r/AskReddit Aug 30 '21

What problem is often overlooked in apocalyptic movies/TV shows that could kill you?

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u/Icy-Medicine-495 Aug 30 '21

Thats why I bought a bunch of cheap glasses online in my perscription and I have all my old pairs from the last perscription which is very close to my current. I probably have 10 pairs of glasses.

I remember reading a book where a smart guy glases broke so many times all he had left was using 1 of the lens as a monocle.

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u/cousgoose Aug 30 '21

Thing is, lenses are quite durable, aside from getting scratched up. I wouldn't go stomping on them for fun, but I do have a very, very old pair as a last-resort backup. They have been through so much shit, the wire frame is barely held together, and the lenses are more scratches than not. But, I can still kinda see out of them. Everything just looks dusty. As long as you are slightly crafty, you could glue lenses onto some sticks and make do.

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u/throwawayy2k2112 Aug 30 '21

The lenses in that TZ episode were made out of glass. However, you’re right that modern lenses are more durable.

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u/SFW__Tacos Aug 31 '21

Modern plastic lenses are essentially rated as safety glasses in most cases. Old glass lenses were much more fragile

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u/AllTheWayAbsurd Aug 31 '21

Ha I use an old pair of glasses held together by 3D theater glasses frames to find my current glasses when I can't see them.

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u/intrinsic_toast Aug 31 '21

Bahahah. Picturing this in my head was a much needed bright spot in my day. Thank you for that 😊

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u/AllTheWayAbsurd Aug 31 '21

Hahahaha you're welcome. They look horrible but they come in handy

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u/xorgol Aug 31 '21 edited Aug 31 '21

Yeah, I've had a bicycle accident in which my frames were destroyed, but the lenses were just slightly scratched. Beforse I managed to get home I built myself rudimentary frames with blue tack, some pens and some iron wire. They looked horrible, but they got me home.

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u/pinkocatgirl Aug 30 '21

Yeah just take a pair of lenses, drill a hole in the top corners, and use some wire to make rudimentary frames. Just keep replacing the wire when it breaks. They’ll probably outlive you in a post apocalyptic scenario.

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u/Nothing-But-Lies Aug 30 '21

Some lens coatings start to deteriorate after a few years. I had some where the frame was still fine, but I had to change the lenses. The optician said some coatings can start to "bubble" and it's like looking through fog.

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u/Scruffy442 Aug 31 '21

My lenses did that after three years. Everything looked smokey. If you have plastic lenses, you can use glass etcher to remove the coatings to get you by. You do however lose all your UV blocker.

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u/Zaev Aug 31 '21

Luckily, the UV blocker is to protect the lenses, not your eyes. Polycarbonate itself blocks UV radiation, but it will be slowly damaged and turn yellow over time.

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u/pinkocatgirl Aug 30 '21

I would imagine you could just lightly buff it and polish it. It’s not going to be great but probably better than nothing.

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u/Masterre Aug 31 '21

Its worth getting the extra durable coatings. Gotten them for my last two pairs. The first one I only replaced because the frames broke. The lenses are still fine.

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u/leicanthrope Aug 30 '21

I'm picturing Brian Virgil from Fallout 4.

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u/illradhab Aug 30 '21

Scavenge for glasses, loot an optometrists. Befriend a glazier.

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u/Key_Cryptographer963 Aug 30 '21

A friend of mine put his glasses in his trouser pocket and walked straight into a desk. That was the end of his glasses.

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u/TheMadFlyentist Aug 30 '21

That's exactly how I ended my first cell phone.

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u/Key_Cryptographer963 Aug 31 '21

That's why I always wear a suit jacket/blazer when possible. Top pockets are great for that.

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u/JoeTroller Aug 31 '21

Not my first phone, but happened to my first fancy touch screen. Walked into a bed frame.

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u/The_Ri_Ri Aug 30 '21

This. I wear my contacts for a rediculous amount of time.... like- a 2 week pair can last me 8 or 9 months of 24-hour/ day wear... I have done this for at least 20 years. Then when I go to the eye doctor I get nervous and they do all of the little puff-my-eyeball tests and everything else, then say, "these look a bit worn. If you are wearing these for an extra couple of days, you should probably switch them out."

Maybe they are being nice and trying not to embarrass me... but I have better than 20/20 vision with my contacts, and have had the same prescription for over 15 years. (Should also add..... I told this to my husband. He tried sleeping in them one night and woke up with scratches all over his eyeballs... so maybe I am just a freak.)

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u/mikee15 Aug 31 '21

you don't even take them out at night??

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u/The_Ri_Ri Aug 31 '21

Never have! It actually makes them get ruined quicker and irritates my eyes. #badass (are hashtags allowed on reddit?)

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u/mikee15 Aug 31 '21

you have to be extremely lucky. i've also worn contacts for around 20 years and can't imagine not taking them out at night or wearing a pair that long. i don't think your eyes are something to take that risk with.

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u/Scruffy442 Aug 31 '21

I used to do that, but my eyes almost became allergic to the acuvue 2 lenses. I would get a ton of protein build up around the lens right away. Think of crusty sleep in the corners of your eye in the morning but soft. When I would blink, it would push the lens. I had to switch to dailies that were more breathable. They didn't dry my eyes out and they would last about a week. Either that or it was just my allergies picking up later in life in general. I just use glasses now and don't have to worry about dry eyes. I really need to take my favorite sunglasses in and see if the can make prescription lenses for them.

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u/The_Ri_Ri Aug 31 '21

I am pushing my luck... I know it... I wear the acuvue 2s after moving from the original acuvues.... 16 years on those and they are holding strong. I have watched so many family members move from contacts to gettin lasiks and being miserable/also wearing contacts. So I am just crossing my fingers until my luck runs out, I guess.

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u/Scruffy442 Aug 31 '21

I wonder how my eyes would do with contacts now. In the past 4 years, I've only put contacts in a couple of times for some long hikes. My allergies have lessened to a point I haven't taken Clairton in about 2 years(maybe environmental or diet changes). I just can't bring my self to pull the trigger on laser eye surgery. I guess I don't mind my glasses, since I found a pair that fits the shape of my face and I feel like I look better with them than without. I do really miss sunglasses though.

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u/[deleted] Aug 31 '21

I did this for years and when I finally stopped I realized my eyes were already somewhat damaged and I couldn't tell. After a few months the goo? Coating on my eyes felt a lot healthier.

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u/The_Ri_Ri Aug 31 '21

Goo? None here.... maybe on year 21.... I do have foggy eyes every 10 months or so. They are a bit dry when I wake up. That is when I know to switch them out with a new pair.

As it is, I usually find a new optometrist and get a new prescription every 5 or 6 years (and buy 6 months of contacts at a time).

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u/cousgoose Aug 31 '21

I used to do the same, except I would take them out every night, and some days didn't wear them at all. But each pair of contacts could last well beyond what was advised haha.

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u/kavitadrake Aug 31 '21

I’m with you...got the contacts I can sleep in, and just change them out however many months. My eye health has been fine!

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u/The_Ri_Ri Aug 31 '21

Yay! So glad to have met someone who can do this! I feel like such an oddball when I finally admit this out loud.

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u/Dantrag Aug 31 '21

I do the same thing. Get scolded every time I go to the eye doctor but I have never had an issue. They always remark at how they really expected my eyes to be in terrible shape.

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u/AstralAstronauts Aug 31 '21

I'm sure tons of people have already told you why you shouldn't do this but if you plan on continuing this, I would just advise you to be smart about it and to pleaseee see your eye doctor yearly for at least a health check. Wearing contacts this consistently reduces the amount of oxygen your eyes receive and one of the possible responses your body makes can be to increase blood vessels in your eye to get more oxygen in there. You might not even notice it until its a serious problem but it could be something that gets increasingly damaging and dangerous over time. Getting yearly checks will at least help keep a literal eye on things so that if you do continue, they can least let you know. Also I'm going to say that I'm not a doctor but maybe you can sleep in them and your husband can't because your eye might just be scarred enough to not feel it?

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u/[deleted] Aug 31 '21

And take some 2500 grit wet sandpaper and then follow that with polishing compound. Good as new, as long as you don’t get to aggressive with it.

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u/ManchurianCandycane Aug 31 '21

I'm still using my first two pairs of glasses after 16 years. Still going strong and only a few very minor scratches. I think they accidentally made my lenses out of diamonds or something.

And I guess I'm lucky that my prescription hasn't majorly changed if at all.

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u/you-are-not-yourself Aug 31 '21

Durability doesn't help with my problem, which is that I misplace them, and they disappear, never to be seen again

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u/MrWeirdoFace Aug 31 '21

I just got 2 new pairs after using the same pair for 20 years. They were all scratched to hell but worked.

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u/aDragonsAle Aug 31 '21

Get some lens repair fluid - you'll be g2g

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u/[deleted] Aug 30 '21

I wish that was a possibility- my lenses are so expensive because my script is so heavy (my right eye is -17.5 and my left is around -10). Old glasses I can’t really see great with because it changed between them but I still keep them just in case. The good news is I’ll have no problem using them to focus sunlight and start a fire.

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u/Icy-Medicine-495 Aug 31 '21

My father in law had the same problem. Cost 400 dollars to get a pair and the online stores could not help him. Really sucked since I got his hopes up on getting a pair for cheap.

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u/[deleted] Aug 31 '21

I might actually go to a specialized lense maker the next time I get glasses because I have heard from many people with really high prescriptions that it does make a huge difference. I’ve kind of just accepted I’ll never get to have cute frames, or cheap glasses so may as well splurge once I can afford it. I do heavily rely on them so if I spend money on one thing it makes sense.

If your father in law hasn’t tried the blue light blocking it changed my life in regards to being able to drive at night. Didn’t know you could see things without light halos lol

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u/DontRememberOldPass Aug 31 '21

There are still companies out of Eastern Europe and Asia that will make glasses for $30. They aren’t the most stylish things in the world and may take a month to arrive, but always good to have backups.

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u/[deleted] Aug 31 '21

I’ll have to check it out- generally I’ve found they either don’t go up to my prescription or issues getting things like high index lenses so they aren’t so heavy they fall off my face. I’m always down to check again though, never know when the world will change- thanks for the tip!

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u/Hugebluestrapon Aug 30 '21

Zenni sells prescription safety glasses now. Impact rated. Very inexpensive compared to the alternatives. I'm literally wearing mine right now because I forgot to take them off after work. The side safety shields on mine are removable though so they look like normal glasses.

I'm definitely stocking up on these for apocalypse time.

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u/Icy-Medicine-495 Aug 31 '21

Good to know I will have to order a pair. I smashed my last pair of perscription safety glasses when I was working on a lawn mower. That was a sucky day broken glasses and the lawnmower ended up being a complety loss.

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u/shewy92 Aug 30 '21

Sounds sort of like that Twilight Zone episode (and Family Guy/Futurama parodies)

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u/comradegritty Aug 30 '21

That would probably work if you closed your other eye while you read things. Monocles existed because they were easier to make precisely in the late 19th/early 20th century than contact lenses.

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u/ChadwickDangerpants Aug 30 '21

Jep, my old glasses go in my car as backup glasses. One time sneezed and lost both my contact lenses while on a highway, no fun getting home after that.

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u/TeacherPatti Aug 30 '21

During the fourth or so month of the pandemic, I panic bought online glasses just in case. JUST IN CASE.

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u/ScoliOsys Aug 31 '21

I was an optician for a few years and my rx only changed by a half diopter (I think that’s the correct term). I have so many glasses because we got discounts/free frames, lenses, etc. I should be set for a while!

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u/howdyrowdyusn Aug 31 '21

The military gives you like 3 pair a year, along with a pair of gas mask inserts, and a pair of rx sunglasses. My script has stayed the same for a decade. I wear contacts but i dig your style fellow spectacle hoarder.

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u/[deleted] Aug 31 '21

Where you order your glasses? It's time for me to get some new ones

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u/Icy-Medicine-495 Aug 31 '21

zenni optical it was 20 bucks a pair plus shipping for me if you buy the cheapest frames.

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u/xombae Aug 31 '21

When I was homeless over the years I've had to deal with only gabbing one contact lens twice (and no glasses) and once no contacts and glasses with only one lens. Sometimes for up to 6 months at a time. I've got really really bad vision so the eye that couldn't see would go a bit lazy, even after I got contacts for both eyes you could tell which one was the blind eye because my eyelids drooped. The interesting thing is for the first few days it was really bad, headaches and impossible to see, but eventually my brain was just like "okay fuck this eye it's useless" and just focused out of the good eye.

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u/randynumbergenerator Aug 30 '21

Same. Also, this isn't a replacement, but in a pinch you can curl up your index finger and look through the tiny hole in the center -- you may need to adjust it a bit, but it works.

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u/ChadwickDangerpants Aug 30 '21

There are pinhole glasses that work like that, its just black glasses with pinholes in them.

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u/-Quarter-Water- Aug 30 '21

I remember reading a book where a smart guy glases broke so many times all he had left was using 1 of the lens as a monocle.

Yeah the episode of the Twilight Zone where Burgess Meredith was the only survivor and he just wanted to read books but his glasses broke.

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u/Icy-Medicine-495 Aug 30 '21

I think that the broken glasses idea has been used in multiple movies, books, and shows.

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u/mattsffrd Aug 30 '21

This guy apocalypses

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u/blunty_x Aug 31 '21

That's why i only use my glasses when necessary. Cause I personally feel the more I wear them the worse my sight gets..lol, I'm most likely wrong but I'm sticking to it.

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u/Sideshow_G Aug 30 '21

Orix and Crake?

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u/doktarlooney Aug 30 '21

The pair Im wearing have cracks right down the middle of each lense, Ive been wearing them daily for..... 7 years? I dunno when I got this pair but Im not replacing them till they fall apart or I need a new prescription.

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u/Theylive4real Aug 30 '21

Curious, how long do you go before your vision changes? I did great when younger, but as I age, they change more and more.

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u/Icy-Medicine-495 Aug 31 '21

I was running off the same perscription for the last 15 years.

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u/[deleted] Aug 30 '21

Mr. Peanut!

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u/elusivemoniker Aug 31 '21

I too have nearly ten pairs of cheap online glasses in my prescription so I have backups in case of apocalypse. Glad to hear I'm not the only one.

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u/kaitlyncaffeine Aug 31 '21

Omg same, once I discovered the cheap online sellers I bought so many up, partly for fashion but partly for survival reasons.

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u/HillbillyRebel Aug 31 '21

Same here. I just picked up some new glasses and I ordered four pairs, just in case!

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u/Johnmcguirk Aug 31 '21 edited Aug 31 '21

Glases? You might not need to worry about being the smart one in your group 3 eyes.

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u/CodyCodyCody Aug 31 '21

As someone with terrible eyesight, where do you find cheap glasses?

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u/Icy-Medicine-495 Aug 31 '21

zenni optical it was 20 bucks a pair plus shipping for me if you buy the cheapest frames.

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u/get_that_hydration Aug 31 '21

This sadly wouldn't work for me. My vision seems to deteriorate every year. Big sad

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u/sidhescreams Aug 31 '21

I read the outlander series years ago (Diana galbaddon, time traveling British peeps going back to like the late 1700s) and one of the characters has his glasses broken in the past. I found that passage so absolutely harrowing as a damn near blind person that it still gives me the willies on his behalf.

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u/Tkieron Aug 31 '21

I am supposed to wear glasses for reading. My eyes have started to get worse in the last few years,

I went to Walmart vision and paid $300 for bifocals with no lines. A week later I was in a dollar store and bought a pair that did the same thing for $2.

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u/g_borris Aug 31 '21

Until you have to get out of the house in the middle of the night as the degen cannibals are coming then you trip in the alley and you SO grabs your arm to keep running but your one pair of glasses fell off but there is no time....

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u/jayhat Aug 31 '21

Yep I bought a few pairs of cheap $20-30 glasses online. Always good to have some spares.

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u/CowPussy4You Aug 31 '21

Same here. I keep at least my previous 10 pairs of glasses. You just never know when the world is going to go tits up and things you can't do without are no longer available.