What's the worst invention that has taken hold?

Seems like nuclear weapons should have a place on this list....

Crack pipe

The gun

Ok, when I said worst, I meant most annoying (phillips screws) or ineffective (flat-head screws).

Edited for new criteria. I have to say the Craftsmen digital Tq wrench is ridiculous. It is just a clicker tq wrench with a digital readout instead the marks engraved numbers on the handle and shaft. It turns on automatically and will stay on for some time after you are done with it. Depending on how often you use it, it is normal for it's button cell batteries to be dead when you go to use it.

RossD wrote: Didn't Henry Ford say that Mr Phillips and his screws were too expensive so he went flat blade. Then industry followed...

I think it was he went with phillips/flat because Robertson (square drive) wouldn't license the design, only sell Ford screws. Ford didn't want to rely on/deal with an international parts supply (Robertson was based in Canada).

edit: Third paragraph. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_screw_drives#Robertson

DrBoost wrote: Ok, when I said worst, I meant most annoying (phillips screws) or ineffective (flat-head screws).

Doubling-down on the brassiere

etifosi wrote:

DrBoost wrote: Ok, when I said worst, I meant most annoying (phillips screws) or ineffective (flat-head screws).

Doubling-down on the brassiere

I have to agree with you on that one.

Streetwiseguy wrote:

QFT

non-alcoholic beer

Working for a living.

This thread, which is just another form of the minor rant thread (aka the bitch thread) and is otherwise useless.

DrBoost wrote:

etifosi wrote:

DrBoost wrote: Ok, when I said worst, I meant most annoying (phillips screws) or ineffective (flat-head screws).

Doubling-down on the brassiere

I have to agree with you on that one.

Excepting the peak a boo variety

alfadriver wrote: Depends on what worst is. There is one invention that has killed millions directly and millions more indirectly. That seems like a pretty bad invention.

What, the automobile?

Second nomination:

The necktie

etifosi wrote: Second nomination: The necktie

Amen

10 mm socket

Phillips? pfft. My friends, let me introduce you to the torque-set.

This thing bites like a Rottweiler when you're screwing stuff in. Trying to get it back out though.... These things are everywhere on aircraft and I can't understand why they don't go to a design that would provide equal install and uninstall traction! A shallow internal wrenching screw like an allen head or a square drive would be GREAT and, in the event it's stripped, it'd provide a nice pilot for a drill bit.

Coffee. Its burnt beans that taste like crap. How did this ever catch on? Add Guinness in there too, it's burnt! It should be thrown out, not consumed! These things are mistakes people, not food!

That's an easy one: it was the only source of caffeine at the time. I guess you could get some cocaine, but I hear that's not really an improvement on the situation

alfadriver wrote: Depends on what worst is. There is one invention that has killed millions directly and millions more indirectly. That seems like a pretty bad invention.

Meh, I am sure they would have come up with some other stupid reason to kill each other.

For me, I will go with:

(A bit of a blast from the past, thread wise)

etifosi wrote:

DrBoost wrote: Ok, when I said worst, I meant most annoying (phillips screws) or ineffective (flat-head screws).

Doubling-down on the brassiere

My lady of almost 29 years of marriage is, uh hum, well endowed in the bosom department.

Bras are good. Gravity is bad.

I like a nice necktie.