"Things I Don't Understand"

Things I Don't Understand #1: Office Copier Warmup Time
*Why do office copiers take several loooong minutes to power up each morning? Or to switch on from power-saving mode? *Computer* laser and inkjet printers take no time at all to warm up, and they are on the same technology! And a fraction of the price!

Things I Don't Understand #2: 'BART Bathroom Terrorism'
*Why does BART lock the bathrooms in underground BART stations, specifically, "because of terrorism," they claim on their signs? What have bathrooms in BART to do with security/terrorism? Why just the ones in underground BART stations? Or is this just a way to reduce the cost of cleaning?

Think about it: What scenario do you imagine causes the BART (San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit--our subway system) bathrooms to be especially a risk? What do we imagine the terrorists will do? Assemble their bombs in the bathrooms? Why would they do that? Blow *up* the bathrooms? But that wouldn't kill anybody--they'll blow up the trains, like they have elsewhere. Blow up the BART station infrastructure? You mean, by blowing up the bathroom? In the underground stations, the bathroom is surrounded by dirt and concrete--that would be the worst place to put a bomb if you want to do damage!

And why not the above-ground stations? What will terrorists do in an underground bathroom that they wouldn't do in an above-ground one?

I don't understand. My *suspicion* is that they figured out this is a good excuse for saving money since it halves the number of bathrooms they have to clean and stock!

Another thing I don't understand: How come the SF Chronicle isn't asking this question, instead of me??

Things I Don't Understand #3: Doors
*Why do doors, like public bathroom doors, that have automatic door closers *also* have doorknobs with catches? What good does the catch do? It costs extra for the extra hardware - to what end? It doesn't hold the door closed -- the pneumatic closer does that. It requires extra work for you to rotate the door handle to release the catch. It prevents one from exiting from one side just by pushing on the door. It makes no sense.

*When there are double-door entry doors into a commercial building, why is *one* always unlocked and the other *always* locked? When they unlock one of a pair of double doors, why don't they unlock both of them? How are you supposed to know which one is unlocked? You have to guess. And you always guess wrong, of course!

My suspicion is that the building staff are hiding nearby and laughing like loons watching the poor slob customers bang into the locked door!
When I ask a doorman or security guard why the don't just unlock both doors so people don't have to guess which one is unlocked, I always get a blank look.


Things I Don't Understand #4: Airports
*When I go to the Oakland Airport to take Southwest Airlines, in its own Terminal 2, the gate I am leaving from is ALWAYS in Terminal 1 -- and at the END of the terminal, too!

*Why is your gate at the airport always the very LAST gate at the END of the longest corridor? Who is it gets to leave out of Gate 1 or Gate 5? My gate is always Gate 36! You know what I think? I think those are DUMMY gates -- they hire actors to sit there and pretend to be waiting for planes!

*When you go to pick up your luggage at Baggage Claim at the airport, you wait there and the machine starts up and rumbles, then two or three bags come up and plog on the ramp --and go around and around and around and NOBODY CLAIMS THEM! It's never MY bag that's first! And it's never the bag of anybody who's actually waiting there, either! 30 minutes later, my bag finally arrives and I pull it off the belt and those first three bags are STILL THERE! Whose bags are they? Are they real bags, or pretend bags, test bags to make sure the delivery belt is working? Or are they BAGGAGE CHUM, to lure the other bags down the beltway??