random tip

[cos]

When giving someone a ride, it is a good idea, after dropping them off at the house they're going to, to wait and watch until the go inside, before driving off - as long as it's possible to do without obstructing traffic. I think I first heard this as a safety tip (when dropping off a woman alone at night), but I think it's much more likely to be useful for more mundane reasons like they forgot their key, or they expected someone to be home who isn't there, or it's the wrong house, or oops their cell phone is still in your car, etc. Anyway, it's a really simple thing that makes a lot of sense and yet I didn't think of it until I heard someone suggest it (many years ago), so perhaps I have readers who haven't thought of it yet either and could benefit from seeing it suggested.

Any other random useful tips you'd like to pass along?

Comments

[australian-joe.livejournal.com]

Just a few that occur to me:

1) When writing code, if I open one of a paired construct (eg. parentheses, BEGIN..END, HTML tags), I immediately put in a newline, close the pair, and move back up to whatever is going in between them.

2) When packing books in boxes, pack them flat rather than standing up, and pack as closely as possible to the level of the top. The books themselves now take the weight and the box is just there to stop them slipping out the sides. This produces boxes strong enough to jump on. (I did, to test them.)

3) Put keys etc down in the same place, all the time. If there isn't an obvious place, make one, like a hook on the inside of the front door. Get in the habit of placing them there as soon as you're inside.

4) Maintain a float of important non-perishable consumables. I try to keep an unopened package of toilet paper, printer toner, paper, etc, and replace them as soon as I open the spare. I've run out of both too many times and am determined never to have it happen again.

[chayam.livejournal.com]

Great tips!

[australian-joe.livejournal.com]

I didn't come up with any of them myself. I tried to think of tips that I'd received that I'd found extremely useful. I only learned that business with the books a few weeks ago when packing to move house - I wish I'd known that years ago! 8-)