Wow. This is by far my most highly rated post on hacker news.

I want to clarify that this is utter bullshit, and that I don't actually do this. Well, most of this. I have easier ways of working from home. Like, I put an event on my boss's calendar that says I'm working from home.

And I hate umbrellas. I fucking hate them. If you live in New York City and you use an umbrella, I want you to go home and die right now.

You have no idea of the space that you are taking up with those things. You have no respect for your fellow humans. I hate you. And I don't want to live in this world with you.

Get a little wet. Don't stab me in the eyeball with your stupid, incompetent umbrella that you aren't paying attention to.

I have a little note next to my door that says: don't take the umbrella--It's a jackass thing to do.

Guess what happens. I never take the umbrella. The tomatoes thing was a joke, for those of you who missed it.

Wow. An umbrella fundamentalist. Is there a law of the internet that for every trivial thing you can find someone with absurdly strong opinions leaving comments about it?

>Is there a law of the internet that for every trivial thing you can find someone with absurdly strong opinions leaving comments about it?

There has to be, it's one of the few constants of the internet.

That said: you merely have to experience umbrellas in a high-density environment a couple times before those opinions are the only rational response. Umbrellas are hostile to everyone within reach. (corollary: whenever that number remains at zero, they're perfectly fine)

But it does work in Tokyo, maybe it's the people

I'm specifically talking about NYC.

It's definitely the people.

It's something quite a few people have opinions on; usually in rainy cities with crowded sidewalks. I see very few people using umbrellas in central Dublin, for what it's worth. Most annoying are the tourists who seem to think that it's raining just because it's cloudy, and open their gigantic umbrellas in response.

You have no idea how much umbrellas suck on NYC sidewalks. You literally have no clue. They are awful.

Golf umbrellas suck. Smaller umbrellas are no more a nuisance than than circumventing slow walking tourists on the street.

Umbrellamentalist is obviously the most correct word for this.

Walk around Brooklyn on a rainy day. You'll be on my side before you know it.

I am so with you regarding umbrellas. I also fucking hate them. Nasty, useless, eye-stabby, bastard things.

Preach it brother!

I am 6'5" tall (1.95m) and the number of little old ladies who think nothing of waving their sharp metal umbrella spokes at my eyes and face is untrue.

That's some strong thoughts on umbrellas. I like to think of them as a physical indicator of personal space, if you're getting poked in the eye maybe don't get all up in peoples' business so much, respect your fellow humans - But then again I don't live in a city.

Reminds me of a Shark Tank episode I saw about "Nubrella"[1]

[1] www.nubrella.com

I am reminded of this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSRaDHXydzU

Instead of something elaborate that's taking the place of the thing you want to remember, how about writing a sticky note with "remember the umbrella" on it?

Yeah ops method seems strangely elaborate. I do something similar but require far less to actually jolt my memory. Usually I just put a shoe upside down on my table, takes a couple of seconds and in the morning I think "Why did I do that? Oh yeah, thats right", has never failed me yet.

Or just use built in memory. If something is worth remembering then remember it, simple. I do not consider diaries that vital or to-do lists as being anything more than long term storage. It is not the same as knowing what you should be doing that day. For that built in memory does nicely as does having details at hand on a phone.

Regarding the umbrella, if I forgot it then I would be pleased with my brain for filtering that useless requirement out.

In a thread about remembering little things, you're actually advocating that forgetting them is good?

I used an umbrella on my way to work last week. I forgot to bring it home. I was sad because it was raining the next day, too. I was not pleased with my brain for filtering out that arguably useful requirement.

Why not just put the actual umbrella against the door.

Because it's wet and gets the floor wet, obviously.

But why not wait until before going to bed, and then put it by the door since it's probably dry by that point?

Because I forget to do that.

Why not do something so you can remember to put it out at night?

Well, I tried this trick I heard about a can of tomatoes...

You could move to some area that has little rain during the day in the summer and the rest of the year it's snowing or so cold you will directly notice (and regret) if you forget the hat/gloves/coverpants?

How about "doing something" like "Siri, remind me at 9PM to put out my umbrella"?

The umbrella is just one of potential examples of $thing_to_do. But for me putting umbrella next to the door didn't really work. I'd have to put it on the floor for it to work, and I don't like putting things on the floor - though it's another highly effective solution :)

lol