35 Everyday Challenges We Haven’t Mastered Yet

In the vast landscape of modern convenience, one might assume that many of life’s daily irritations would have been eradicated by now. However, a recent inquiry on Reddit prompted users to share their perspectives on persistent small inconveniences that continue to elude practical solutions.

#1

Image source: CotonDog, dekkers21

Those huge plastic packages, that are basically impossible to open, yet hold only one small item. C’mon team, think!

relevant__comment:

The inventors of blister packaging should go straight to the seventh circle. They brought pure evil on this earth.

#2

Image source: twiggie40, Suspicious_Salad_864

Not sure if it has been mentioned but the size of pockets on women’s jeans. They are significantly smaller than men’s requiring women to carry a purse.

#3

Image source: packerr, JESHOOTS.com

Music volume in movies being much louder than the dialog.

BWPV1105:

And commercials blaring louder than the feature show.

#4

That we need to go back to having humans answer phones at businesses. The automated systems are inefficient, and most times just maddening. Those systems need to GO!

Image source: Alarming_Serve2303

#5

Image source: AFRN, theinkyquills

Those stickers on products that leave sticker residue when pulling them off. So now you have sticky goo with paper bits on your cup.

othybear:

I hate it when they do this with book covers: ‘Now a major motion picture!’

#6

It’s a newer thing, but I wish they’d do something about LED headlights. They’re just too bright. MY incandescent ones light up the road for me perfectly, and they don’t blind everyone who drives past me as well.

Image source: williamblair

#7

Image source: CriticalElk6102, Christine Sandu

Wet wipes. Not being able to pull one out and when you finally get hold of one, four come out.

#8

Image source: neogreenlantern, Matilda Wormwood

All wireless controller devices should have an easy way to locate them. If I can’t find my TV remote, video game controller, etc, I should be able to go over to the device, hit a button, and the device starts beeping.

#9

Junk mail, and the idea of unaddressed mail in general. Seriously, it’s a huge waste of time and resources, nobody likes it. If people want the coupons or info or whatever, it should be opt-in at whatever store.

Image source: K_Ver

#10

Image source: Nicolangela, Mourizal Zativa

Having hundreds of passwords, you have to change every 90 days, across different devices…

#11

Image source: GruntUltra, Tima Miroshnichenko

Spam and scam calls and emails.

#12

Image source: rockstoneshellbone, Miguel Ausejo

Insurance that doesn’t stop at the neck. My eyes, ears, and teeth are all part of my body, vital to health, and shouldn’t require separate policies. Jeeze.

#13

Image source: dcunning, Shawn Stutzman

Daylight saving time.

#14

Image source: fcalda, HelinoFriskino

Having to click on the Accept Cookies option for every single bloody website ?

#15

1. Tags (especially the more plasticy ones) on the side seam of a shirt. If you try to pull the tag out completely, the seam rips. If you try to cut the tag off, you’re still left with the pokey ends. Let’s go completely tagless. The technology exists.
2. Foil yogurt lids that spray yogurt all over you when you open them.

Image source: BrandNewMeow

#16

Image source: truthcopy, Matt Hoffman

Invisible lane markings when roads are wet.

 Aczidraindrop:

Here in PA we have no street lights and the lines become invisible when it rains. It can be legitimately terrifying to drive it when it’s like that. It makes absolutely no sense. It’s so insanely dangerous.

#17

American here – every year I get so mad about taxes. Not the fact that I have to pay them (though I do wish our government had different priorities, but I digress), but the whole process of it is f$&@ing imbecilic. The government knows how much I owe, why don’t they just take out the correct amount automatically. Noooo instead it’s either I give the government an interest free loan, owe more money (which always feels bad), pay an agency to file my own taxes, and then if I get it wrong they tell me SO THEY KNEW THE AMOUNT THE WHOLE TIME.
I feel a tirade coming on, I need to walk away.

Image source: shortysasquatch

#18

Image source: Chancetobelieve, elindseyfan

Cereal bags not having a zipper closure.

FlatBot:

My wife and I rant about this regularly. Not just cereal bags, but basically any non-single-use food product. Why don’t any food packages reseal effectively? Ziplock technology exists!

#19

My “smart TV” has no f*****g buttons on the actual TV.

Image source: Logical_Area_5552

#20

Image source: Linux4ever_Leo, nickgiarraputo

When a food package says “peel here” or “tear here” and it never f-cking works and you need to get scissors or a knife to open the package.

#21

Image source: anon, anon

Uploading your resume then having to enter everything on the resume on the next screen.

lazarus870:

I hope the person who invented that has a life full of inconveniences.

#22

USA specific – adding sales tax to the label/listed price.

Image source: alexburnshred

#23

Image source: Granuaile, Visual Karsa

The extremely poor audio quality of fast food drive-thru speakers. How in 2024 can it even sound that bad? HOW?

#24

Image source: LOERMaster, Andrew Neel

“Your computer needs to restart right this second to install critical updates f**k what you’re in the middle of.”

#25

Hot dog buns not being sold in same number as hot dogs.

Image source: ImCaffeinated_Chris

#26

Nail clippers that catch the clippings instead of the clippings launching across the room.

Image source: Honest_Report_8515

#27

Image source: LeaveHefty8399, anon

Wireless bra pads staying in place. Why, oh why, are they not just sewn in place??

#28

Period products, man! And possibly even healthy period-elimination products!

Like, stop the period cramps and discharge until you’re ready to have a baby. Isolate the egg, let that pass through if need be. Or allow all the uterine lining to come out in one swift motion. There has to be *something* that doesn’t completely screw up your psyche, and helps with PMS.

Or something better than tampons, which can give you TSS within at least 8 hours. Pads rub against your thighs all day (I’ve used cloth & disposable), diva cups are difficult and messy for me to put in/take out. Seriously this is 1/4 of our lives people. It should be a better experience by now!!

Image source: X-Aceris-X

#29

Image source: Brucine

Universal medical records. It is insane that you have to fill out a medical history at every doctors office you go to and rely on your own memory or worse, a family member’s memory of all of your medications and diagnoses for your entire life.

#30

Plastic wrap that sticks to everything except what you want it to.

Image source: Party_Butterfly_6110

#31

Pot holes. F*****g POT HOLES!! When a head of the department of transportation for *any city* says they don’t have enough money to fix pot holes, they should immediately be fired. It’s literally the *main reason* for their existence, to maintain roads. If they can’t budget effectively enough to ensure their primary responsibility is taken care of, they sure has hell can’t be trusted to do anything else.

Image source: Korvun

#32

Image source: Frankjc3rd, Gaurav Baya

Being able to unselect elevator buttons for a floor that somebody pressed by accident.

You can do that somewhere in the world but just not the United States.

#33

Why can’t they design a pasta bag that doesnt rip all the way down spraying dried pasta all over the counter-top?

Image source: teacher1000

#34

That crack between the driver seat and the center console….

Image source: thugasaurusrex0

#35

Driving when the sun is at that one terrible spot where it hits your windshield just right and you cannot see a f-cking thing and you are just driving blindly praying to God almighty you don’t crash before you turn or the sun moves and you can see again. Literally almost have a heart attack every time.

Image source: 8agel8ite