6 ms·

As a regular customer of the onboard dining on BC Ferries, I was always a bit mystified about how the cashier (maybe 20 m from the counter where you order) seem

As a regular customer of the onboard dining on BC Ferries, I was always a bit mystified about how the cashier (maybe 20 m from the counter where you order) seemed to have some kind of clairvoyance regarding which type burger(s) to charge for, as they all use the same kind of wrapper. It turns out the wrapper (that's printed with patches of stripes and crosshatches in different colo(u)rs), can be wrapped in a way that exposes a particular pattern on the outside of the finished package that indicates what's inside. I'm sure this sort of system is used elsewhere but I've never noticed it anywhere else.

sjsdaiuasgdia 3y ago
Lots of fast food places use wrappers like this. Here's a picture of a Taco Bell wrapper that can be a regular taco, taco supreme, double decker taco, or "special" depending on the fold: https://www.flickr.com/photos/target_man_2000/16329290081 https://www.flickr.com/photos/target_man_2000/16329290081
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
jiveturkey 3y ago
I first saw this at McDonald's. Drink lids (everywhere) have those little bubbles that can be pressed to indicate what type of drink as well. Diet, Sprite, etc.
- sp332 3y ago
  Sure but aren't those all the same price?
  - throwway120385 3y ago
    Yeah but if you order a diet coke and your friend orders a regular coke you want to make sure you get the right drink out of the carrier.
    - HeyLaughingBoy 3y ago
      Especially since I'll probably spew as soon as I taste the Aspartame!
  - bombcar 3y ago
    They're used rarely these days, but in some places they're busy enough that they will make have someone making the drinks and marking them. Which is why they don't have to indicate "sprite" or "orange" because you can see the color through the lids. Where drinks are self-serve they're not needed, but usually still exist.
    - korv 3y ago
      >They're used rarely these days If you don't order different drinks, sure. >Which is why they don't have to indicate "sprite" or "orange" because you can see the color through the lids. The paper (cardboard?) lids aren't translucent.
  - 0x457 3y ago
    Those are used to tell the difference between drinks within the same order: diet coke vs regular coke for example.
  - hhmc 3y ago
    Not in the UK (passthrough sugar tax)
- ValentineC 3y ago
  As someone who tries to minimise my sugar intake, one of my nightmares is getting served a non-diet drink by accident, because one of the lids gets pressed wrongly along the way. I wonder if there's technology out there for cheap sugar testing sticks… huh, it looks like a company finally launched like that in 2021.
  - flemhans 3y ago
    Got a link for em strips?
    - ValentineC 3y ago
      The brand I found is called DietDetector: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/breakthrough-soft-drink-testing-strips-could-save-diabetic-lives-301436902.html https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/breakthrough-soft-d...
  - jiveturkey 3y ago
    Wouldn't you just be able to taste the difference, and then not drink it?
    - JohnFen 3y ago
      I've long wondered about this sort of thing. I have friends who drink no-sugar drinks, but I can't stand them. Even the ones everyone says are fantastic taste bad to me. I wonder if there's not some sort of genetic connection influencing how some non-sugar sweeteners taste, much like the genetic link with cilantro tasting terrible for some. Might the commenter really not be able to taste the difference? To me, it would be stark and unmistakable, but perhaps that's not true for everyone.
      - thomaslord 3y ago
        It might also have something to do with acquired taste - maybe people who can tolerate artificial sweeteners have simply gotten used to the weird flavors they add and don't taste them anymore?
helph67 3y ago
Values of electrical resistors are often indicated via a pattern of coloured rings around the body.
- piinbinary 3y ago
  That's how you can identify a 24-ohm snake https://xkcd.com/1604/ https://xkcd.com/1604/
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
imacomputer 3y ago
I haven't had a breakfast on BC Ferry for a while since they redid the interior/livery on all of the boats. Pretty sure I used to eat the jam packets on the tables.

sjsdaiuasgdia 3y ago

Lots of fast food places use wrappers like this. Here's a picture of a Taco Bell wrapper that can be a regular taco, taco supreme, double decker taco, or "special" depending on the fold: https://www.flickr.com/photos/target_man_2000/16329290081 https://www.flickr.com/photos/target_man_2000/16329290081

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

jiveturkey 3y ago

I first saw this at McDonald's. Drink lids (everywhere) have those little bubbles that can be pressed to indicate what type of drink as well. Diet, Sprite, etc.

sp332 3y ago
Sure but aren't those all the same price?
- throwway120385 3y ago
  Yeah but if you order a diet coke and your friend orders a regular coke you want to make sure you get the right drink out of the carrier.
  - HeyLaughingBoy 3y ago
    Especially since I'll probably spew as soon as I taste the Aspartame!
- bombcar 3y ago
  They're used rarely these days, but in some places they're busy enough that they will make have someone making the drinks and marking them. Which is why they don't have to indicate "sprite" or "orange" because you can see the color through the lids. Where drinks are self-serve they're not needed, but usually still exist.
  - korv 3y ago
    >They're used rarely these days If you don't order different drinks, sure. >Which is why they don't have to indicate "sprite" or "orange" because you can see the color through the lids. The paper (cardboard?) lids aren't translucent.
- 0x457 3y ago
  Those are used to tell the difference between drinks within the same order: diet coke vs regular coke for example.
- hhmc 3y ago
  Not in the UK (passthrough sugar tax)
ValentineC 3y ago
As someone who tries to minimise my sugar intake, one of my nightmares is getting served a non-diet drink by accident, because one of the lids gets pressed wrongly along the way. I wonder if there's technology out there for cheap sugar testing sticks… huh, it looks like a company finally launched like that in 2021.
- flemhans 3y ago
  Got a link for em strips?
  - ValentineC 3y ago
    The brand I found is called DietDetector: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/breakthrough-soft-drink-testing-strips-could-save-diabetic-lives-301436902.html https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/breakthrough-soft-d...
- jiveturkey 3y ago
  Wouldn't you just be able to taste the difference, and then not drink it?
  - JohnFen 3y ago
    I've long wondered about this sort of thing. I have friends who drink no-sugar drinks, but I can't stand them. Even the ones everyone says are fantastic taste bad to me. I wonder if there's not some sort of genetic connection influencing how some non-sugar sweeteners taste, much like the genetic link with cilantro tasting terrible for some. Might the commenter really not be able to taste the difference? To me, it would be stark and unmistakable, but perhaps that's not true for everyone.
    - thomaslord 3y ago
      It might also have something to do with acquired taste - maybe people who can tolerate artificial sweeteners have simply gotten used to the weird flavors they add and don't taste them anymore?

helph67 3y ago

Values of electrical resistors are often indicated via a pattern of coloured rings around the body.

piinbinary 3y ago
That's how you can identify a 24-ohm snake https://xkcd.com/1604/ https://xkcd.com/1604/

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

imacomputer 3y ago

I haven't had a breakfast on BC Ferry for a while since they redid the interior/livery on all of the boats. Pretty sure I used to eat the jam packets on the tables.