Do this! Do that!

I am one of those people who usually reads instructions.  I faithfully follow along step by step, completing one task before going on the next.

I expect instructions to be coherent and complete.  (Except at the Dumass company where I work and where the IT staff routinely omits at least 1 crucial step in every set of directions they distribute.) 

Well, as a patient once told me, people in hell want ice water too but they ain't gettting that either.

This weekend I bought a surge protector that has 2 outlets for items you want to leave plugged in all the time (like clocks) and 6 others that you can turn off when not in use (like video games).  It came with a remote control.  I read the instructions, set it up, plugged in my electronics, and tried the remote. Nothing happened.

I thought to myself, "Surely this thing runs on batteries."  I read the instructions.  No mention of a battery. I read the box.  No mention of a battery.  Not so much as a disclaimer "Not included".  I looked at the remote, tried to pry off the back with a dime I found on the desk, turned it over, tried it again on the surge protector.  Nothing.  I read the instructios again. Nope, still not there.

I looked at the remote again.  Ahh, some arrows.  "This might be a clue!"  I thought and sure enough if you pushed in the direction of the arrows, the back slid off revealing a stubby little battery and a piece of plastic that needed removed in order for the remote to form a relationship with the connector.  Couldn't they just have put that in the directions?

AND I bought a USB memory stick for my computer.  No directions whatsoever on the package expect for the free software that came with it.  I pulled on both ends of the stick trying to get to the USB connector thingee.  Nothing budged.  I looked for instructions again.  Nothing.  Excep the free software that I'll probably never use.  I Googled the device and up popped some pictures.  The minute I saw them I realized one should push not pull to reveal the connector thingee.  Couldn't they just have put that on the package.  A little picture?  Anything?

I have a suspicion that all IT geeks do those things on purpose. 

Just to annoy me.