2A--Bug List

Things that bug me:

1: The new Walmart in Butler Plaza is the cheaper alternative to other grocery stores, therefore I want to patron them.  But, their long, slow lines, poor stocking, unmotivated employees, and carts with wheels that literally stop rolling mid-trip are a serious incentive to shop at Publix, Aldi, or Trader Joe's.
However, Walmart has fixed the cart issues and their pickup option for groceries could be a game-changer for me.
-- The manager does not properly account for how many items will be sold each week or is hell-bent that no item will sit on the shelf for over a week (high asset turnover).  I am hopeful that the pickup option will basically solve this issue for me because I will be able to see which items are available and when I should come to pick them up.

2: Midas told me three different things were broken on my truck during a routine maintenance check last semester.  I'm somewhat mechanically inclined and knew they were blowing smoke.  They were going to charge me a total of $800 to "fix" the issues. This bug exists because, almost undoubtedly, they successfully scam many people using this unethical method of business.
--I have since stopped going to Midas.  I change my oil myself when I have time and now go to Firestone for mechanical issues after a good friend said they treat him fairly.

3: There is no good internet option in Westville, Fl.  This bug exists because Century Link owns the hardline and the tech is very outdated according to a friend of mine who works for the power company.  But, we have no options so they have little incentive to fix the issue. It makes it very difficult for local businesses and those who work from home to have capable Internet.
--The only viable option is to pay Verizon for unlimited data and Mobile Hotspot so that we can use cellular service to work online.  However, not everyone has good enough cell service for that to work even though we have a Verizon tower three miles from us in two directions.

4: I hate DEET bug spray and mosquitoes.  Bug spray with DEET burns and it's slimy.  I work outside almost every day and I do many recreational activities such as hunting and fishing that put me in contact with the lovely array of Floridian mosquito species. This bug exists because DEET is a chemical substance whereas DEET-free bug sprays use natural substances like eucalyptus oil to keep bugs away.
--I recently found Repel DEET-free bug spray and I love it. It works wonderfully, doesn't smell nearly as bad, and isn't slimy.

5: The risk of getting sick from someone on the bus ride to campus is often a concern of mine.  I love the idea of the bus system and it is quite practical.  But, most people do not even cover their mouths when they sneeze. This bug exists because people sometimes lack hygiene and there isn't enough air passing through the bus to dissipate the germs being exhaled.
--I suppose I could start wearing a mask but that would weird me out, let alone the general public. So, I have started biking to and from campus.  This also has costs and benefits but they generally outweigh the cons of getting sick when you're a full-time student and have two jobs.

6: As a duck hunter, I find it frustrating that one federally mandated duck stamp does not cover me through the entire duck season.  Instead, I have to keep track of when my first one will expire and then pay another $45 for the second stamp just to hunt the second half of the season. This bug exists because the government loves to take our money and no one can really stop them so . . . yeah.  In fairness, they do use the money to help the species but so do hunters through planting food plots, making and installing nesting boxes, etc. so I rest my case.
--While options are often nice, I think they should offer two options: a half-season stamp and a full-season stamp.  There is not much I can do about this bug other than pay it twice and be aggravated.  Or hunt illegally, but that has far too high a risk and I would rather hunt legally anyways.

7: Florida winters often result in me carrying a jacket around since it's in the 40s in the morning and in the high 70s in the afternoon.  I don't like being unprepared so I bring a jacket anyways.  I wish there was a good way to bring a jacket and not have to carry it around most of the day, as petty as that is. This bug exists because it's cold outside but teachers and schools set thermostats to like 85 degrees.  That's far too large a temperature difference to keep a jacket on. Otherwise, everyone could just leave their jackets on all day.  But, Florida throws another curve-ball by also changing the temperature outside by 25-30 degree over just a few hours.
--A flannel shirt is a viable option as is just being cold in the morning. It would be nice if my backpack had a pig enough stuff sack in the front to fit a jacket, but it does not.  I may have to look at other options.

8: I wish vegetables didn't deteriorate so quickly.  I've tried the "fresh bins" and what not but they don't seem to work very well.  Sometimes I have so much homework I don't have time to cook for a couple/few days. But by the time I do, they are often rotten. This bug exists because I do not plan accordingly and the natural response of fruits/vegetables that have been picked is to rot.
--Dr. McFadden from the FRE department told me last semester we now have the ability to use Genetic Engineering to slow this process and even to remove the gene that makes fruits (not vegetables) brown. I would definitely be interested in trying some produce and fruit that lasted longer.

9: Deodorant sticks almost never allow me to get the last bit of product out before they malfunction.  This irritates me because the product is getting wasted and I don't get the amount I paid for. This bug exists due to a lack of innovation and/or incentive to change within the industry.
--This week, I unknowingly bought a stick of Gillette and they redesigned stick deodorant.  The surface is perforated and the product is a semi-liquid gel that the screw pushed through the holes.  It's ingenious.  I am legitimately thrilled (it's the little things in life).

10: LED lights do not last ten years.  They still save a lot on energy costs but they're more expensive than conventional bulbs and the floodlights specifically only last a year or two. I have no idea why this bug exists but we either have faulty light fixtures or some folks in the marketing department are lying scoundrels.
--I have not found a viable solution to this problem yet but I will be on the lookout for better options.

11: Junk mail from the post office a definitely a bug.  The paper, gas, and other costs to get that junk mail to me only to be immediately discarded just doesn't make sense.  I have never purchased anything based on a junk mail add.  The mail also takes up room in my small apartment mailbox. This occurs because either many firms do not understand marketing or are targeting older residents who actually read from paper, which I, unfortunately, do not belong to.
--I would much rather see a targeted add on Facebook or Instagram so that I at least found the content relevant and interesting. You can push adds on Facebook, reaching between 250-620 people per day for $5.  I believe that is far superior marketing to junk mail.

12: Speed bumps are a real pain, especially if you drive a truck with crappy suspension or a car with low ground clearance. This bug exists because governments are slow to adopt new technology for various reasons but still want to force people to slow down enough that pedestrians aren't supposedly dying left and right due to fast-moving cars.
--My old roommate told me yesterday that the Civil Engineering department is currently designing speed bumps made of a substance that is liquid under low-force and hard under high-force impacts. Water is not the only substance they're looking into.  This will solve my resentment towards speed bumps as long as I am going the speed limit when I contact it [thankfulf or breaks ;)]. As intelligent human beings, we could also pay more attention when we walk and let the cars go faster but then there are children and they really buck the system (just kidding, but really).

13: The McDonald's in Geneva, Alabama, the closest one to my family's house, almost never has ice cream after lunch.  We often go to town just for a cone or fudge sunday only to be greatly disappointed. I suspect this bug exists due to poor management and likely laziness coupled with a lack of concern for the success of the firm.
--We often go across the street to Hardy's and pay $6 for a milkshake.  I believe McDonald's has seriously missed the mark here.  I imagine many customers would pay more than a dollar for a cone and likely buy another product if they go to McDonald's to get ice cream. If the revenue from ice cream isn't high enough to justify "fixing" the machines then they should raise the price to a smaller amount than Hardee's charges for shakes but larger than McDonald's currently charges.

14: I sincerely wish Netflix had more movies available on their site/app.  It's amazing to me that renting a movie online is almost the same cost as renting a hard copy from Red Box. I imagine this bug is caused by issues I do not fully understand but the high demand signals that it's not simply a lack of market understanding from Netflix.
--I'm sure someone who is more knowledgeable on the licensing and politics involved could explain how this is so but I hope movies become more readily available on Netflix in the near future.  In the meantime, I think Netflix's decision to produce Netflix Originals was a good call.

16:  I wish there were more left-handed-friendly options in school supplies.  It's not a huge deal but, as a lefty, it is often frustrating or at least inconvenient when looking for a table or when taking an exam because I end up having to twist in my seat a good bit to take notes or write an exam.  Statistically speaking, left-handed people are a minority so making products to suit their comfort doesn't make much sense in a public, yet government run setting.
--I don't really have a solution because most of the issues are systematic.  I am thankful for over-the-top style notebooks.

17: I wish more restaurants offered sporks.  They are extremely practical and cut silverware use in half.  I've never seen a metal spork but I would buy a few if I did. I guess I'll have to look on Amazon now. It would also cut down on plastic waste because customers would need half as many utensils. That alone would be an easy way to market them. I suppose this bug exists because sporks aren't very classy.  But, we all know people drink the milk straight out of the bowl when no one is looking so I'd say there is a strong potential market.
--I'm hoping companies start using them but the chances of that are probably slim.

18: Drinking a milkshake through a regular straw is always fun: not.  I would probably pay $.25 more for a milkshake if they would give me a stout, huge straw to enjoy my milkshake with. Lack of competition in this specific area is likely the cause behind the inadequate-straw epidemic.
--PDQ has tried but their straws aren't stout enough to handle a strawberry milkshake with real strawberries in it.  So sad.  I hope someone will catch on and supply this important, underserved market.

19: I would love to be able to print pictures directly off my phone.  There are a few products that remedy this issue but they're pretty expensive. There are a variety of options, none of which fit both my budget and privacy standards.  Pickiness is the main cause of this particular bug.
--I would love to see more competition in the market, which I believe would lead to greater demand also.  A current solution is to have them printed at CVS.  But, I have so many pictures and the thought of someone I don't know looking at my family and house and whatnot is pretty creepy.  Yes, I am one of those people who has a private Instagram and Facebook.

20: Sticky notes aren't sticky enough. I used them quite often in the past before I got an iPhone. Lack of competition or public outcry probably explains the bug that was previously unsolved.  However, the emergence of the stronger sticky notes suggests marketers did eventually realize the market potential.
--Now that one brand created durable, nearly water-proof sticky notes, I have switched to using notes in my phone, which then automatically back up to my computer: problem solved on both fronts.

I found this assignment somewhat difficult.  There are so many things that bug me on the daily but they often aren't worth pondering because there is little I can do to solve them as one consumer.  I also don't have the motivation to call up Leslie Knope (please forgive my Parks and Rec reference, Dr. Pryor) and create a committee for dealing with such issues.  On a more serious note, I do think this was a neat assignment and it's pretty amazing how many ideas are now floating around in my head after simply listing twenty things that bother me.