Pickles by Brian Crane for December 11, 2018

I think you just loosened the bottle for Nelson, Earl.

Child proof packaging, proof that a child can open a package that an adult can’t. :-)

I’ve seen the new reversible caps. One way for child-proof, the other for easy access. Progress!

When I was about 4 my parents put childproof latches on the cabinets at floor level, and then challenged me to open one. They snickered when I failed, but then I thought, “What’s in the way? It’s not the stove… Ah, what’s this white plastic thing? Oh, it hooks on this other little white plastic thing… If I move this long one that catches onto the one screwed into the side…”. Bingo.

Mom: Oh, crap.

Of course, just being told to stay away from the ammonia and the bleach were enough for me to not mess with them, so it all worked out in the end.

It was only Earl-proof, a much lower bar

We feel for you Earl …….

So it wasn’t the type of bottle where you have to press the sides of the tab and turn it?

Depends on the child!

With arthritis childproof are the worst to open!!!!

The older I get, the more this is true.

I think everyone saw that coming.

I hate the new tops. If I was having a heart attack and my nitro was in one of those, I’d be a goner!

My 4 year old granddaughter can open the childproof gate that many adult family members struggle with.

Nelson is an old soul.

Three public service announcements:

1: “Child proof” is very often also “arthritic joints proof”

2: Your pharmacy will be happy to supply your prescription drugs in an “easy” open container. Just ask.

3: Even arthritic hands can manage a large channel-lock type pliers. Once the bottle is broken into, you can easily store non-prescription drugs in an “easy” open container saved from some recent prescription. I do recommend re-labeling, just in case your memory is like mine.

PS: I often remove the “rotates uselessly” outer cap on some forms of child-resistant caps. Of course you do have to get it off the first time. Diagonal cutters work better than pliers for this application.

They need to change the name to “toddler proof packaging”. Anyone 4 or older have little problems with getting by them.

I couldn’t agree more Earl…I hate it!

The latest incarnation of the childproof bottle requires tiny fingers to open. First you have to press in a button that I can’t push in without using a device (like a cellphone stylus or the tip of a pencil) — this takes a minimum of two hands; then you have to hold the bottle with a third hand while your first two hands keep the button depressed; and finally you have to twist the top off with your, um, fourth hand.

Aliens. It must’ve been designed by aliens.