Twat-proofing

[Dr Lobster*]

i have recently purchased a mammoth torch from homebase. it is so bright it illumates every room in my house in such a way that it looks like you've got the mains light on. it's a beasty yellow thing. i would provide a link, but the homebase website seems to be undergoing some work which is preventing users from browsing the online catalogue.

anyway, as i read inside the manual, i find a warning:

please do not operate the unit when plugged into the mains charger.

now surely, it would not be that much more expensive to include the small piece of electronics to prevent anybody from blowing up their newly purchased 'baby'?

i've seen quite a few warning like this on products, where, with a little bit of effort on the part of the designer, any risk of damage could be eliminated.

have any of you blown up or damaged a piece of electrical hardware by assuming that the designers had 'twat proofed' it first?

[Chris]

No, but some labels or instructions I have read are just unbelievable ...

On a tin of tuna the other day, I noticed that in the allergies section, it says "contains fish".

Well DUH!?

Do you ever get the feeling certain instructions are written for complete and utter twats with shit for brains?

[Cheese Head]

Yeah, its like the nut allergy message on the back of a pack of peanuts.

[Martin]

i have recently purchased a mammoth torch from homebase. it is so bright it illumates every room in my house in such a way that it looks like you've got the mains light on. it's a beasty yellow thing. i would provide a link, but the homebase website seems to be undergoing some work which is preventing users from browsing the online catalogue.

anyway, as i read inside the manual, i find a warning:

please do not operate the unit when plugged into the mains charger.

now surely, it would not be that much more expensive to include the small piece of electronics to prevent anybody from blowing up their newly purchased 'baby'?

i've seen quite a few warning like this on products, where, with a little bit of effort on the part of the designer, any risk of damage could be eliminated.

have any of you blown up or damaged a piece of electrical hardware by assuming that the designers had 'twat proofed' it first?

I'd interested to know more about this light, what is its purpose. I would search for it but don't really know what to look for lol.

[Gavin Scott]

It sounds like one of these "half a million candle-power" things with 4 rechargable D-cells in it. They're pretty bright.



Customers *are* stupid though, and need things dumbed down.

[Dr Lobster*]

I'd interested to know more about this light, what is its purpose. I would search for it but don't really know what to look for lol.

pop into your local homebase store, they have plentiful supplies last time i visited!

anyway, here's a few pictures to help you find what you're looking for:



here is the beast itself, next to the mohammad family laptop.



here is a close up of the specification label, you'll also note my hand in the top part of the image.



a picture of the mohammad family picnic area before...



a picture of the mohammad family picnic area after turning on the torch.


this is very useful to have in your car, for example if a moron is right behind you with their full beam on, you can use this to give them a taste of their own medicine. just make sure u don't to it to a police car, obviously.

[MarkN]

Yeah, its like the nut allergy message on the back of a pack of peanuts.

Peanuts are not nuts - they're actually legumes... (although if you are allergic to nuts, I recommend that you do not try one!)

[noelfirl]

a picture of the mohammad family picnic area after turning on the torch.


this is very useful to have in your car, for example if a moron is right behind you with their full beam on, you can use this to give them a taste of their own medicine. just make sure u don't to it to a police car, obviously.

Christ, that's powerful alright.

I read somewhere once about a lamp that I believe, is illegal this side of the pond. You have to replace the bulb each time, the reason being, each time it is turned on it turns anyone in the vicinity of the blast temporarily blind for ten minutes.

Whether it exists or not is another matter...

[Gavin Scott]

I read somewhere once about a lamp that I believe, is illegal this side of the pond. You have to replace the bulb each time, the reason being, each time it is turned on it turns anyone in the vicinity of the blast temporarily blind for ten minutes.

Whether it exists or not is another matter...

They exist alright, but not in a form you can easily carry. Yet.

I met a chap who supplied powerful strobe lights for the Harry Potter film. These were ludicrously bright. Ran on a 63amp supply. Used for simulating lighting. Looking directly at one of these would permanently burn your retina without any trouble at all.

He demonstrated one to me by pointing at a building on the other side of the road. Afterwards, he mentioned the dog in the back seat of a car parked in front of the building... looking at us.

I felt sick, but didn't tell anyone.

True story.

[Dr Lobster*]

He demonstrated one to me by pointing at a building on the other side of the road. Afterwards, he mentioned the dog in the back seat of a car parked in front of the building... looking at us.

I felt sick, but didn't tell anyone.

True story.

what happend to the poor dog? do you think it was blinded?

(i'm a bit of a dog lover to be honest)

[Gavin Scott]

Who knows? Would it have had the presense of (dog) mind to close its eyes? The car was gone later and I certainly haven't seen the dog since.

I expect it hasn't seen me either...

I'm more of a people lover I have to say. But still.