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Things that are more complicated than they need to be.

167 replies

ThreeApplesHigh · 21/05/2022 11:55

I nominate hotel showers. Every time I have to use one, I have the Crystal Maze theme playing in my head while I figure out which combination of knobs and buttons turns the shower on and not the bath taps.

Your nominations?

OP posts:
ohfook · 21/05/2022 12:58

I agree with other people's tv remotes.

Swimming lessons. Surely in the past people could swim without having gone through months of walking like a crab in the water, blowing bubbles in the water, fucking on with pool noodles in the water.

Plastic pollution. In the 80s cfcs we're fucking things up so we banned them - job done. Surely we could just do the same with unnecessary plastic packaging. Ban it and if someone really feels it's the most sensible thing to do (ie if it prolongs the life of their product or something, they they need to apply for a permit.). Multipacks of beans don't need to be wrapped up in packs of four when you could just have a four for the price of X deal when they're scanned. Bananas don't need to be wrapped in plastic they have pretty thick skins, ditto those little packs of two mangoes - just have a two for the price of £1 deal when you scan it. Toys don't need as much packaging either - it drives me insane companies being purposely wasteful.

Dippydinosaurus · 21/05/2022 12:58

Anything linked to the government/HMRC. So tax credits, claiming childcare 30 hours, self assessment tax return, SEISS, sorting out incorrect tax code etc. Overly complicated and long winded

FloodTheBathroom · 21/05/2022 13:00

Trying to create bundles of paperwork for clients that have sent documents electronically. I miss the days of a plastic bag of shit to go through, copy and then it was done. Now it's emailed, whatsapped, blah blah and impossible to keep track of when tech is supposed to make it simpler!

Riapia · 21/05/2022 13:06

Opening a new pack of toilet/kitchen rolls.
Packaging designed by a fucking sadistic twat.

Lessofallthisunpleasantness · 21/05/2022 13:06

Trying to work the telly.

Lessofallthisunpleasantness · 21/05/2022 13:07

Student loan applications......

Shannith · 21/05/2022 13:08

Shoulder in (niche)

CeliaCanth · 21/05/2022 13:11

Managing horses’ digestive systems
Mobile phones that have a million obscure functions you never use
Skincare regimes peddled by beauty gurus

lljkk · 21/05/2022 13:11

Hang in there, @ShadowPuppets !

Another vote for telly-DVR-whatever remote controls.

Figuring out anything electrical in my car (sigh).

Getting any IT support at my workplace.

The heating/cooling remote control at my office is baffling, too.

I'm quite good with the office scanner-photocopier, in contrast, find it quite intuitive !

Bluevelvetsofa · 21/05/2022 13:12

Trying to get an appointment for a hearing test at Specsavers. So far, three visits to the GP reception, two visits to a branch of Specsavers, two visits to other branches, three phone calls and three emails.

vdbfamily · 21/05/2022 13:16

Definitely remote controls.
The number of evenings I have babysat for friends and been unable to make their TV work.

PistachiokindaBear · 21/05/2022 13:17

Buying a house!

the80sweregreat · 21/05/2022 13:20

Buying curtains or blinds as our windows are a weird size and the whole measuring and buying process can be a pain.
Kudos to curtain retail staff ( ditto carpet measuring too!)
( Although now it's online that has helped a bit since the old days when this didn't have u tube or whatever to look up how to do it!)

wanderingscot · 22/05/2022 07:25

Dashboards in cars. I've got loads of stuff I never use and can't be bothered to read how to use it. Massive, thick instruction manuals.

Instruction manuals in general with anything - why do I need 20 pages of instructions on how the kettle works?

echt · 22/05/2022 07:35

OhTheLeetleHandsAndFeetle · 21/05/2022 12:15

Recording a detention for a student on our school system. I don’t understand why it’s so fiendishly complicated. You’d think it would be a one-click job but it takes forever and a great many different stages to complete and even then you don’t know if it’s properly recorded. I mean, it’s an after school detention, I’m not launching a nuclear missile.

is it Compass?

PrescriptionOnlyMedicine · 22/05/2022 07:55

Anything to do with public services. I’ve spent days pissing about trying to get a prescription and it’s been so complicated.

I also work in public services and believe me it’s no picnic on the other side either.

Badbadbunny · 22/05/2022 08:00

The NHS! Constantly being fobbed off when your treatment/condition means dealing with more than one person/dept. They're incapable of communicating directly with eachother so the patient has to do all the "liaison" which means multiple phone calls, lots of wasted time (for both patient & staff) as you try to find who you actually need to speak to, weeks turn into months.

My OH is still waiting (now 6 months!) for something as simple as a strong Vit D prescription. Oncologist tells him to "ask your GP", Orthopeadic consultant says "ask your GP". GP won't issue without their own blood test, then they say "just buy at chemist" - OH is already on the strongest OTT Vit D tablet and had already told the GP hence need for the stronger one on prescription. GP then "refers" him to the practice pharmacist, another wait, to be told "just buy OTT". It's like a zombie world! Back to GP who just says to go back and ask oncologist to issue the prescription. Cue more phone calls trying to get message to oncologist (4 messages left with their secretary, oncology admin, cancer nurses, oncology reception, but a month later, still nothing heard back from them.)

You'd think that GPs and consultants would actually take cancer patients seriously, but even getting the regular chemo prescription is a nightmare, necessitating multiple phone calls because it's never ready on the day treatment is due to start, meaning it starts a few days later, which means the blood test, consultation booking, treatment booking all has to be put back a few days for next month, and guess what, they can't do that themselves, OH had to phone 3 different people/depts to change all the pre-arranged appt dates. EVERY SODDING MONTH.

It's a bloody shambles!

Levriers · 22/05/2022 08:04

Shannith · 21/05/2022 13:08

Shoulder in (niche)

That made me laugh. Too much, not enough 🤣🤣

N0RKS · 22/05/2022 08:25

Any tech. There are so many features without benefits, just because they COULD

other people’s pushchairs

the controls for the underfloor heating in the bathroom. Installed three years ago, it is still a mystery to me

finding out where to watch something. I have Prime and nick my Dds Netflix. I would like ONE place that says , “That ancient TV series you used to love, yes, you can watch it right here >>>>>>” having done all the trawling for me

packaging. I am of an age where it is ALL annoying

I am a grumpy old woman

OneCup · 22/05/2022 08:55

Aftersales for most things I have ever bought and didn't work/ were broken
Pensions
HMRC
Comparing insurance packages
IT when it doesn't work

Ghostlyfeet · 22/05/2022 08:57

Getting into a new mascara from Superdrug. Always completely covered in plastic- argh!!!

Badbadbunny · 22/05/2022 09:06

FloodTheBathroom · 21/05/2022 13:00

Trying to create bundles of paperwork for clients that have sent documents electronically. I miss the days of a plastic bag of shit to go through, copy and then it was done. Now it's emailed, whatsapped, blah blah and impossible to keep track of when tech is supposed to make it simpler!

Yes, I'm the same with client book-keeping. However many times you tell them what format you want, what "document" you want and full instructions re how to send/upload it, it's just a time consuming nightmare when you get a mix of pdfs, website links, spreadsheet or word docs, emails, screenshots etc. Takes a lot more time to sort through and organised than the old days of a carrier bag of papers. I thought computerisation was supposed to make things easier and quicker - we've been sold a lie!

Bearsan · 22/05/2022 09:13

Any online forms
Travel

JustKeepLookingWithYourEyes · 22/05/2022 09:16

Womens reproductive system. On the same vein peri/menopause. I’m not there yet but my DM is, why does it have to last years and be so tough!

Peterbear · 22/05/2022 09:19

Life!

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