Sometimes I get myself up to some Extremely Petty Shit. Today is just one of those days, and it concerns the 2019 Mini John Cooper Works Hardtop I had recently. The car was (largely) great! There was just one problem on the inside that made me want to scream.
It concerns the volume knob. I commend Mini’s designers for still including this soon-to-be-ancient relic, as other automakers seem hellbent on removing it altogether. Knobs are good. Knobs provide tactile feedback you don’t need to look at to understand. Keep the knobs.
This knob is located smack in the center of the console. It is helpfully labeled with the symbol for power, thus indicating that you can push it to turn the radio on or off, as well as control the volume.
There’s just one problem. The power symbol spins with the dial. It’s not fixed. Just—why?
Look, here it is at rest. Normal-looking.
And here it is if you leave it turned. What in green piss-fire is this about?
It’s straight-up turned the wrong way. You can’t just adjust the volume level and then leave the power upside like that, pointing at your knees. If you do, you’re a monster.
I made a quick video, too, to illustrate how ungodly this is.
Does this not also make you see red? Does it not make your blood boil? Does it not smash apart the neat and orderly little day you carefully set up for yourself in your head that morning? Or is this just me?
Look, all I’m saying is we live in a society. It’s hung precariously on order. That’s what separates us from the animals. Well, that and also our thumbs. If we don’t have order, we descend into chaos. The line really is that thin. Just fix the damn power symbol to the 12 o’clock position!