Parade Magazine reports the most unwanted inventions. I tend to agree with most of these. But then, where would the world be without innovation?
1) High Heels
“They hurt my feet, legs and back, and they make me dread dressy occasions,” writes Cindy Lee of Metairie, La.
2) Jet Skis
“They are inventions that allow one person to enjoy a formerly quiet lake or beach while ruining the scene for swimmers, picnickers and sailors, not to mention wildlife,” says N.W. of Ann Arbor, Mich.
3) Leaf-Blowers
“Yet again, my calm was rudely interrupted by the whining, obnoxious leaf-blower across the street,” writes Annette Alabaster of Richmond, Va. “I wonder how many decibels those things put out.” Adds Meg Byrd of Clover, javascript:void(0)
PublishS.C.: “I hate, hate, hate leaf-blowers! Get a rake!”
4) Automated Telephone Assistance
“My biggest fear in life is that the person who invented this will invent something else,” writes Linda Palter of Muskegon, Mich. And Walter Huff of Rialto, Calif., says: “When you finally locate a choice that approximates what you need, you are told that ‘all representatives are busy, but your call is important to us, so please hold.’ Twenty minutes later, you’re still waiting with that important call!”
5) Television
“For the greatest promise betrayed,” explains Bob Altman of Mount Pleasant, S.C. “TV has desensitized the world to violence; reduced political discourse to sound bites; fostered short attention spans, sedentary lifestyles and crass materialism; and demeaned women and fathers.”
6) Video Games
“As a schoolteacher, I see how video games have shifted children from interaction to isolation with their controllers,” writes Lynn Hatch of Park City, Utah.
7) Bass Amplifiers
“These rolling boom boxes—cars with high-power bass amplifiers—rattle the pans hanging in my kitchen,” writes T.P. Wilson of Houston, Tex. “I can’t escape the pounding.”
8) Neckties
“When I get to Hades, I’m gonna find the guy who invented the necktie and strangle him with one of his own creations,” writes Nick Dunbar of Chicago.
9) Car Alarms
“What use are they, except to wake the neighbors?” writes Sean Huxter of Norwood, Mass. And Patti Maillett of Towson, Md., notes: “They don’t even serve their intended purpose. No one takes them seriously. Have you ever heard a car alarm sounding and thought, ‘Wow! Someone is trying to steal that car!’?”
10) Cell Phones
“On the plus side, they’ve made us instantly available anyplace, anytime,” notes Nina Cooper of Las Vegas. “On the minus side, they’ve made us instantly available anyplace, anytime.” Adds Bill James of Austin, Tex.: “They ruin our personal time. Both your boss and your client want you to be reachable. A quiet dinner with the family? A movie? Fuhgettaboutit!” Another reader, Jenn Frommer of Albany, N.Y., complains: “I am sick of hearing people’s loud, stupid conversations everywhere I go!”
There you have it, readers. Cell phones have become like impossible girlfriends and boyfriends: You can’t live with them, and you can’t live without them!
Ask Marilyn | PARADE Magazine
