47 Wildly Good Ideas From Around The World That Need To Be Implemented Everywhere STAT

    If a restaurant doesn't have light-up menus, I don't want it.

    1. If my gym had a giant screen playing movies in a dark room, I would be going to the gym a LOT more often.

    People exercising on treadmills in a dark room while watching a movie on a large screen

    2. This library noise guide, which turns red if you're being too loud, could be helpful in a ton of other places where you're supposed to be quiet, too. Not to sound like a curmudgeon, but people are too gosh darn loud these days!!!

    Noise level indicator with green light on top and explanatory sign with "Too Loud," "Getting Loud," and "Good" levels

    3. As someone who hates making small talk with cashiers, I would actually love this self-checkout that comes on your cart.

    Self-checkout screen on a shopping cart with "Skip the line" prompt and a payment terminal beside it

    4. This would be SO much easier than trying to wave a waiter down.

    Service button with icons for bill, cancel, and calling a server

    5. Whoever suggested putting different road types in a stroller store — so you can test how well each stroller rolls on various surfaces — deserves a raise.

    A variety of strollers on either side of a showroom aisle with different floor textures, including wood and stone, for testing

    6. This obstacle course to test hiking shoes is similarly an excellent idea.

    Wooden pallet steps inside a store creating an impromptu display or testing area

    7. Another excellent idea? This mini fake airplane in a luggage store to make sure your new luggage will fit where it needs to.

    Airline cabin mockup with seats and overhead compartments for customer service training

    8. This would be PERFECT for me, who always goes grocery shopping hungry, even though I KNOW I'm not supposed to.

    Sign at a store offering 'Free fruit' with the text 'Nobody should shop hungry! Fuel up. Shop on.' Bananas and oranges are pictured

    9. I love this idea to reduce food waste.

    Bananas packaged in bags labeled "Ripe for Banana Bread" in a shopping cart, internet humor shown

    10. While I think school supplies should be free, this vending machine for cheap school supplies, in case you forgot yours, is a good start.

    Vending machine selling notebooks for $0.75 and pencils for $0.25 in a school hallway

    11. This bar with one-way glass so you don't miss any of the game while you're peeing would be perfect for any big match.

    Interior of a men's restroom with urinals and televisions mounted above

    12. Light-up menus would be SO helpful in every divey restaurant/bar I've ever visited.

    A photo of an open menu in a dimly lit restaurant, with text too small to read details

    13. This guy with a UV-powered hat with a built-in fan is living in a whole other century than the rest of us.

    Person with a large-brimmed straw hat with a fan on the crown, in a sunny outdoor setting

    14. This cafe with little kiddie pools under each table would be perfect for those hot summer days.

    Outdoor cafe tables set in large inflatable pools for physical distancing

    15. I'll take one of these janitorial robots for my home, please.

    16. This hidden wireless charger on a park bench would be a game changer for everyone like me, whose iPhone battery seems to drain in minutes.

    Wooden plank with a burned-in Wi-Fi symbol, next to a spray can, on an outdoor bench

    17. This pen that shows you how many pages of ink you have left would've been a life-saver back when I was in school and would run out of ink in the middle of a test.

    A pen with multiple-choice buttons displaying exam answer options from A to E on lined notebook paper

    18. As someone who likes the idea of chopsticks but can never quite get the hang of them, I think this is so clever and an excellent way to ensure extra utensils don't end up in the trash.

    Hand holding a bent fork with takeout food containers in the background

    19. I'm in awe of this cafe that looks two-dimensional.

    Room interior designed to look like a 2D sketch with outlined furniture and decor

    20. Maybe this isn't functionally cool, but as a book-lover, I NEED this bench in my home one day.

    Public bench designed to resemble an open book with historical images and text on pages

    21. This also isn't functionally cool, but this bar in Denver with a Lite-Brite table feels like the future I would've wanted as a kid.

    A bar counter with an intricate, multicolored light display, casting vibrant reflections. No people in the image

    22. This discreet sign at a library for anyone who doesn't feel comfortable asking a librarian for help finding books on these topics is just such a good, compassionate idea.

    Sign listing various helpline categories with corresponding phone numbers for assistance

    23. Why doesn't all food have clear cans so I can see what it looks like and if it's still good???

    Two cans of seafood, one with sardines and the other with salmon, opened on a wooden surface

    24. I'm gonna need every battery to have USB ports from now on so you can easily recharge them.

    Hand holding a AA and a AAA battery for comparison

    25. Listen, I'm happy people bring their dogs everywhere but using one of these would be much appreciated when I'm at Trader Joe's on a busy Sunday evening, and there's not even enough room for PEOPLE.

    Sign above pet-friendly shopping carts indicating a place for pets while shopping. Carts have enclosed sections for animals

    26. Every grocery store should have a little chart like this that shows when things are in season because I never know.

    A chart showing seasonal availability of various fruits and vegetables

    27. I also love the idea of these mirrors at restaurants, so you can actually see your food being made.

    28. My mom would love the idea of a bike cop who just rides around handing out helmets to kids who forgot (or refused to wear) theirs.

    Person on bicycle with trailer labeled "Bike Cops for Kids" wearing a reflective jacket, passing a bus, near a "Do not turn on red" sign

    29. Every elevator should have buttons on the floor outside so you can press one with your foot when your hands are full.

    Elevator buttons and braille on a brick wall, indicating floor levels with up and down arrows

    30. This train that plows snow is honestly genius.

    Front view of a vintage streamlined steam locomotive at a railway station at night

    31. I don't understand why we don't have Tylenol and Motrin in EVERY bathroom for when you get a headache or cramps in public.

    Vending machine dispensing medicine packets: Tylenol, Advil, Alka-Seltzer. Prices range from $0.75 to $1.50

    32. This is such a clever idea so that next time I don't have to take a photo, send it to my mom, and ask her, "is this ripe?"

    Close-up of a sticker on a papaya with the words "Organic, Eating Color" and a UPC code

    33. This library with a UV cabinet for storing toothbrushes and utensils is a great idea for students who must stay late studying or even overnight.

    Vending machine filled with various face masks in a public area

    34. I absolutely need every store that sells wine to have a chilling service like this that works in literally just three minutes — especially during the summer.

    Wine bottle chilling station with instructions and a top opening for cooling bottles

    35. I need every Uber driver to have a "ride menu" so you can choose how you want to spend your ride.

    Menu with various 'rides' offering life lessons and experiences, named with themes like trust, giving, and personal change

    36. I can't believe it took until now for chocolate makers to discover a straightforward way to indicate what's in each chocolate, and I'm going to need all other chocolate-makers to follow suit.

    Assorted chocolates in a box with a flavor guide card on top

    37. This restaurant bill that comes automatically split would save me SO much time.

    A tapas bill with a split bill calculator for different group sizes, on a wooden table

    38. Every school should absolutely do this.

    A person holding two stacked transparent food containers with a meal visible inside

    39. And every restaurant should offer a discount for well-behaved kids.

    Receipt showing a discount line item for "Well Behaved Kids," with a total savings of $5.72

    40. Finally, a way to get your dog to look at the camera!

    Animated characters, boy with clipboard and dog with stick, on a Selfie STIX pack. Text too extensive to summarize

    41. This glass jar with markings so that it can be reused as a measuring cup is an excellent lesson in reducing, reusing, and recycling!

    Jar of vanilla-flavored meringue cookies with ingredient list and price tag on label

    42. Using old milk cartons as cup holders is also a great way to reduce waste.

    A coffee cup atop a carton of MILKLAB almond milk on a counter

    43. It's always annoying to get a parking ticket, but I'd feel much better about them if I could pay them off with food donations.

    Two parking citations with violation details visible, one labeled 'Donations & Citations', the other from a university

    44. Libraries truly are just gems, especially when they rent out wayyy more than just books — like this one that rents out cake, bread, and muffin tins!

    Shelves stocked with cake pan sets, sign reads "Library Cake Pan Catalog" and informational flyer

    45. As someone who has never, ever washed their sneakers, I think this sneaker washer and dryer would be very useful after long runs outside.

    Front view of a specialized sneaker washer and dryer machine with pricing and instructions labels

    46. This watch that can easily turn into a bracelet when the lights are off is a low-key genius idea.

    A wrist wearing a digital watch with illuminated red LED bars to indicate the time

    47. And finally, this is such a simple idea, yet I've never been somewhere that does it. More nets for lemons, please!!!

    Plate with two pieces of fried fish and chips, garnished with parsley and lemon. Tartar sauce on the side