What's a UK life hack that's so obvious you're almost embarrassed to share it?

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Ok-Budget112@reddit

If you are flying to the US but can’t get a direct flight from where you live - go via Dublin. Doing US Immigration and customs before you arrive in the US is lush!

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Ok_Monk_2281@reddit

Everytime I have been to JFK it has been hours and hours to get thru customs - I’m considering purposefully connecting at Dublin for this exact reason!

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I will say it’s the strictest US immigration I’ve been through. They basically search all hand baggage. Asked me to turn on my laptop. But then you land at a domestic gate and walk out. I don’t know why LHR didn’t try and build something like this when they built T5. The B and C gates could have been used for this instead of being empty most of the time.

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Party-Independent-25@reddit

If you overfill your cup/mug with tea/coffee etc.. Rather than tip the cup to pour some out… Use the teaspoon to spoon it out a spoons worth at a time. This way you don’t get tea/coffee drip down the side of your cup/mug Amazing how many people watch me do it and go…oh that’s how you do it!’ 😂

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BishBeesley@reddit

Always take a spare work shirt when you have a long drive to a meeting and know you will be eating or drinking on the way. That guarantees you won’t spill a drop. Forget the spare shirt just once and you might as well save time by immediately smearing ketchup all over your front then dropping half the coffee too.

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Other_Exercise@reddit (OP)

Indeed this. I always had a t shirt in the back of the car, saved my hide when I spilt coffee on my white shirt on my way to work. The only time I ever had cause to wear it!

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BishBeesley@reddit

I have a T shirt in my car right now and do use it as a bib. Of course I’ve never spilt anything on it, although I did on my shirt without it.

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Other_Exercise@reddit (OP)

Yeah, in the house we were having a carpet ripped out recently and decided to paint the wall while the old carpet was still in place. Didn't spill hardly a drop of paint. I was quite disappointed.

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BishBeesley@reddit

Maybe this is the ultimate life hack to apply to anything - make a potential problem harmless and it won’t happen at all.

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Darkmelon12_@reddit

I’d be a bit worried if anyone was trying to eat a sandwich and drink coffee while trying to navigate a busy car park and merge onto the motorway. What do you mean exactly?

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GlitchingGecko@reddit

I'm a bit concerned if someone still thinks it's acceptable to eat or drink whilst driving.

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Ok-fine-man@reddit

Are you totally nuts? Pretty common thing to do. Jeez, Redditors can be weird and judgemental.

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Ok-fine-man@reddit

Are you totally nuts? Pretty common thing to do. Jeez, Redditors can be weird and judgemental.

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Veauxdeeohdoh@reddit

We eat breakfast lunch and dinner in our cars in America

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GlitchingGecko@reddit

Thank you! You top the world in car accidents; so that's pretty much proved my point for me.

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Darkmelon12_@reddit

I think a sip here and there while driving long distances is alright isn’t it? Probably not eating though

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GlitchingGecko@reddit

If you've got something with a straw, yeah, fair enough. If you've got to undo something, or try and line up a hot drink sippy hole... nah, you're dangerous.

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Keemlo@reddit

Oh come on you can’t actually think drinking a coffee is dangerous. All I do is run my finger on the lid to find the hole and then lift the cup and drink from where I’ve felt the hole.

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GlitchingGecko@reddit

And what if something swerves in front of you? Are you going to be able to do whatever you need to do with a coffee in your hand? Or is it going to end up with you crashing, and a hot coffee in your lap?

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Keemlo@reddit

Someone swerved in front of me I’d apply the brakes and steer with my free hand. If It was an emergency stop situation I’ll get be dropping the coffee.

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GlitchingGecko@reddit

So crashing and hot coffee in your lap. Hopefully the latte is worth it and you don't take anyone else with you.

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Keemlo@reddit

So your scenario the crash is happening regardless? So probably won’t matter if I’m holding a coffee or not. Like I said I’d simply use my FOOT to apply the brake if someone swerved in front of me. Or if they swerved and then braked heavily forcing me to emergency stop yeah the coffee will be going somewhere inside the car, possibly even in my lap. Do you switch radio stations or scratch your head or anything like that while driving?

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GlitchingGecko@reddit

> Do you switch radio stations or scratch your head or anything like that while driving? No, not unless I'm stationary.

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pcc-32@reddit

I bet you struggled to pat your head and rub you belly at the same time when you were a child didn’t you?

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GlitchingGecko@reddit

Nope. Actually I played the drums for a while, so I'm good at all four limbs doing different things.

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pcc-32@reddit

Just not when you’re in a car?

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GlitchingGecko@reddit

I have been known to use the steering wheel as a drum at the traffic lights.

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Keemlo@reddit

Do you do a lot of driving? Taking a sip of a drink isn’t as dangerous as you think it is. You even admitted as much in one of your other comments about drinking from a flip top bottle.

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GlitchingGecko@reddit

I didn't say I did it. I said I could understand if it had a straw or a flip top lid. I still think drinking a hot drink whilst driving is a stupid idea.

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Keemlo@reddit

The flip top lid is no different to a sippy hole once you’ve slipped the lid.

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GlitchingGecko@reddit

No, it is not. You're having to take time to find the hole with your thumb and shuffle it around until it's in the right position. That's very different from lifting a bottle, flicking it with your thumb and drinking from the tip.

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Keemlo@reddit

No it isn’t in the slightest different. You locate the hole and shuffle while it’s in the cup holder. No different to drinking from a flip top bottle, sports bottle or travel mug. Perhaps you just need to practice driving more.

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Subject_Hall4422@reddit

If you can’t pop the lid on an Evian bottle and take a sip while you’re on a long drive then you don’t have the driving skills to be on the road

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GlitchingGecko@reddit

I was thinking more unscrewing than flipping. Flipping should be doable too.

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Subject_Hall4422@reddit

Fair, I can unscrew without taking my eyes off the road aswell, it depends on hand size

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WeDoingThisAgainRWe@reddit

especially since they've said on a motorway - I'm hoping they are the passenger

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Ok-fine-man@reddit

I take it you're not a driver? Perfectly legal thing to do and drive thrus are very common.

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swoticus@reddit

I think they mean what you think they mean, and I'm worried

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Other_Exercise@reddit (OP)

I mean drinking a takeaway coffee or eating a choc bar, as a passenger or a driver. There is no law against this

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OccidentalTouriste@reddit

I think you can get done for distracted driving as a result of eating/drinking.

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Other_Exercise@reddit (OP)

I mean, who doesn't take a swig of water on a 3 hour drive?

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Medium-Pollution6748@reddit

someone merging onto a motorway isn't that the point of this post?

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The-Majestic-Seagull@reddit

Fair enough a swig of water, but if you've just left the service station surely you would just do all your eating and drinking there?

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Callie612@reddit

I think OP means eating when they're a passenger in a car. They're spilling things because of the forces of accelerating/braking/turning to get into the motorway

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BibbleBeans@reddit

Why is your motorway driving so erratic

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Callie612@reddit

Doesn't take much to spill a coffee when you're mid sip

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Supercharged_123@reddit

Obviously never worked with a tradesman. Can handle the meal deal, the 40mph slip road OAP and the middle lane cruisers while sliding into the fast lane at 90mph.

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welly_wrangler@reddit

Why the fuck are you eating and drinking *after* you've left the services?

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redrabbit1984@reddit

It's really not that shocking. You're making out like he's squatting in the driver's seat, doing a dump as he didn't want to stick around and use the services. It's food and drink, designed to take and eat where you want

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Other_Exercise@reddit (OP)

You didn't ever get a coffee to go?

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welly_wrangler@reddit

No

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morris_man@reddit

When you get to my age never waste an erection even if you are on your own

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redrabbit1984@reddit

Plot twist: you've just turned 19. Either way, fantastic advice.

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ClockworkSkyy@reddit

Wear a high vis and get creative. It's amazing what you can achieve.

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BibbleBeans@reddit

Usually if you do a little volunteer post with your council you can get a council branded one for free, gets you looking extra legit at times

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privateTortoise@reddit

Just purchase one that says Fire Officer on the back.

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BibbleBeans@reddit

That costs money my method is free

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privateTortoise@reddit

True but a fire marshal gets to go everywhere in every building, well apart from the large shopping centres.

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BibbleBeans@reddit

Ooh free method could be signing up to be the designed head counter for your office/team at work? They after get dedicated ones

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privateTortoise@reddit

Never heard of that, most buildings have everyone sign in these days so the number present are known.

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BibbleBeans@reddit

None of my buildings do. We have the ~~filthy masses~~ members of the public coming and going

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privateTortoise@reddit

Sounds a HSE violation perhaps limit them to 5 at a time? ;)

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BibbleBeans@reddit

Ooooooooh boy they wouldn’t be happy I would. They leave the toilets in a state

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b00b_l0ver@reddit

Turns out, the key to the city is hi vis and a stepladder.

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JohnLennonsNotDead@reddit

Left lane leading to a roundabout chocker with cars? Use the right and go right round and pull off at the left turn everyone else is waiting for.

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Sporting_Hero_147@reddit

Similarly, if you are driving on a road you’re not familiar with and are approaching a roundabout, stick to the right lane. Means you can go right round if needed to make sure you take the correct exit. Less necessary nowadays though thanks to Google maps.

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JoeDuffy0818715815@reddit

That's actually a good idea, thanks!

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privateTortoise@reddit

Shhhh.

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JohnLennonsNotDead@reddit

Sorry mate… love a good boomerang though 😂

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Medium-Pollution6748@reddit

how is this a UK life hack what are you hacking by just doing it correctly and not being dumb

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rocket_tan@reddit

If you use crisps to make mash, there aren't going to be worries about crumbs. Instead, there will be worries about if you're mental.

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cloche_du_fromage@reddit

Don't trust farts the day after drinking home made cider

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seeyoujim@reddit

WFT!

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Fluffy_Juggernaut_@reddit

Who are you, so wise in the ways of science?

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Fabulous-Relative333@reddit

You get to my age you never trust them. Here I sat broken hearted, Paid a penny and only farted, Came again and took a chance, Saved a penny but shit my pants.

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cloche_du_fromage@reddit

I'm familiar with the 'manpon'...

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TalkingAbsoluteShite@reddit

How is your life hack UK specific?

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Alarmed_Crazy_6620@reddit

The value of your existing property will rise if you keep making objections against building new housing citing concerns about the neighbourhood character, noise and parking

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smitcal@reddit

Done that. They ignored and decided to build anyway. Pricks in Wigan council are unstoppable at building houses

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Alarmed_Crazy_6620@reddit

Hopefully they will build more!

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privateTortoise@reddit

Additional increases if your neighbour is a local councillor. Theres a bit of road near the M25 that all the signs if coming from Redhill make you turn right instead of driving straight ahead. It only adds a few minutes onto the journey but mysteriously happened after someone was elected.

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Specific_Till_6870@reddit

UK life hack. If someone spouts something like your comment, just smile and nod.

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UK-EnglishTeacher@reddit

You can 100% refuse service and it doesn't even need to be questioned. Let's say you're working alone behind a bar. It's busy as fuck. You've got 30 people screaming at you for a pint. If, throughout all this chaos, someone approaches you with a credit card ordering 7 cocktails....just refuse them. You can. You don't have to provide a reason but if you do, just say "sorry you're too drunk. Come back later." People who give in to customer services are melts.

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dragonb2992@reddit

When you're driving away from the motorway, do it after you've finished eating at the one of the tables at the service station. Then you can dip your fries in the ketchup without having to worry about controlling your car.

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justmoochin@reddit

Take your tyre caps off before you put the money in the machine to pump them up.

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knightsbridge-@reddit

It even says this on a lot of the machines. I still forget though...

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Even_Passenger_3685@reddit

And put them all on the machine or footwell of the car so you don’t kick them into the wild.

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Keemlo@reddit

Put them in your pocket?

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NotDavid-Jatt@reddit

Dust caps are filthy

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Dull_Reindeer1223@reddit

Should be called filth caps really

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heliskinki@reddit

As above, but also do this if you’re stuck in the queue. If the guy in front of you is quick, you’ll be in line for some of that sweet FREE AIR!!!!

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The-Otters-Pocket@reddit

Don't be sitting on the back seats of a coach leaving a service station as well. Coach went round the roundabout and an old man's latte went flying straight onto me. Driver missed the exit so went around again and this time i got the old man on top of me as well as the latte

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badhabman@reddit

Put the tank cap in the petrol trigger and fill your car hands free.

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privateTortoise@reddit

I've never thought of that and used the pin from my feu orange car freshener to hold the trigger open.

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Craft_on_draft@reddit

If you put things in your pockets at the shop they are free

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bin_of_flowers@reddit

doesn’t the thing beep ?

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Craft_on_draft@reddit

Only if there is a security tag on it

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-XiaoSi-@reddit

The one trick supermarkets do t want you to know.

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tmstms@reddit

Buy stuff with yellow stickers on, but only if it is 'further reduced' to less than half original price.

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