I bought a package of Flonase Nasal Spray the other day. It was “blister packed”, meaning if you weren’t really desperate, you’d never be able to open and use it. I used a hammer, a chisel, kitchen shears and a butcher knife before I could finally penetrate the plastic armor the manufacturers decided to apply. By the time, I had cajoled one of the spray bottles to give itself up and come out, my nose had stopped running.
What kind of sadistic SOB invented “Blister packing”? Someone who hates humanity, that’s who.
First, the sadistic bastard takes a plastic sheet that would stop a Russian drone in its tracks and then heat-seals it around whatever he intends to protect. The object then becomes semi-entombed – trapped inside with no zippers, no threads to pull, no perforated marks – you just have to use sheer will power and multiple four-letter words to free the object from captivity.
Heat sealing is often used for small consumer goods like pills, toys or hardware items and offers tamper resistance. I’ll say! A product from Best Buy that has been blister packed will be obsolete before you can get it out.
There is hope, however. I read recently that a basic can opener is one of the best tools to rescue a bottle of nasal spray from the package. Just clamp the opener on the outside of the package and began cranking until the package gives up. I haven’t tried it yet, but I will the next time I buy some garden shears from Lowe’s that is encased in plastic armor and refuses to come out on its own.
