Wrap Rage: A Holiday Injury Waiting to Happen

[snagglepuss]

According to the American Dialect Society, wrap rage is defined as anger brought on by the frustration of trying to open a factory-sealed purchase.

"Today's packages force consumers to fight tooth and nail to get at what's inside."

2001 Census Bureau data shows people suffer twice the injuries from packaging than injuries from skateboards or swimming pools. :scared:

Pennsylvania's physicians are encouraging citizens to play it safe with tough-to-open packaging to avoid an unnecessary trip to the emergency room. The following tips may help:

- Avoid opening tough-to-open packages in a crowded area.

- Don't use your legs to keep the product stable.

- If you must use a knife or another type of sharp object, cut away from your body.

- If you must use scissors, use ones with blunt tips.

- Wear protective gloves.



http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091205175658.htm

[Jamastiene]

1. I get Wrap Rage.

What I hate the worst is when something, that doesn't come in a box, has that thick transparent plastic melded around the edges. Technically, you can take scissors and cut that off, but it's not a flat surface. So, I usually end up either stabbing myself in the hand or ripping the thing open in frustration. Either way, I draw blood every time. There is ALWAYS lots of cussing going on too. I despise those things.

[Warpy]

3. Shrink wrapped and sealed is the WORST

although those damned mylar bags inside boxes of baked things like cookies and crackers have inspired a great deal of profanity.

The ones I hate the most are the ones with the crimped edges and no real way to pop it open to free the contents. I have been known to go at those with pruning shears because my hands are just not strong enough to use scissors. Yes, whatever is inside gets slightly dinged up and I might have to splice a cord, but it's the only way I can deal with them.

Plastic packaging in general is Satanic.

[Jamastiene]

7. Here is an example of the ones I am talking about:

The lady opening the lightbulb in the picture on the Wiki Entry for Wrap Rage.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Packages_being_hard_to_open

That type of packaging was invented by Satan himself. I'm sure of it.

[Warpy]

11. Yeah, CFL bulbs are the WORST

The last time I slayed my computer mouse, though, I was pleasantly surprised to find its replacement in a clamshell pack that unsnapped.

It's not difficult to do this. Those damn crimped edges have just got to go, though.

[Fridays Child]

2. Oh. So, it's not just me, then.

Have you ever sliced into your hand or finger trying to open one of those rigid plastic packages? OUCH!

[snagglepuss]

5. Yes while trying to pry, stab one of those packages open with a knife.

The knife didn't get me but the plastic did.

[Jamastiene]

8. Those get me every single time.

That's the ones I was talking about. If I had a "Quarter Jar For Cussing" agreement with some kid and that kid was around when I was opening one of those, that kid would be rich by the time I got it open.

[ZombieHorde]

10. Take a sharp blade, such as a box cutter, and slice along the inside seam.

Don't try to saw through the packaging.

[wuvuj]

13. SAFEST METHOD...

...use scissors ONLY...and be real careful with them?

[chalky]

17. Scissors? Hell, you need TIN SNIPS to get through that plastic.

n/t

[FunkyLeprechaun]

18. I saw a video

Of a guy using a handheld can opener to open these packages. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyw2AxcC9xE

Seems like one of the best ways.

[ZombieHorde]

19. That is a really good idea, I will have to try that technique. nt

[hedgehog]

20. Works for me - i was going to post that suggestion.

[Skittles]

4. oh I know the feeling

:mad:

[Orrex]

6. We recently gave our son a car with button-activated lights and sounds

Hidden in the cardboard packaging was an indestructible plastic base to which the car was affixed by somewhere around 5,000 little screws.

We should demand such security at our nuclear facilities.

[KT2000]

9. for a short time Costco

had their checkers use a really cool cutter to remove that awful hard plastic packaging they use on many of their products. It was great!
Must have been a test project because they quit doing it.
Their packaging can be outright dangerous to open.

[Jim__]

12. How about forcing manufacturers to post a warning on wrapping that is ...

... deliberately designed to be unopenable?

[rhett o rick]

16. LOL. "How about forcing manufacturers" lol. We cant "force" them to keep lead out. nt

[Quantess]

14. Here's Rec #5 in the holiday spirit of gift-giving, and all that.

:party:

[AwakeAtLast]

15. Hell, I cut my hand trying to open the diswasher detergent bottle the other day

The plastic used to lock it shut caught my hand while I was trying to open it. That sucker hurt!