have you ever noticed a product encased in a package which is obviously more expensive to produce than the product itself?

Have you ever struggled with a bottle or food container which is so impregnable that it makes you wonder what you're going to do when you "get old"?

Have you ever cut yourself trying to get plastic off of some product you recently bought?

Have you spent more labor removing labels from an article than the article is actually worth?

Have you ever noticed that a left handed person put the twist-tie on your bread bag, and you are woefully right handed?

Have you ever pulled on a "pull to open" container and had the dang thing pull off in your hand?

Have you been stymied by a package?

 

D

 

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As I recall, they got plenty of complaints about child proof caps.  People who are sick and weak, people with arthritis in their hands, people with poor dexterity due to some illness... there are lots of adults who can't open child-proof caps.  I think you can ask your pharmacist to put on a regular cap, but if you don't specify they always use a child proof cap.

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It wasn't exactly an Ah-Ha! moment but this evening I made a life changing discovery.

You know those incredibly annoying "push-and-turn" caps that are on Watco (and many other) products?

I always have trouble "pushing and turning" those stinking lids.

It's not so bad when the can is right off the shelf, but once it has been opened and resealed I just can't seem to get the danged thing off.

I push down and I hear that cap bumping along over the ridges that it's supposed to engage.

I press down harder and continue twisting, to no avail.

I press harder still with the same results.

Then I resort to the "channel -loc" pliers and I am usually successful.

Tonight I had no luck and I resorted to prying that offensive plastic cap off of the can.

 

It turns out that the annoying plastic cap covers a perfectly normal "tin" screw cap, just like we older folk remember from "back in the day".

 

From now on, I intend to pry off all the "twist-and-turn" lids I come across.

 

The tool I use to remove those annoying press and turn caps is a paint can opener, the little metal thing that has a bottle cap opener on the other end. It was an aha moment for me too when I discovered that they are removable.

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The ones that get me every time are those dang FedEx pull here. It just rips right there and never opens. Or the seal over condiments. I lift all the little tabs only to have the half top layer come off. UGH! That's when I take the knife and just poke it through. Ask my wife this stuff happens to me ALL the time! I get in the short line it becomes the long line. I get behind a person with one item and they need a price check from the only manager who's at lunch so they send a stock boy who comes back when he's now 20 only to say that was the last one and he can't find the price.

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I once spent half a day in the ER while on vacation, caused by trying to open a blister-packed toy for my kid. I had started carrying a small "gentleman's" pocketknife on my keychain. That thing was razor sharp, but too small to hold properly. Slipped and sliced my thumb wide open. Kinda freaked the hotel clerk out when we called to ask for a first aid kit. The Chattanooga Choo-Choo Hotel probably wishes we had just stolen this blood soaked towels....
I went back to carrying my full-sized MacGuyver-style swiss army knife when we got home. Have never cut myself with it, been toting it or one like it for better 35 years.

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Another long winded story.....Talk about frustration!

I carry a good sized pocket knife on me all the time but, I was flying to California so I put my knife in my shaving kit and the kit bag in my suitcase because I knew that I'd never get on the plane with it in my pocket.

Got to the hotel and started to unpack....The zippers on my suitcase were zip tied together with the good nylon wire ties! The TSA agents had inspected my unlocked suitcase and not finding anything illegal, helped me out by securing my bag with the largest nylon ties they had!

Guess what, hotel rooms don't have scissors or knives in the rooms.

Went to the hallway to try to find some help to get into my bag. Found a hotel maid and ask if she might have a sharp instrument that I might borrow. Guess what, California hotel maids don't speak English. When I tried to use some crude sign language indicating a knife or scissors it didn't work! It scared the living daylights out of the maid and she locked herself into a nearby room!

Walked down the hall in the other direction and found about four young men painting walls. You are right, none of them spoke English either. As luck would have it, their supervisor came around about that time and this lady did understand what I needed and sent one of the boys for a utility/box knife.

When he got back, he wasn't sure that I could be trusted with the knife and insisted that he would be the one to use it on the wire ties holding my zippers together. Well, OK that is fine with me.

Yep, he sliced the leather on the bag trying to cut the nylon ties AND HIS FINGER at the same time! He bled on the suitcase, the bed and the floor. We wrapped a nice, white, hotel towel around his hand and sent him back to return the utility knife and his chores.

I got my suitcase open and found a nice note from the TSA agent who inspected my bag about how airline safety is a prime concern for all of us.....YOU BET!

Rog

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The tool I use to remove those annoying press and turn caps is a paint can opener, the little metal thing that has a bottle cap opener on the other end. It was an aha moment for me too when I discovered that they are removable.

I know the paint can opener you are describing.

I've heard it called a "Church Key" a lot of times.

I've always found it amusing that a paint can opener also includes a bottle opener...like when you're done painting you're going to need a drink.

 

 

I used my bandsaw to open a few of the kid's Christmas presents.  No I am not joking.

Kids toys are the worse.

 

Those super glued together packages are the worst!  Usually lots of cuts and cussing to get them open.

Yes! It's the cuts I object to.

I don't mind getting out the razor knife, but I don't love it when the packaging outdoes me!

 

How's this for irony? A package opener designed to open those difficult plastic packages, that is itself wrapped in that exact packaging.

attachicon.gifimage.jpg

This is classic.

 

 Or the seal over condiments. I lift all the little tabs only to have the half top layer come off. UGH! That's when I take the knife and just poke it through.

I have to admit...condiment bottles are diabolical!

It's good to know it's not just me.

I'm pretty sure they're laughing back at the factory...

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I know the paint can opener you are describing.

I've heard it called a "Church Key" a lot of times.

I've always found it amusing that a paint can opener also includes a bottle opener...like when you're done painting you're going to need a drink.

 

 

You youngsters...  Before pop top cans, what you're calling a "paint can opener" was called a "can opener", and was primarily used for cans of beer or soda. You cut a big triangle in one side, and a little hole in the opposite side to let air in.

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You youngsters...  Before pop top cans, what you're calling a "paint can opener" was called a "can opener", and was primarily used for cans of beer or soda. You cut a big triangle in one side, and a little hole in the opposite side to let air in.

Yes. It appears that all bottle openers can be called church keys, but we were talking about a paint can opener:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KKMSZ0/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1944687502&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B001VEC63I&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0QNPW9SSSQN32QFMPA1X

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You youngsters...  Before pop top cans, what you're calling a "paint can opener" was called a "can opener", and was primarily used for cans of beer or soda. You cut a big triangle in one side, and a little hole in the opposite side to let air in.

You tell'em Beech... That's how we did it in prehistoric times.

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Those blister packs annoy me where you have to get a box cutter to get into them. Then you cut your hands on the sharp plastic ends trying to get the product out.

 

The other things are multipack socks that are sewn together with fishing line at the top. You have to either destroy the socks getting them apart or cut into them with scissors (semi-destroying them) when trying to cut the cord. 

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How about those friggin band aid wrappers? You cut your finger and try to tear the paper from around the bad aid with one non bloody hand and your teeth, while moaning and whining, trying to get your wife's attention and sympathy. To no avail, you get the blue painters tape and wrap it up and go back to work

Blue tape is the future

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