Editing 2297: Use or Discard By

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==Explanation==
 
==Explanation==
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{{incomplete|Created by a BOT, used and discarded by a cruel master before its time. Please mention here why this explanation isn't complete. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
  
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Many products carry a "Use By", "{{w|Expiration date}}", "Discard by" or similar date.  The date shows the latest date by which the product has been verified to provide its expected use. For example, a foodstuff will have a "consume by" date, showing the date after which the food may be unsuitable for eating. In most cases, this will be a conservative estimate, and the useful lifetime can be significantly extended by proper storage.
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Many products carry a "Use By", "{{w|Expiration date}}", "Discard by" or similar date.  The date shows the latest date by which the product has been verified to provide its expected use. For example, a foodstuff will have a "consume by" date, showing the date after which the food may start to be spoiled and unsuitable for eating. For most products, this is a conservative estimate, especially if a product is kept sealed and stored in a cool, dark place, so (as people are finding, with the difficulties in shopping during the COVID-19 outbreak) food or soap may be perfectly usable even though it is past the expiration date -- what this really means is that the manufacturer has not chosen to validate the longevity of its product that far.
  
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One of the issues around expiration dates is that the language used is decided on by the manufacturer, making them highly variable and often ambiguous. Some have explicit instructions to the consumer, such as "use by:", others have instructions to the seller, such as "sell by:", still others say things such as "best by:" or "freshest before:". This can make it confusing how important it is to avoid using a product past a given date.
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In this cartoon, two similar emergency {{w|flare gun}}s, an item typically used to send out distress {{w|flare}}s, have slightly different expiry instructions. One has an instruction to "use by or discard by" a specific date (in this case, three days after the date of publishing).  The other has an instruction to "use by" this date. Though these generally have the same meaning, Megan interprets the latter as encouraging her to use the device even though it might not be necessary. The danger of this is if the user misuses the device (and so summons first responders inappropriately to a non-emergency situation) or goes into a dangerous situation for the purpose of using the device..
  
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For many consumer goods, the expiration dates are of minimal importance, and using them afterward risks nothing more than a drop in quality. In certain cases, however, they can have safety implications. Some foods, if kept too long, become dangerous to consume. Medications can lose their potency over time, and relying on them past the expiration date could put a person's health at risk.
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The title text similarly indicates that Megan intends to follow the same instructions with a can of {{w|bear spray}}. Since there are no bears where she lives, she will go camping in an area known to be inhabited by bears and leave her food out to attract their attention, so that she may use the bear spray to repel bears before it "goes bad".
  
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In this comic, two similar emergency {{w|flare gun}}s, an item typically used to send out distress {{w|flare}}s, have slightly different expiry instructions. One has an instruction to "use by or discard by" a specific date (in this case, three days after the date of publishing).  The other has an instruction to "use by" this date. These two phrases almost certainly have the same intent. The older flares are, the less reliable they become, so the manufacturer recommends regularly replacing unused flares with working ones, to ensure that working flares are available in case of an emergency.
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Expiration dates have also been mentioned in [[737: Yogurt]], [[1109: Refrigerator]], and [[2178: Expiration Date High Score]].
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[[Megan]], however, seems to take the latter instruction literally, as an order to actually fire the flare gun prior to the expiration date, whether or not it's necessary. It may be taken that she <em>wants</em> the experience of firing a flare, and takes that instruction as an excuse to do so.  [[Cueball]] immediately objects to this line of reasoning. Firing a flare unnecessarily is generally a bad idea. It could summon emergency responders to a non-emergency situation, diverting emergency resources that may be needed elsewhere.  Even worse, if a flare is fired improperly, or in an unsafe direction, it could cause a fire and/or injuries, ironically creating an emergency situation, rather than signaling one.
 
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The title text similarly indicates that Megan encountered similar instructions on a can of {{w|bear spray}}.  Since there are no bears present, she intends go camping and leave her food out to attract bears, so that she may use the bear spray to repel them before it "goes bad". Clearly, this would be a bad idea. While bear spray is a useful emergency measure, there are many reasons why it could fail to protect the user, which would risk severe injury or death. Even if the bear spray effectively protected Megan, deliberately baiting wildlife so that you can repel them with a painful irritant would be irresponsible and cruel. In both cases, the humor derives from the language that appears to instruct the use of an emergency product, even if no emergency has occurred. In both cases, taking such instructions literally would risk causing injuries, rather than preventing them.
 
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Expiration dates (for food) have also been mentioned in [[737: Yogurt]], [[1109: Refrigerator]], and [[2178: Expiration Date High Score]].
 
  
 
==Transcript==
 
==Transcript==
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{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}
  
 
:[Megan stands in the middle of the panel, holding two flare guns, one in each hand.]
 
:[Megan stands in the middle of the panel, holding two flare guns, one in each hand.]
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:Cueball [off-panel]: I forgot we had those.
 
:Cueball [off-panel]: I forgot we had those.
  
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:[Cueball sitting at a desk, working on a computer.]
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:[The panel pans over to Cueball sitting at a desk, working on a computer.]
 
:Megan [off-panel]: This one says "Use or discard by Apr 25 2020."
 
:Megan [off-panel]: This one says "Use or discard by Apr 25 2020."
 
:Cueball: Okay...
 
:Cueball: Okay...
  
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:[Megan holds up one of the flare guns looking at it. She holds the other flare gun by her side.]
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:[The panel pans back over to Megan, who is holding up one of the flare guns looking at it. She holds the other flare gun by her side.]
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:Megan: But '''''this''''' one just says "Use by" ...
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:Megan: But ''this'' one just says "Use by" ...
 
:Cueball [off-panel]: '''''No.'''''
 
:Cueball [off-panel]: '''''No.'''''
  
 
== Trivia ==
 
== Trivia ==
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* Twenty-seven years ago exactly ([https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1993/04/22 April 22, 1993]), ''Calvin and Hobbes'' made a similar joke about expiration dates on milk.  Obviously the humor has a very long shelf-life.
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* This comic shares some similarities with [[1821: Incinerator]], particularly in the last panel.
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Twenty-seven years ago exactly ([https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/1993/04/22 April 22, 1993]), ''Calvin and Hobbes'' made a similar joke about expiration dates on milk.  Obviously the humor has a very long shelf-life.
  
 
{{comic discussion}}
 
{{comic discussion}}
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
 
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]

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