SH*T’s FUCKED
WHAT DO WE DO NEXT?

I went to Paris once during a day when part of the city was closed to cars. What I remember wasn’t the bikes or the people. It was hearing birds. In Paris. I’d like cities where hearing a bird isn’t a special event. Anonymous, 44, France

I’d love it if every street had one big dinner once a week. Nothing fancy. Someone makes pasta. Someone brings bread. Kids run around. You don’t need to be friends with everyone. You just need to know their names. 62, Italy

At my work we get new laptops every 3 years whether we need them or not. Mine was honestly completely fine. I asked if I could just keep it and apparently that creates some kind of security problem. No idea where the old ones go. We also have an environmental committee. 41, Australia

I don’t want flying cars. I want fewer fucking cars. 19, Netherlands

Used to work closing shift at a supermarket and the amount of food we threw out was insane. Like genuinely insane. Bread, fruit, sandwiches, whole roast chickens sometimes. We weren’t allowed to take any of it home because apparently that was stealing. Still think about that. 24, Australia

Why does every house in my street own a drill? I use mine maybe twice a year. Same with ladders, pressure washers, camping stuff, trailers. I’d make a little shed at the end of every street full of all the things you occasionally need. Also somebody there who knows how to use them because I […]

My company moved into a new office because we wanted people to come back after covid. Then everyone complained about the commute so now most people still work from home. The office is enormous and mostly empty. We have two full floors. On Tuesdays it’s busy. Anonymous

I would make it normal to say: “I’ve finished everything I need to do today so I’m going home.” That’s it. That’s my utopia. Office worker, 31

My boss prints emails. Not important emails. All emails. Sometimes he writes a response on the printout and gives it back to me to type. I’m submitting this because I need somebody else to know this is happening. 33, New Zealand

My mum is 78 and lives alone in a four-bedroom house because the alternatives are basically apartment by herself or retirement village. She doesn’t need aged care. She needs people around. I’d build tiny houses around shared gardens with old people and young people and families all mixed together. And a big table. She’d hate […]

We pulled out our kitchen because it looked dated. There was absolutely nothing wrong with it. I remember standing there while they smashed up the cabinets thinking, this is fucking ridiculous. Then I chose the new benchtop. So yeah. Homeowner, Melbourne

Every nature strip should have fruit trees. I don’t know if this is practical. There are probably rats and council rules and people will email me about fallen lemons. I don’t care. Free lemons everywhere. 51, Australia

My daughter’s school talks constantly about healthy eating but there is ten minutes allocated for lunch. Ten. She regularly comes home with most of it untouched because apparently they need to get outside. I don’t understand why everything involving children has to be rushed. Mum of two

School should start later for teenagers. Everyone knows teenagers need more sleep and then we make them get up at 6.30. This seems like something aliens would find very confusing. 16, USA

We spent nearly a year developing our ESG strategy. Then the business had a bad quarter and every project in it that cost money got postponed. The strategy still looks excellent. Sustainability person who should probably remain anonymous

Sometimes I order something online for $8 that I could walk ten minutes and buy locally because I can’t be bothered putting shoes on. Then I get annoyed about packaging. I realise I am part of the problem. 29, Canada

We have meetings about why everyone is too busy. That is the confession. Project Manager

I flew business class to Dubai to speak on a panel about climate change. There isn’t really anything else to add. Executive, UK

When something breaks I want to take it to a person who fixes it. Not Google the model number, discover the part isn’t sold, watch seven YouTube videos, give up and buy another one. There used to be people who fixed things. Let’s have those people again. Dad, 48

I’d just like my kids to disappear for a bit Not disappear disappear. I mean I wish they could leave the house after breakfast and roam around like we did and I didn’t have to know exactly where they were every second. Ride bikes. Knock on doors. Go to the park. Come back when they’re […]

What if Friday was just… optional? Not for nurses and hospo and people who actually need to be somewhere obviously. But for office jobs. We have invented so much technology that supposedly saves us time and somehow we still work five days. Where did the saved time go? 27, Ireland

There’s a shop near me that’s been empty for maybe four years. FOUR YEARS. I would make a rule that after a year anyone can use an empty shop until the owner finds a tenant. Pop-up library. Kids’ stuff. Bands. Pottery. Whatever. An empty building shouldn’t be more valuable than people doing things in it. […]

I think I’d like us to get better at doing nothing. Not monetising hobbies. Not tracking steps. Not listening to podcasts at 1.5 speed while cooking. Sit on a chair. Look out the window. Maybe that’s what I’d change. 34, Australia