OT: Unopenable packaging

[Davey]

I hate the plastic and card packaging that manufacturers use nowadays, it can be a fingernail-breaking event to get at the item inside, and my fingers are not as nimble as they once were.

Yesterday, I bought one of those things that you roll across a map to measure the distance between two places, and I could not find a proper way to open the packaging. I finally forced a gap, and levered the card up to the point where I could just get a scissor blade inside, and then cut the card open. I then found that I had also cut through the many-folded instruction leaflet, which now resembled one of those pieces of paper you used to see on Blue Peter, which form some diorama when opened up, such as a line of people all holding hands.

And before anybody asks why I don't use the 'distance' feature on my smartphone instead, a) I don't have, nor want, a smartphone; b) This is for measuring a meandering route across country, where there are no roads.

Ah, 2016 at last!

[Adrian Caspersz]

Invented for you!

"Amazon Certified Fustration-Free Packaging"

[Clive George]

I hate that packaging too, though I normally manage to be slightly careful and not damage things while opening it :-)

ISTR you can buy a tool to open those horrible plastic cases. Guess what it comes in?

BTW, opisometer.

[Graham.]

Or Wealemefna.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Nowadays totally overtaken by google maps

[Muddymike]

Don't blame manufacturers, blame shoplifters. Small things have to be in large hard to open packs or too many get nicked!

Mike

[whisky-dave]

You could use a bit of string and then use the map scale to measure how long the string is.

[Chris French]

For road maps maybe

Not if you wan to plot an off road . Though there are some third party services that use GM that can

[Jethro_uk]

Which doesn't cover items sent in the post.

[DerbyBorn]

Oral-B Electric Toothbrush today was a classic example.

[DerbyBorn]

It is to protect and present the product and prevent people tampering with it. They should proved a pull tab for opening it though. In some cases it would be useful to be able to re-use such packaging to store the item.

[Clive George]

Not straight google maps though. Gmap-pedometer is ok, but it's still not great at some things.

[Eednud]

I find a simple cheap tin opener is perfect for these types of plastic packages. The ones with the rotary blade that clamps around tins

99p

[polygonum]

Then they have the cheek, at least sometimes, to charge more for products packed in cheap card rather than expensive plastic.

[879]

I use the big scissors with a serrated edge from the kitchen that are designed to cut up chickens. Cut around the outside of the packaging, cutting the welded together edges off.

Only real downside is that you can't return the item for a full refund if you don't like what is inside.

[879]

But few manufacturers have different packaging for stuff which will be posted.

[Bob Eager]

Supposed to reduce theft, innit? Can't get a small item out of the big packaging in the shop, and slip it into your pocket.

Amazon can abandon that as they don't have shops.

Anyone remember the sudden change to larger packaging, many years ago, for Gunson's Colortune? The small packages were being nicked from the shop floor, so shops kept them behind/on the counter. Fewer customers saw them and looked at them. Gunsons made the packaging a lot bigger, the items went on the shop floor, and sales went up.

[Jonno]

Davey scribbled

Goggle Earth - path measuring feature works for me.

[Davey]

I'll take a look at that, thanks. Although now I have my thingy (opisometer?), it would be a shame not to at least try it!

[F Murtz]

Carry a knife.