Ketchup Bottles

Remember the old school ketchup bottles that used to be in every restaurant (and are still in some)? They're the ones that can be hard to get the ketchup out of, if you don't know exactly how to tilt the bottle. The ones that occasionally let nasty ketchup water out on your burger and fries. The ones that give a great smacking sound when you hit the bottom. I miss those ketchup bottles. Those ones are the best ones. Classic and unmistakable.

Remember when America got lazy and decided it was too much work to shake the bottle to eliminate the water on the top and then get the ketchup out? I don't know exactly when it happened (a few years back?) but most major ketchup brands switched to the lazy upside-down bottle, like this one...

The benefit of the new bottle is supposed to be easy squeezing and no ketchup water. Since the cap is actually on the bottom, the water floats to the top, away from the cap, which means no red water on your fries. Or at least that is the idea. Back in my day we just shook the bottle, and got great ketchup every time. But whatever, that's not the point. I am all for ease and simplicity. If something can be made easier, go for it. The thing I hate is that every time I see this type of bottle, it's not being used the way it was designed to be used, and as a result, all benefit it supposedly has, is eliminated. Every time I see those bottles, they are like this...

We are such creatures of habit that we place the top facing upwards because that is what seems right. Then, we get ketchup water when we go to use it. (I say we, meaning the human race, but I do not do this). If I wanted ketchup water, I would just go back to the old bottles and then I would know that the bottle needed to be shaken before I used it. It seriously irritates me to see this in restaurants and refrigerators. Would you put a jar of mayo upside-down after you're finished with it? Look, the cap is made wide enough to balance the bottle and the logo is made to be right-side-up when the cap is on the bottom, it really isn't that complicated. Just flip it over and we can all be happy.