Concept library

Pressing lock on your car key five times doesn't lock the car five times.

You check the fridge before driving to the store for milk.

The breaker in your fuse box trips before an overload becomes a fire.

One guard at the corridor beats a pass check inside every room.

A metro station closes its gates before the platform overflows.

A ticket counter reopens and the whole crowd rushes the window at once.

One trip to the store with a full list beats a hundred trips for one item each.

A letter dropped in the outbox tray never gets forgotten, even if the mail runner comes later.

The bank teller knows your face, but still asks for a signed slip.

A bouncer can't check the guest list for someone whose ID he hasn't looked at yet.

A hotel guest doesn't carry a copy of the master key. The hotel itself vouches for which door opens for them.

A supermarket cashier sets aside the item with no barcode instead of holding up the whole line for it.

After a blackout, the power company doesn't flip every house back on at the same instant. Homes come back a few at a time.

A warehouse doesn't hand every delivery driver a copy of the same master badge. Each driver gets their own, so one can be switched off without touching the rest.

A travel agent who can't get you a hotel room doesn't leave you holding a flight with nowhere to stay. They cancel the flight too.