Bubble-wrap and Sellotape!

I have just spent about ten minutes struggling to unwrap a Ford Thames Airborne Caravan. It was a nice shade of lilac and mauve but it was a long time before I could see that.

The problem was not that I had the wrong glasses on, nor was there any alcohol involved nor was it midnight and I'd forgotten to turn on the light. No, the seller had wrapped the damn thing in many layers of bubble-wrap and taped each layer with several inches of clear Sellotape. Not only did this produce an extremely tightly packed item, reminiscent of the inside of some golf balls, but also something that proved well nigh impossible to unwrap!

I receive several packages each week and, more often than not, the senders have to add Sellotape to bubble-wrap. I don't get terribly annoyed with most as they just add a small piece and I can, with care, remove that. I still find it totally pointless and some modest swearing is usually involved but this latest package turned most of the air in the village blue. Indeed, neighbours would have needed to consult a medical dictionary on more than one occasion.

This was truly annoying, frustrating and downright stupid. Totally unnecessary and it actually nearly resulted in damage to the little model as I fought to remove the Sellotaped bubble-wrap. I needed a sharp knife to cut through the bubble-wrap as efforts to find where the tape might start proved entirely fruitless on every occasion as I slowly whittled down the layers. As I gouged my way through the bubble-wrap I did have to take great care not to slice through the mauve paintwork or scratch a window. The final layer was wrapped so tightly that the suspension was under some pressure and you could almost feel the axles returning to their correct resting point as it came away. Had this been a Mustang or Imp then I dread to think of how the brittle plastic suspension would have held up.

So this is a plea from the heart, and also on behalf of my neighbours, especially at this time of year when the delicate ears of young children may be offended.

Please stop adding Sellotape (or any other brand of ruddy clear tape for that matter) to bubble-wrap. It is not necessary. 

Just roll up the model in the stuff and pop it in amongst some newspaper or whatever packing you might use, seal the box and all will be well. The bubble-wrap will not, if you've packed it reasonably tightly, unwind itself on the way, even if it has to come from Kneitlingen in Germany where the roads are not always smooth. The model will survive, quite happily in un-taped bubble-wrap. I will then be able to do my bit for the plant by re-using it. Add Sellotape and large areas of the stuff become instantly unusable and finish up causing me even more problems as I have no idea which of the many recycling bins it should go in.

I trust I have made myself crystal clear.

I shall now lie down and try and calm myself before the post arrives in the morning.