Whatever happened to quality? Back in my day, companies used to stand behind what they made. Things just lasted longer. There were warranties and repair shops for TV’s and appliances instead of everything being disposable. Nowadays, we just buy things and no matter how much we pay, we expect to have to replace them in five to seven years. It’s downright sad.
Shoddy workmanship coupled with new appliance styles and colors released every few years means none of us will ever be able to keep up. In my adult life they started as white, went to black, and now one is considered below the poverty line unless they have stainless steel. They’ve got this scam perfected. When your microwave goes out, instead of getting it repaired you have to replace it. And since it will no longer match your other kitchen appliances, the broken microwave ends up costing you $4000 for upgrading the entire kitchen.
Forget that mess, I have a white microwave with a broken handle, a black oven, and stainless dishwasher and refrigerator. I figure my cheapness gives me a wider spectrum of color in my kitchen and possibly a disappointed wife, but I refuse to give in to their madness.
I really didn’t start this rant to vent about kitchen appliances, we took a detour there. I’m angry about specs and tolerances. If packaging says the wire I am purchasing has a tensile strength of 1200 MPa, I figure I should easily be able to get 1250-1300 MPa out of it before it breaks. Or if my pneumatic nail gun recommends a range of 90-120 PSI, I think 130 PSI will make sure the sucker holds.
So it speaks to shoddy quality that a towel bar designed to hold 4 pounds of wet towel wouldn’t be able to keep a flailing, 210-pound man upright. It stands to reason that this should have been well within the tolerance of a reasonably made product, don’t you think?
I discovered this defect after our bathroom was rearranged for our new cat’s needs. The bath mat was not returned to its proper place and my wet foot slid out from under me upon exiting the shower. I desperately grabbed the towel bar only to find what inspector number seven did not. It wouldn’t hold when tested and tumbled down onto the cold wet tile alongside of me.
What is this world coming to when manufacturers don’t care about quality anymore? I tell you what it’s coming to: bruised bums and holes in the wall, THAT’s what this world is coming to.
It’s a darn shame…
A Generous Helping 
Mark! That is one to frame! Superb!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 Just sublime!!!
Quality is down the drain. 😜
It really is a shame that we live in such a disposable world. Hope your bruises heel. 😀
It is a shame. On a positive note, no one sees those bruises.
👍👍👍
Snickering….they really don’t make them like they used to, huh?
Wouldn’t you think it would hold? I’m a lean 210 lbs!
You’re darn right! I also refuse to go with that flow. Slightly different, I’ll never forget my head spinning once when my nephew recounted how he’d beg my sister for new sneakers because there was a small crease in the still-new ones he had. What!? A crease! Are we so vain? It’s a blessing to have better technology these days; however, we work to have wholesome and secure lives, not for wasting money to hoard the best toys. You’ve provoked me, Mark!
I didn’t mean to poke the sleeping bear! Just annoyed at the trends out there… A crease??? That young man better get a job and earn that money.
He was reflecting on “good ole days” when he was telling it. It’s a different story now!
I keep telling my girls that when they shop for themselves, their “wants” will change. Isn’t that the way it goes.
How in the world are we going to fuel this lack luster recovery if American consumerism doesn’t do it’s part? We built this country on planned obsolescence and home equity loans!!! If we wanted this stuff to last we’d have kept making it in the US.
Yeah, the home equity bubble burst a few years ago. I remember running through a high class neighborhood nearby and it seemed like half of the houses had for sale and short sell signs in their yards. I was thinking, “Look what matching appliances gets ya!”
Haha! My daughter is a Kitchen Designer and business just STOPPED! Now she says people pay as they go and things are more reasonable. Not the excess there was before the bubble burst. That’s good;)
Sheesh…what is this world coming to when a man can’t count on his towel bar!?! The 4-to-210-pound slip differential was clearly miscalculated on the part of Inspector 7. That’s a serious bummer… 🙂
Exactly. What is the tolerance? 20%? Come on!
Ouch! Wishing you a speedy recovery. On a more serious note, I hate that you can’t get stuff repaired any-more. I hate having to buy replacements. If you do try to get an appliance repaired, it’s almost cheaper to buy a new one, something else I hate…I feel I’m being pushed into it. I remember when you used to take your shoes to be re-heeled, or even stretched if they were a bit tight. Everything could be repaired, and it wasn’t bodged, it was like new. Bah humbug! heheh…
Wow, I hadn’t thought about shoes. Where did all of the cobblers go? I also tried to get a suit jacket taken in after I lost a bunch of weight and the guy wanted to charge me more than I paid for the suit. Crazy.
That IS crazy…you shouldnt have to pay MORE when thete is actually LESS of you lol!
Or buy better suits.
My son was appalled when I suggested his appliaces did not HAVE to match. I have friends who apologize for their kitchens appearance because they don’t match.Sheesh! What is wrong with a little color? Sorry about that towel rail….gentle hint grab bar time.
We have survived mismatching appliances. One by one they die and we get stainless. When we’ve collected them all, abaca do will come back.
oops, i’m sorry and i’m sure it was inspector 7’s fault!
Absolutely it was! He should have to come hang the new towel bar.