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06/21/2003 Entry: "Britain - where we embrace bad inventions..."
I've never known a country which likes embracing bad inventions the way Britain does. I'm going to pick on two - Instant Coffee, and plastic milk tubs.
Instant Coffee. It's willingly served (and you're charged for it!) on trains and planes here in the UK! What's wrong with some decent brewed coffee? I remember the look of horror on an Italian businessman's face when he tried to buy coffee on a British train, and was offered "Cart Nwaar Instant" (sic) by the stewardess.
I searched on Google to see who had invented it - there are a few different answers. Kraft reckon they invented it for use by troops in WW2. Well, they would. Other sources say that it was invented in 1901 by a Japanese-American chemist, and mass production was invented by an Englishman living in Guatemala.
Anyway, the prize for the worst cup of coffee on the planet probably goes to GNER - a train company in the UK, who serve disgustingly bitter instant coffee, made with scalding hot water. It tastes of burned plastic. They also charge you £1.10 for the experience.
OK, next bad invention - plastic tubs of UHT milk. Much beloved of British Airways. These are designed to get as little milk as possible into your drink, and as much as possible down your clothes. It's probably a really uneconomical way of packaging, and wasteful. Not everyone takes milk in their tea or coffee, so the little tub of UHT milk on their meal tray will be thrown in the trash. What is wrong with passing a carton of milk around? Aaagh. Broken, broken, broken.
Oh, and trains like these little tubs, but they don't contain milk on the train - they contain something called "Millac Maid", which proudly states that it "Tastes like fresh milk!". How about giving us some fresh milk? Muppets.
There. I feel so much better now.
