Everything should have strings attached

A new EU directive requires that all plastic bottles being manufactured must now have caps that are attached to the bottles. What tends to happen when a bottle is carelessly discarded, is that the cap often falls off and ends up being part of a separate clean-up process. When it’s attached to the bottle, it will be discarded as one piece of rubbish rather than two.

 A lot of consumers in the EU are getting irritated that drinking from a bottle with the cap attached will be cumbersome. But I think it’s a very good idea.

There have been so many times that, after opening it to take a quick sip in a lift or a shopping mall, I’ve immediately dropped the cap onto a dirty floor. I’ve never picked it up to close the bottle again because the cap is now filthy. It’s happened to me so many times that I’m extra careful to make sure the cap is tightly held in my hand while drinking and then very carefully screwing the cap back onto the bottle. In fact, because it’s becoming a frequent occurrence, I’ve been thinking of finding a way to tape the cap to the bottle, even if it means using a piece of string on a sticky tape that is then taped to the side of the bottle.

Actually there should be strings attached to most things but for other reasons. A few years back, I was in a lift and as I was approaching our flat, I took out my front door keys and as soon as I took them out, the whole keyring fell through the front gap in the lift shaft. It fell all the way down to the bottom. I immediately ran to security and they had to get someone to go to a particular location in the basement where things that fall though the gap ended up being collected. I got the keys back but it was time consuming and stressful. I now have a thin rope attached to the keyring and my handbag. Now whenever the key slips from my hand it goes nowhere; it just dangles from my bag until I pull it up.

I’ve often done that to my purse too. A couple of times I’ve left my purse at the counters of shops I’ve been in. I got it back both times but I didn’t notice it was missing until the next day. It’s bound to happen if the shops are busy and you’re in a rush. So if it’s possible, find a way of attaching it to your bag or your pocket. It’s a bit like those badge holders. I’ve put my access card into one so that I don’t lose it. Yes these have a clip so you can clip it to your bag or your trouser belt but they also have a functional elastic string so that you can gently pull and use it after which it slides right back in, all without actually having to remove the clip from the belt or bag.

Phones are also one of those things that can get left behind or simply fall out of your hand or bag onto a hard floor. Most people have their phones in their hands almost constantly. They don’t ever seem to be in pockets or bags, unlike mine. I never carry it around in my hand unless I’m on a call. But I have seen people just leave them unintentionally at counters and food court tables. I think all phone holders should come with some kind of wrist straps so that there’s no chance of them being left behind. There should also be some kind of long strap available so that folks can clip their phones to their belts or their handbags. That way, if they fall, they don’t hit concrete.

I think that debit and credit cards should also come with a hole punched in them so that you can attach them to something? This could even apply to passports and passport holders. After all, there are so many opportunities to accidentally leave those around at a busy airport, don’t you think?