4 ms·

The US Air Force Spent $326,000 Replacing Broken Coffee Cups in the Last 2 Years

32 points by halestock 8y ago

taylodl 8y ago
And there I thought Yeti cups were expensive!!!
mikestew 8y ago
Summary (because it'll take a few paragraphs to get past the faux outrage): they are FAA-certified cups that plug into cabin systems, hence the price. Still, for $1200 a pop, one would think they'd be more durable.
- evgen 8y ago
  ObWestWing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7R9kH_HOUXM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7R9kH_HOUXM
  - Something1234 8y ago
    I think I need to watch this show. But I can totally get behind the thought pattern of making things that shatter gently into big, dull shards. There's so much thought that goes into these little things. Although why does a sub need an ashtray. It's not like there should be cigarettes on it.
    - SimplePeople 8y ago
      Smoking on subs was only banned at the end of 2010. http://edition.cnn.com/2010/US/04/09/navy.smoking.subs/index.html http://edition.cnn.com/2010/US/04/09/navy.smoking.subs/index... Apparently there were "smoking rooms" on (at least some) subs. https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/14/4/221.1 https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/14/4/221.1
- zaphirplane 8y ago
  Oh I see they are FAA certified, hmm still outraged no jealous, someone is lining their pockets with profits from a 1200 per cup.
  - Para2016 8y ago
    It takes $1998 to check a box on a form saying "certified".
sushid 8y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_budget https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_budget
- willio58 8y ago
  “The black budget can be complicated to calculate, but in the United States it has been estimated to be over US$50 billion a year – a greater figure than current United States expenditure for education.” Imagine cutting the black budget in half and more than doubling the education budget with that money. Suddenly free community college for all is doable. And you still have 25B for your hidden activities!
  - slededit 8y ago
    Medicare is $702bln/yr or $12,300 per recipient. Canada spends $3,000USD per capita and provides healthcare to everyone. Think of what we could do with the $526.5bln that would be saved if US healthcare costs were brought back inline with other advanced economies.
fit2rule 8y ago
I can't look at that square handle and not think "that was by design", also.. it seems obvious that it was designed to break at that point if it fell.. https://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/styles/inline_image_desktop/public/inline-images/AFcup2.jpg https://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/styles/inline_...
stevew20 8y ago
The conclusion at the bottom, of drinking lukewarm coffee, is not well thought through. Do we really want pilots or crewmembers, on very long flights (I've personally been on a 14 hour USAF flight), to be drinking cold coffee? It's very important to keep them comfortable and focused, and having been a Marine on the ground for a decade, I can say that there's nothing more important than a hot cup of coffee to stay in the zone.
MR4D 8y ago
The reason these things are crazy expensive is that the spec for the cups is written by the same government that writes the form you use to do your taxes. The government is not smart enough to have a housing dollar pot that locks in place and then use cheap cups. Dumb.

32 points by halestock 8y ago

And there I thought Yeti cups were expensive!!!

Summary (because it'll take a few paragraphs to get past the faux outrage): they are FAA-certified cups that plug into cabin systems, hence the price. Still, for $1200 a pop, one would think they'd be more durable.

evgen 8y ago
ObWestWing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7R9kH_HOUXM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7R9kH_HOUXM
- Something1234 8y ago
  I think I need to watch this show. But I can totally get behind the thought pattern of making things that shatter gently into big, dull shards. There's so much thought that goes into these little things. Although why does a sub need an ashtray. It's not like there should be cigarettes on it.
  - SimplePeople 8y ago
    Smoking on subs was only banned at the end of 2010. http://edition.cnn.com/2010/US/04/09/navy.smoking.subs/index.html http://edition.cnn.com/2010/US/04/09/navy.smoking.subs/index... Apparently there were "smoking rooms" on (at least some) subs. https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/14/4/221.1 https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/14/4/221.1
zaphirplane 8y ago
Oh I see they are FAA certified, hmm still outraged no jealous, someone is lining their pockets with profits from a 1200 per cup.
- Para2016 8y ago
  It takes $1998 to check a box on a form saying "certified".

sushid 8y ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_budget https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_budget

willio58 8y ago
“The black budget can be complicated to calculate, but in the United States it has been estimated to be over US$50 billion a year – a greater figure than current United States expenditure for education.” Imagine cutting the black budget in half and more than doubling the education budget with that money. Suddenly free community college for all is doable. And you still have 25B for your hidden activities!
- slededit 8y ago
  Medicare is $702bln/yr or $12,300 per recipient. Canada spends $3,000USD per capita and provides healthcare to everyone. Think of what we could do with the $526.5bln that would be saved if US healthcare costs were brought back inline with other advanced economies.

fit2rule 8y ago

I can't look at that square handle and not think "that was by design", also.. it seems obvious that it was designed to break at that point if it fell.. https://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/styles/inline_image_desktop/public/inline-images/AFcup2.jpg https://www.zerohedge.com/sites/default/files/styles/inline_...

stevew20 8y ago

The conclusion at the bottom, of drinking lukewarm coffee, is not well thought through. Do we really want pilots or crewmembers, on very long flights (I've personally been on a 14 hour USAF flight), to be drinking cold coffee? It's very important to keep them comfortable and focused, and having been a Marine on the ground for a decade, I can say that there's nothing more important than a hot cup of coffee to stay in the zone.

MR4D 8y ago

The reason these things are crazy expensive is that the spec for the cups is written by the same government that writes the form you use to do your taxes. The government is not smart enough to have a housing dollar pot that locks in place and then use cheap cups. Dumb.