damn hard week working leaves me ranting away at things as simple as a packet of crisps. But no ordinary packet of crisps, no Siree; these are Salt ‘n’ Shake. The simple ingenious idea of the little blue bag inspired memories of hot childhood summers and Olde English Spangles, so I got a box from Makro.

However like everything else from childhood, the memory is tainted. In the same way that Dundee Biscuits and Wagon Wheels have gradually got smaller, my memory of Salt ‘n Shake surely must be wrong unless the modernisation of packaging lines has been specifically created to piss me off! How can I possibly get annoyed at a packet of crisps you may ask, but here’s the thing (I hate that phrase but it works for me at the moment, don’t hold it against me!), the whole point of them is that you add your own salt and then shake – hence the name – salt ‘n’ shake (I’m not giving Walkers the gratification of capitals for their brand now).

So, we agree on the name, salt ‘n’ shake and not hide and bloody seek! Surely it would make sense for them to put the bags of salt in after the damn crisps and not before? What is the bloody point of me having to empty the bag in order to find the salt? And no, this isn’t a one off affair – after the first couple of bags played hide and seek with my salt, I decided to keep a count (yes, I’m sad – I already know that) and I can statistically state that out of the last 9 bags of salt and bloody shakeifyoucanfindit, 8 packets had the little bags of salt right at the damn bottom of the packet. WHY????

Which brings me to my secondary rant via a non existant segue to the issue of Farepak. Now don’t get me wrong, I do feel sorry for these folks but I can’t understand this whole “donate your life so that these people can have a Christmas” thing that is going on. From what I can see, there are many other people who are suffering financially due to issues outwith their control – vanishing pension funds are a pretty obvious one. I don’t see people rushing to the aid of the person who has worked for 40 years only to find an unscrupulous director has disappeared to the Bahamas with all his pension???

Yes, I feel for them but surely the whole concept of giving your money to someone who isn’t properly regulated seems a bit like smoking in bed with your savings under the mattress to me. Maybe I am in the minority, but I can see many other people who have lost much more than those who saved with Farepak to receive a hamper full of goods that suppliers couldn’t sell anywhere else such as crystallised lemons and dates. They have my sympathy, but there not going to get my money I’m afraid…

Be Sociable, Share!