I almost put this in the “Hell in a Handbasket” category, but since I am not the target market for this product, I figure judgment is best left to those who are.
The Under the Weather Pod is a personal tent designed for parents viewing their children’s sporting events in inclement weather:
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I find the product ridiculous. Examining my personal biases, here’s why:
1. The Swedes have a saying I’ve taken to heart: “There is no bad weather, just bad clothes.” When I know I’m going to be out in weather that’s rainy or cold, I wear clothes designed for rain and cold. To me this is a solved problem, and inexpensive gear is readily available. During poor weather in the city, you’ll see everyone from dogwalkers to on-location film set production assistants–neither of these are high-paying jobs–manage to clad themselves in weather-appropriate gear for long stretches outside.
2. Anytime you see a bunch of Americans lined up on a bench–on the subway, at a bus stop, at a park–the bulk of them are staring into their phones. A sporting event is the rare communal event where folks are all observing the same thing at once and have an opportunity to interact, or at the very least to cheer together or groan together. It seems strange to me for everyone to seal themselves off into side-by-side individual pods that preclude communication with one’s neighbors.
3. Playing outdoor sports in crappy weather inculcates toughness in inspired kids; children of the ’70s will well remember the footage of O.J. Simpson running through the snow. (This was before the number on his back changed from 32 to something significantly longer.) Is it not weird for Billy and Sara, slogging through the rain in pursuit of the ball, to glance over and see mommy and daddy ensconced in a plastic bubble?
4. Do we really need more PVC in our lives?
So those are my biases, but I’m not a parent that’s sat through game after game and found it insufferable. For those of you who are parents in that situation, do you see any merit in this product?
Source: core77