When we look back on our childhoods, where we dreamed of living in 'the future', the real-life future isn't all it's cracked up to be. No flying cars, no robot-powered smart homes, and a bunch of junk that shouldn't even exist anymore but still does!
This list is a look into that last point. An AskReddit thread recently asked folks for things that have no reason to exist in 2021 but still do, and people were passionate in their answers.
"Junk mail, just filling up the mailbox with crap."
The only upside to junk mail is potential coupons. Keyword, 'potential.' Or, possibly, kindling for your fire pit — but egg cartons and dryer lint exist, too.
"Having to call to make bill payments."
How are you going to run this sort of business in 2021 and not have some sort of online payment system? Clicking is so much easier than calling.
"Convenience fees being applied when you pay a bill online."
They somehow manage to punish us for using an easier service! Seriously, why should there be a fee? It's just a blatant money grab.
"My adult acne."
"Acne can be caused by a wide variety of variables," you try to tell me. I turn away. "They still should have found a cure by now," I stubbornly reply because I'm tired just of dealing with my acne.
"Tax software in the U.S. Seriously should just be a simple form on the internet that takes 5 minutes."
This obviously applies to just more than the U.S., but tax season shouldn't be as stressful as it is. I shouldn't be this scared of getting something wrong.
"Door to door sales people. If I want lawn care I’ll google it dammit!"
I do not envy those who do door-to-door sales as it's a tough gig, but also please don't knock on my door ever unless you're delivering food or a package.
"The fact that some people still don't have access to fresh water."
This really is one of those things that's just mind-boggling. What do you mean not everyone has access to one of life's undeniable necessities?
"Unpaid overtime."
We all deserve to get paid for what we work, and fairly too. Learn to spot when a company is taking advantage of you.
"E-ticket processing fees. Seriously, do these have any function other than making money for some middle man?"
There is absolutely no reason for those fees to be as high as they are, especially when every ticket website runs an ungodly amount of ads to make money!
"Telephone/SMS network stacks which can't tell you anything about where a call or message came from, allows source numbers to be easily spoofed, and provides no security features at all to block unwanted calls or texts."
"This is gonna be a little unpopular but Everything being subscription based. Use to be able to pay a one time payment and you’ll be good for the rest of the year. Even if something is monthly they would have a way were you can pay for everything at once. Now they don’t have that."
"Child beauty pageants."
The longer you think about these, the creepier they become, from the concept down to the execution.
"Fax machine. Some doctors won't accept email only mail or fax. Some govt related stuff too."
I was never taught how to use a fax machine. Neither were any of my friends. I have a feeling these will start to be truly phased out soon.
"Taking 3-5 days to put money back into my account after you took it instantly."
I live for instant gratification. I want my money all in my account the second I deposit it. Is that so much to ask?
"Low quality surveillance footage."
This one confuses me so much! How do our phones have such high-quality cameras in them, but we can't even get a fraction of that quality in a security camera! You'd be better off taping an iPhone to the wall.
"TELEMARKETING. I don’t even get any other type of call, yet I still get this [expletive] daily."
I rarely ever answer calls from numbers I don't know, yet I still receive tons of them anyway. Can't they tell I'm ignoring them?
"Mail-in Rebates. In the age of digital everything, it's ridiculous that these things are still around."
I didn't even know these were a thing until about two years ago. They never seem worth the effort, just put the item on sale online or something.
"Having to call to cancel a subscription you signed up for online."
Or worse, do it in person. Then they start offering you all these deals that either break you or you have to say no at least five more times. Humiliating.
"Paying $4.99 delivery fee to the pizza place, and they say DELIVERY FEE IS NOT A TIP FOR THE DRIVER. The drivers use their own cars and pay for their own gas, and they sure as hell aren't getting any of that $5."
As someone elaborated so well in the replies to this comment, "What’s crazy is that pizza delivery was one of the original delivery services and we used to never pay a fee. It was just the cost of the food + the tip. But now there’s a delivery fee + service fee + driver tip."
"People who deny things that can be explicitly proven."
People like this make us all want to bang out heads against the nearest wall, a collective, frustrating experience.
