Bug List + Reflection

Assignment 2A: Bug List

1)      When someone pulls the cord on the RTS bus but don’t actually have to get off. This slows everyone down because no one is getting off and everyone gets late for their class or wherever they have to go.

Why? Someone probably pulls the cord on accident, even if they don’t have to get off, because they made a mistake and don’t know the correct route, or just misjudged where their next stop is. In order to correct this issue, a clearer and more accessible electronic map route should be placed in more places throughout the bus.

2)      If my roommates or people throughout my apartment complex leave the lights, or other electronic appliances on when they aren’t even home.

Why? People might forget to turn off all the lights or appliances before they leave because they are in a rush and have many other things going on at the same time. While this complacency wastes a lot of energy, wide-spread utilization of self-regulating lights and appliances that shut off automatically after a period of no use or detected motion, could help save energy.

3)      People placing their gum under chairs or a desk, instead of throwing it away. This creates a job for anyone that has to clean it up, or has the misfortune of accidently coming into contact with it.

Why? This bug may exist because people don’t want to get up and go all the way to the trash to throw their gum away, and they think no one will notice. A potential solution to this, is to have trash chutes and cans in more places than besides the end of the hall or road.

4)      When people are loudly talking on their phone in the library, it disrupts the environment and people around them often lose their focus.

Why? People may engage in such behavior because they see other people talking and believe it’s okay for them to do the same in a much higher volume, even if they aren’t talking about anything academic. They may have got a call that was urgent and didn’t have the chance to step outside.

5)      When required textbooks can only be bought as a physical copy in the bookstore and are very expensive. I understand certain professors do this to capitalize on their work and support the institution, but many college students don’t have $300 to purchase a book, they may or may not, really use for 3 months.

Why? Professors may encourage students to do this because their book is the central focus of the class and they have worked very hard to collect the data and information in it. They also could be alumni of UF or have deals in place with the University to not allow 3^rd party vendors to sell their material.

6)      Lines at the gas station or supermarket before a hurricane or snow-storm. Everyone wants to be safe, rather than sorry, but the amount of things some people buy could last them close to a year.

Why? People may find the thought of no electricity, water or food for a time period so daunting that they feel they have to protect their family and go above and beyond what’s required for the worst possible outcome.

7)      The fast-pass system at Disney. The lines at Disney, especially during peak season are insane, and the only way to skip them is to purchase a fast-pass. Often just coming to Disney for out-of-state families is so expensive, to spend additional hundreds on fast-passes for each ride may be impossible.

Why? The popularity and up-keep of Disney may contribute to the high prices for fast-passes. A system that makes these passes affordable for every-day families and can last for more than just a couple rides could prevent the 4hr lines, complaints and people passing out.

8)      The people that work the gates for the rides at Disney. These people are told to let a higher percentage of people from the fast-pass line in than the regular line. While this ratio is usually something like 20:10, some people take it to the extreme and keep it 50:5. This creates an insane line that wraps as far as the eye can see.

Why? These workers may have been told to do this in order to encourage more people to buy the fast-pass, or they could be doing this because they have misinterpreted the actual ratio supposed to be in place.

9)      When the airplane lands and everyone immediately gets up, but can’t actually go anywhere for like 20 minutes and just end up congesting the aisle.

Why? People may be in a rush or have a close connection, and they think standing up will show people their urgency and enable them to get off the plane quicker.

10)   In an airport, when people stand and line up even when their section number is not called.

Why? People may be in a hurry to get on the plane and find a spot to put their bag in the overhead.

11)  If you order food and the delivery person gets your order wrong, but then you are unable to reach them in order to solve the problem.

Why? The restaurant or place you ordered from could be out of what you ordered, or your delivery man could’ve misread what you wrote. He also may be under company policy to not give his number out, so you can’t contact him, but have to reach out to the company directly.

12)  When your uber driver leaves after 2 seconds of not finding you, cancels the ride and you end up with a charge on your card.

Why? There may have been miscommunication between the time that the uber driver was actually waiting and when you received the notification he was here. The uber driver may also have been in a hurry to accept more rides if it was a busy night.

13)   People that honk at you the second after the traffic light has turned green.

Why? People may be in a rush to get somewhere, and think of the 1-second delay as an inconvenience. They also may be having a rough day and consider having to wait a little extra as further irritation.

14)   If people spit while they talk and you are caught off-guard.

Why? People may be eating as they are talking, causing spit to accidently fly out of their mouth. Some people also have overactive saliva glands and can’t control spit escaping from their mouth.

15)  When stores don’t have the option to email you a receipt of your transaction. Often times we want a receipt to keep record of what we’ve purchased, but don’t want to lose the receipt, or hurt the environment, with a printed receipt.

Why? Emailing receipts of purchase is a relatively new concept and still has to make its way to more remote areas of the country.

16)  Movies that are way too loud in the theater. I understand going to the movies is a fun and often thrilling event, but making it so loud that you can’t hear anything for hours after you leave is excessive.

Why? Movies are an experience and they want you to be absorbed in it and forget the world around you.

17)   People at concerts that try to record the whole event on snapchat or their phone, rather than actually experiencing the moment.

Why? They want to show everyone how much fun they’re having, or document this experience for personal reference in the future.

18)  When malls, arenas or stadiums turn off elevators or escalators so people have to jam onto the stairs. This situation also makes it harder for the handicapped to get around.

Why? Maybe the elevator or escalator genuinely malfunctioned and no one has been able to come into repair it yet, or maybe the venue is trying to save money and reduce the cost of operation.

19)  When you’re not allowed to bring water or snacks into a stadium and have to pay exorbitant prices for the same goods inside

Why? The venue may be trying to capitalize on your purchase of ticket, by also making a profit on people paying for goods at a much higher price than outside.

20)  People talking during a show or movie, or using their phone.

Why? Maybe there is something very important they have to discuss that can’t wait until after the show, or maybe they don’t realize their being loud and are “just whispering.”

Reflection:

This assignment was very though provoking and interesting. It really made me think about things that got to me on a day-to-day basis. It also challenged me to look beyond myself and ask why these occurrences happened in the first place. Often times, we criticize and can identify why things annoy us, but don’t try to understand why these disturbances are actually created. This assignment further challenged me because it made me really think about things that we let go in life and don’t really consider “a bug.” Many times we wait in long lines or have to walk a bunch of stairs, but don’t think of it as an inconvenience, but rather as something to be expected. However, after reflection these events can often be troublesome and new alternatives can be adopted to simplify and make situations more efficient.