Please don't stop brushing your teeth.

A coworker: as tempted as I am, I will try not to. And Stephanie, I just checked to make sure we don't have a value to move anything, temperature-wise. If it's there, I just don't see it.

I always cringe when I read comments that ask you to reconsider your position -- so let me start by saying that I too have had to brush my teeth using the lukewarm water from an automatic faucet (at my place of work -- a beautiful, newly built public library) and I agree it seems unnatural. But when I think about someone who has a physical disability or is wheelchair-bound, it makes me happy to see the world adapting to them.

Ohhh I hate brushing my teeth with warm to hot water. My solution is we have filtered water in the kitchen which is a few steps past the bathroom. So I take my water bottle and fill it with cold water and then pour it on my toothbrush to rinse etc. And then I fill it again to drink with after I brush my teeth.

I too am not a big fan of the automatic toilets, and secretly fear I'll drop something in there just as it starts to flush! I also hate automatic soap dispensers (they never work), and auto paper towel dispensers because I can't get the kids to STOP dispensing the paper towels!

I also find brushing my teeth more difficult with the automatic faucet. Some of the sensors are not very sensitive, are they? I'm with the majority - I preferred controlling the temperature and flow of the water.

Come to the 6th floor! The water on our floor is FREEZING cold (which is also hard to brush your teeth in, not to mention wash your hands in the winter). And I agree, I hate autoflush toilets, auto dispensing soap, automatic lights and most automated things. I thought we were doing just fine when we had to do things manually, but apparently someone thought we have too much going on in our lives to be able to turn things on ourselves.

Coming from a location where we've had very little rain this winter, and knowing we will be hit very hard with a serious drought, I think that automatic faucets is one of the smartest technical advances around. It's the thought of a faucet left running that makes me crazy (not saying you would do that, but it happens all the time and especially in a public bathroom it could lead to extraordinary waste until someone actually does something about it)

I'm with Lisa! While most automated machines drive me nuts (like the turbo powered hand driers for one), I just remind myself that they are preventing a lot of waste. Now if only they had them in a public restroom where they could be more useful.

I definitely have a love/hate relationship with automated "convienences" as well. I am originally from the Mojave Desert in California, and have carried my "conserve water or die" mentality with me everywhere I live, so I appreciate when the faucets in some public bathrooms decide for the less-eco-minded of us that we are done rinsing. That being said, I must be invisible to auto-on lighting systems in rooms, because I can move from one corner to the other, waving like a woman fleeing from bees the entire time, and somehow the lights never come on for me!!

Agree! Also have problems with garage door openers with digital pads. I find if ones hands are not 25 year old quick, the door will not open, and waiting 10 seconds can be frustrating when carrying a load of groceries. After a few mishaps, I've reluctantly decided to leave the thing open.This decision may be risky, but at least I can get in! Oh! Did I mention I've not found my remote for that door since Christmas!? Now,where is that CABLE TV- DVD remote!? (ANOTHER ISSUE!)

Well, since we are talking about automation in the bathroom...can we do away with the automatic deodorizes that inconveniently spray immediately when you enter the bathroom, causing you to gasp for air as you try to make it in the stall in time. More often than not, the smells are horrible...powder fresh, something pretending to oranges, or worse the mimicking Old Spice. These deodorants mingled with the natural smells of a public restroom are horrible. I say no more automatic aromatherapy in office bathrooms!

I have walked into old-fashioned bathrooms to find the faucet running and then realized that someone probably thought it would turn off automatically. I realized this because I have washed my hands and reached for the towel dispenser before thinking "Oh, I have to turn it off".

Of course, this was in the morning before I 'd had my coffee.

That's funny! I have the same issue in our bathroom at work. We have those auto flushes in the bathroom and it's supposed to save water but when it flushes, it looks like it's flushing a hundred gallons of water!! When people brush their teeth in the sink and dont rinse it after use is simply just gross. It's an auto on/off thing for goodness sake!! Wave your hand over it and rinse off the sink!! I have to brush my teeth too!!
On a separate topic about Blackberries... I heard a conversation the other day. This woman gave her 3 year old her old Blackberry to play with and her co-worker said, "Oh great, you daughter will think LOL and OMG are really spelled that way!"

Having been to a third world country and taken a shower in 45 degree water (well water) when it was literally 110 outside - all I was thinking when I got home was that you God that I have hot water. Granted the well water felt great in the hot humid temperatures I always think of how grateful I was when I got home and found I could shower and brush my teeth in any temperature I wanted.

Not meaning to be on a soapbox - just pointing out some thoughts.

I am glad to hear that other people brush their teeth at the office - people always stare at me when I do it and I end up lying about an upcoming dentist appointment.
I love technology - iPhones, GPS, the Internet - admit it, you'd miss it if it all went away. What would you do if you couldn't Google?

i LOVE the touchless sinks at my college and work!! i HATE touching things that other people have touched right after wiping their privates! also, the touchless sinks allow handicapped people to wash their hands with ease. imagine being in a wheelchair, and having to try to extend your hands all the way up and over to the handles on the sink. simply waving your hands in the sink is easier. sometimes wheelchairs wouldn't be able to get close enough to turn on the faucets. my only complaint about OUR automatic sinks is the opposite of yours: the water is always FREEZING cold! it NEVER warms up no matter how long it runs. i like warm water for washing, not ice water! also, the water only runs for 10 seconds at a time, and you have to give the sensor a full 10 seconds between runs to turn back on! that is really frustrating when you're right in the middle of rinsing suds off your hands and the water shuts off and you have to stand there waving your sudsy hands in the air for 10 seconds until it turns back on. lol! the perfect solution for me is: WARM water that STAYS on until you leave the sink. the motion sensor works properly, and is not on a timer! it stays on until motion stops. other than that, i LOVE touchless sinks and toilets! and if we could get touchless doors in/out of the bathroom that would complete the picture! then i wouldn't have to have a paper towel to open the door when i leave.

While I really like the fact that I don't need to touch anything in a germy public restroom, what annoys the ever loving heck out of me with automatic faucets is that they always run for about 8 seconds, then shut off. Now I know the idea behind this is to prevent wasting water, but I thought we were supposed to wash our hands for at least 45 seconds? And nowhere is this more important than a nasty public restroom. Yet 8 seconds into washing my hands, the water spontaneously turns off and I have to wave my hand in front of the sensor again (and again and...) each time dripping soap & water all over the counter. Couldn't they have created an automatic faucet that starts when you put your hands under it & stops when you pull them away? Hmph.

The former dental hygienist in me is so impressed that you brush your teeth after lunch! YAY Kristin :) Yes, I would be totally aggravated at that :( And I think we used to live in that same old house your hubby lived in while we were in Philly....TWO spigots...SERIOUSLY??!!! What WERE people thinking? Sooo, whoever came up with the clever one spigot--I call genius. Whoever came up with the timer for the automated sinks...well, obviously doesn't brush their teeth after lunch :( (Or maybe they have extra sensitive teeth and don't care if the water gets hot???? I dunno!)

Forgive me for NOT feeling your "pain". I spend several months in central Mexico every year in a very rural farming town where a homeowners only source of water is ONE HOSE in the middle of their yard. THAT IS IT. And even then they only get water from 5AM till noon because after that the water is rerouted for the farmers. Hot or cold, they don't care, they are grateful to simply have water! Americans are so spoiled it is beyond my comprehension. I promise you that the more you complain about the the things you "hate", you will only find more things in your life that you hate and find yourself complaining even more. How I wish we could be thankful for the things we have, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM. Our lives are filled with an abundance of good things to be thankful for, if only we would open our eyes and see what's in front of us.

Tammy, you are so right. I am spoiled--most of us are--and I think about it every day. However, and here's the rub, I just can't always make the connection between knowing I'm spoiled and not complaining. Apparently some sort of circuit is missing in my brain. Either that or the complaining gene is dominant and the counting-my-blessings gene is recessive. If I'm lucky, someday I will figure it out.

Oh, pulll---eeezze............think of the improvement in sanitation! You don't have to touch creepy faucets after washing your hands, or go thru the gyrations of trying to shut the faucet off with an elbow or a bent wrist. Think of people who have sever arthiritis or limited hand movements...what a great feature for them. And to think you always HAVE warm water in your lovely office building.
I
f this is all you have to complain about you are etiher truly lucky, but maybe a wee bit shallow!

I hate any technology that doesn't work out of the box - it should be easy to set up, use and come with everything you need to make it work. Unlike my husband who loves to tinker and spend hours "solving the issue," I want it to be easy.

Here is an example. I recently bought my four year old twins a psuedo laptop from Leapster. It works with infrared and enables them to see the games on the TV. So, I set it up, it works, all is good.

So, what's the problem? It doesn't have a charger/power brick, so it's only going to last for so long.

I call customer support who tells me it doesn't ship with one - you have to buy a power brick, and of course they recommend you purchase their power brick vs. a generic one. That is like shipping an adult laptop without a power brick. Seriously, did they do a focus group with any mothers? With that said, I paid my 10 bucks, and it is charged now...kids are happy, I''m happy.

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