June 30, 2007 12:03 AM

Broken: UT San Antonio online application

Jeremy Teale writes in:

I am supposed to graduate from the University of Texas at San Antonio after the summer term. I checked my degree evaluation online and found that all my requirements have been met so I tried to apply for graduation online.

So I went through all the proper steps on the web - I verified my name, declined the alumni association offer, etc. and then I was greeted with the address page above.

It reads "click here to add diploma address, phone," but there's no hyperlink to do so. Then I checked my "Personal Information" tab on the navigation menu and it contained my correct address - so I didn't know why the online application said that it didn't have my address for the diploma.

The acronym for the UTSA online graduation application should be, ASRAP: Automated Student Run-Around Program.

June 29, 2007 12:03 AM

Broken: Chevy Impala A/C control

Doug Schaefer points out:

This is a photo of the HVAC controls on a 2007 Chevy Impala car I rented.  The position indicator on the 3 control dials is a small blue LED in the chrome trim ring of the dial.

At night, this is very readable and easy to see.  However, during the day, the blue LED is very hard to find in all the chrome reflections - it takes a concentrated effort to tell where the dial is pointed.

June 28, 2007 12:03 AM

Broken: St. Croix newspaper article

Bob Sifniades submits a scan of a Health and Fitness article from the St. Croix Avis newspaper:

The St. Croix Avis, a US Virgin Islands newspaper published this AP article about body fat with a photo showing an MRI scan image.

The caption of the photo reads: The image is of an average-sized man who is 1.9 meters tall, weighs 79 kilograms and has a normal index of 21.7. Internal fat is show as yellow, external fat is green and muscles are red.

The image and the caption do not match - The image is distorted to make the figure look fat, most Americans don't know the metric system (FYI, 1.9 meters is 6 feet 3 inches, which is quite above average - 79 kilograms is 174 pounds), and the photo is in black and white so you can't see which parts of the image are muscle or internal and external fat.

June 27, 2007 12:03 AM

Broken: Samsung cell phone message

Natasha Lloyd points out:

I got the message below when I wanted to delete a demo game from my Samsung C417 cell phone:

"All the JAR files will be deleted. A
re you sure you wa
nt to delete?"

This message is broken for two reasons.

One, most people probably don't know what JAR files are, so how can they be sure they want to delete them?

Two, there's really no excuse for not supporting word wrapping nowadays - "A re" and "wa
nt" break the reading flow, making you read them at least twice to get what they're saying.

June 26, 2007 12:03 AM

Broken: Sign at Oakland Airport

Scott Souchock submits a picture taken by Brian Jones in Oakland, California:

My friend Brian Jones sent me the photo above. He commented: "For me, in person, it was hard to decipher what was to the right and what was directly out the door to the street that this sign was above."

To solve this problem most clearly would be to print "Through door to" or simply "To." on the sign.

I believe we rely on arrows maybe a bit too much. In either case, things that are through the door should have a downward pointing arrow because you're going under something.

Airports and transportation facilities in general, should have the highest quality of signs anywhere, because a lot of people coming and going are one time or infrequent users.

June 25, 2007 12:03 AM

Broken: Rehearsal studio door bell

Felix Wells submits a picture taken in Kentish Town, London:

Me and my band spotted this doorbell at a rehearsal studio in Kentish Town. We were trying to figure out where the door bell was for a very long time before we figured out that the arrow was irrelevant and the door bell was staring us in the face.

Congratulations if you can figure out what the arrow is for - it appeared to be pointing at the door.

June 23, 2007 12:03 AM

Broken: New Yorker auto-responder email

Mark Chackerian writes:

I sent a letter to the editor, to the New Yorker.  I received two automated responses:

1) an automated reply -- "Thanks for writing" etc. etc.

2) the same automated reply, with this return address: Out of Office AutoReply: A Letter to the Editor "themail, TNY" <TNY_themail@advancemags.com>

If I'm getting an automated response from a computer, how can the COMPUTER be out of the office? 

I guess the computer is in the Hamptons for the weekend.

June 22, 2007 12:03 AM

Broken: Honda dealership customer service email

Scott Sanders writes:

I contacted the Internet sales department at Bernardi Honda in Natick, Massachusetts because I wanted to check on the status of my car in the service department, and none of the phones in the dealership were working for whatever reason.

So I submitted an email via the Bernardi Honda website, and got a "personal thank you email" from Harvey which I pasted below:

Hi Scott,   

I wanted to personally thank you for requesting information on a new Honda from Bernardi Honda Natick. This is an auto-response to confirm that we have received your request.

Harvey Rappaport from my Internet Sales Team will contact you very soon to answer all your questions and make you feel comfortable about doing business with Bernardi Honda.  They can be reached directly at: (774) ..... Almost 40% of Bernardi Honda's customers choose to research their next Honda this way.

You are able to learn about models, new features and special discounts for being an Internet Customer.    If there is anything I can do to help with your decision on a new Honda please contact me directly at any time.

Thanks again,

Harvey
Internet Sales Manager
Bernardi Honda

What is broken about this message is that it states that its intent is to "personally thank me" but then later in the message it informs me that the message is an auto-response.

Personal... auto-response... those two things don't go to together.

Harvey then goes on to talk about himself in the third person, informing me that Harvey will contact me soon.

Actually, Harvey never called me, nor did anyone from the service department.  Instead, a woman who was at a very loud call center called me to ask me some survey questions.

June 21, 2007 12:03 AM

Broken: (Just for fun) Culver's sign

Anne Gassel submits a picture of a sign taken in Missouri:

We saw this sign at Culver's, a dessert place outside of Branson, Missouri.

I guess hamburgers and vegetables need not apply for a position.

June 20, 2007 12:03 AM

Broken: Suggestion box at San Jose Airport

Gene Manuel submits a picture taken in San Jose, CA:

I spotted this suggestion box sign next to gate A2 at Norman Y. Mineta/San Jose International Airport while waiting for a flight.

A suggestion box is a great idea for soliciting advice on the retail and food services but the problem was that the actual suggestion box itself was missing. 

Maybe the people in charge of the suggestion box were reviewing the submissions, but from the look of the two holes in the drywall someone seemed like they were in a hurry.  The other problem was that it wasn’t near the food courts or shops, with the exception of the burrito place that the sign was posted across from.

June 19, 2007 12:03 AM

Broken: Bonsai nursery air plant product description

Jason Sherrill writes:

I found a Bonsai nursery air plant on Amazon.com. In the product features, the seller claims that no watering is required for this air plant.

However, in the product description, the care instructions state: "Provide bright or subdued indirect sunlight, humidity, warmth, and weekly watering."

So does this Bonsai need watering or not?

June 18, 2007 12:03 AM

Broken: Eyemask at Bed Bath & Beyond

I found this at Bed Bath and Beyond: a "Need Caffiene" eyemask.

However, maybe some caffeine (note: e before i) would help the copy editor run a spell check before the product is manufactured!

June 16, 2007 12:03 AM

Broken: Pep Boys online shopping page

Steve Jackson writes:

I ran across one of the poorest implementations of a search form I've ever seen when I was recently shopping for some parts for my car.

Like most auto parts sites, Pep Boys online shopping page - has you shop for parts by year/make/model of your car. So far, so good.

However, when I attempted to select the first form dropdown, I couldn't get the form to work. Figuring that it was a case of programmers not being sharp enough to program their sites to be compatible with Firefox, I switched over to IE, where I had the same exact problem: none of the dropdowns worked.

Finally, I realize that Pep Boys has included a *picture* of a form above the actual form which, sandwiched between two other visual elements (and underneath the picture of a search form), which is really hard to see.

June 15, 2007 12:03 AM

Broken: Dark Horse Saloon restroom signs

Paul Schreiber points out a photo found on Buzz Andersen's Flickr photostream:

These gender restroom indications at the Dark Horse Saloon in Boulder, Colorado are very confusing.

It would be interesting to find out how many people walk into the wrong bathroom.

June 14, 2007 12:03 AM

Broken: Subway restaurant receipt

Andrew Sims points out:

I went to Subway for dinner tonight, and when I finished my transaction, I was handed this vague and uninformative receipt. 

The receipt is for a 12 inch B.M.T., a 6 inch turkey sandwich, and two small drinks - not that you'd know by looking at it. 

This is the most uninformative, pointless receipt I've ever received.  It doesn't identify the restaurant by name, It doesn't itemize my purchases (in case I wanted to check that I was charged correctly), and for some reason it has six tax sections.

June 13, 2007 12:03 AM

Broken: Tide "High Efficiency" laundry detergent

J.D. Pierce writes in:

Regular Tide Free will get you 32, unscented, dye free uses.

High Efficiency Tide Free will get you 26 unscented, dye free loads of wash.

Both are 100 oz.

So, what does "High Efficiency" really mean?

June 12, 2007 12:23 AM

Broken: Northwest Airlines first class "meal"

From Martin Rottler's Flickr photostream:

This is what the cost cutting has come to: a packaged granola bar and a muffin in First Class.

:::Sigh:::

As my seatmate said: "Kinda makes me yearn for the good old days."

Broken: Shower head packaging

Philip J. Hollenback points out:

I found this Helping Hand product at Gristedes in New York City. The packaging reads 'Flapper Tank Ball' but this is clearly a shower head.

June 11, 2007 12:03 AM

Broken: Wal-Mart "Quick and Delicious" meal solutions CD

Cherrie James writes:

This is a picture of the cover of a CD that was given out for free at Wal-Mart.

It reads, "Quick and Delicious meal solutions" above the picture of the dancing, happy penguin. This make you wonder just what the main ingredient of the recipes will be.   

June 9, 2007 12:03 AM

Broken: (Just for Fun) UK plumber advertisement

Ian Chard submits a picture of a Plumbing advertisement taken in Oxford, UK:

This plumber is called  A. Burden -- literally. 

If that was your name, would you really plaster it in huge letters at the top of your ad?!?

[Hey, if it stands out, it may be a smart move... -mh]

June 8, 2007 12:03 AM

Broken: Map color scheme

Preston Dyches points out:

The map above appears on a page providing directions to the hotel where I stayed called Hotel Avante.

If it wasn't a map, I'd applaud the creator for its appealing design.

However, it *is* a map, and since it is intended to assist those who may not be familiar with the area in finding their way, the use of blue to indicate land and white to indicate water is broken because it is disorienting.

June 7, 2007 12:03 AM

Broken: Lawn sign in the Forbidden City

Base80 submits a picture of a sign taken in Beijing, China:

Here's a sign I saw on in a park behind the Forbidden City:

"Please do not disturb me." 

Is the sign feeling grumpy?

June 6, 2007 12:03 AM

Broken: Taxidermy and cheese

Nikki Brown submits a picture of "Wisconsin's Finest Taxidermy and Cheese." Nikki writes:

It's hard to know where to start with what's broken here really...are you purchasing a block of cheese with a stuffed squirrel treat inside or can you get your beloved dog filled with brie?

June 5, 2007 12:23 AM

Broken: Detroit airport bathroom stall door

Doreen Sawani writes:

A bathroom stall door I encountered in a lady's bathroom in the Detroit Metro Airport has a handle on the same side as the door hinge. When I first came upon this door, which was in the open position, I saw the handle and, in my haste, grabbed it and pulled. Such is the suggestive power of a handle. It took me a moment to realize that pulling the handle was completely pointless.

Broken: Gas station handicap parking

A reader named Justin writes in:

This picture was taken at a Phillips 66 gas station in Overland Park, Kansas. 

The handicap parking sign is in the middle of the grass off to the side of the lot.  There are no parking spots at the curb near the sign.

The closest painted parking spots are against the building to the left, where the Camaro is parked. 

What I found broken were the three cars that took advantage of the "handicap parking area" in the grass.

June 4, 2007 12:03 AM

Broken: Airline magazine Route 66 article image

Alex Tyler points out:

I was on an international flight from China to San Francisco last May and was flipping through the airline's in-flight magazine.

The magazine contained a little article on Route 66 and I couldn't help laughing when I saw that they had placed Los Angeles in Alaska on the map instead of in California!

The magazine editors clearly need a geography lesson.

June 2, 2007 12:03 AM

Broken: "Just Oak" store sign

James Krippendorf submits a picture of a sign taken in Wales, Wisconsin:

I saw this sign for a store called "Just Oak & More."

Who can figure out what they sell?

I sure can't.

June 1, 2007 12:03 AM

Broken: Photocopier sign

Chris Gurney submits a picture taken in Toronto, Canada:

I thought that the sign posted on a photocopier in my friend's condo building deserved a photo.

It reads:
25 CENTS PER COPY. 
DO NOT USE QUARTERS.