Food for thought - October 4, 2006

I don’t know how many of you remember the “Tylenol Incident”, it’s been quite a few years. For those of you who don’t, some psycho tampered with some Tylenol containers and poisoned several unsuspecting consumers who later died. This created a real panic and all Tylenol was pulled from the shelves. The panic spread as every other manufacturer rushed to develop the perfect tamper proof package.

It appears that they’ve succeeded in removing that threat by developing a deluge of packaging innovations.

Unfortunately these packaging geniuses might be causing more deaths than the original poisoning episode. Think about this; Senior citizens are being deprived of food and nourishment because they can’t get a goddamn package open. I’m old, but still strong and there are times when I can’t have a potato chip or peanut because I can’t pull the damn bag apart. Same goes for cereal containers. Where the hell are they getting this indestructible plastic? They might just as well use the stuff to make bullet proof vests. I kid of course, but think about some of the problems you are having opening up stuff. Just try to pull apart a blister pack without using a razor knife…dangerous shit.

I can just visualize some nerdy package designer sitting there thinking, how can I make this impossible for old or handicapped people to open?

Well enough of this nonsense, just a little food for thought.