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Science

Wearing a Tie May Cause Blindness! 441

An anonymous reader noted that there finally is some science to justify not wearing a tie! Doctors have found that wearing a tie too tight causes pressure on the jugular vein, which leads to a build-up of pressure in the eyeballs. Such pressure rises have been linked to glaucoma, which causes blindness. Now, if only some kind researchers could get us all out of wearing pants at the office, we'd be set!
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Wearing a Tie May Cause Blindness!

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  • by sweeney37 ( 325921 ) * <mikesweeney.gmail@com> on Tuesday July 29, 2003 @09:57AM (#6558585) Homepage Journal
    Now, if only some kind researchers could get us all out of wearing pants at the office, we'd be set!

    I'd just like to remind you, you're the one working with CowboyNeal [cowboyneal.org], not us.

    Mike
  • by Hairy_Potter ( 219096 ) on Tuesday July 29, 2003 @09:58AM (#6558600) Homepage
    I work with lots of fat, pasty software devs, I'd rather not see them pantless.

    If we could take pot-breaks to combat blindness, well, now you're talking.
  • as (Score:5, Funny)

    by radja ( 58949 ) on Tuesday July 29, 2003 @09:58AM (#6558601) Homepage
    for wearing pants: they're optional. you are also allowed to wear a skirt, kilt or dress.
    • Re:as (Score:5, Funny)

      by TheMidget ( 512188 ) on Tuesday July 29, 2003 @10:07AM (#6558697)
      Do you have to wear underwear under your kilt?
      • Re:as (Score:5, Funny)

        by GnuVince ( 623231 ) on Tuesday July 29, 2003 @10:08AM (#6558715)
        Only if your reputation would be totally destroyed if your genitals were exposed
      • Re:as (Score:3, Funny)

        by Anonymous Coward
        "Nothing is worn under a kilt. It's all in perfect working order."
      • Re:as (Score:5, Funny)

        by interiot ( 50685 ) on Tuesday July 29, 2003 @10:58AM (#6559146) Homepage
        A more appropriate question would be: What are you wearing under your kilt? And the answer: shoes!
      • Re:as (Score:4, Informative)

        by csteinle ( 68146 ) on Tuesday July 29, 2003 @12:23PM (#6560349) Homepage
        If it's a rental, yes. You don't know where it's been.

        If it's your's, it's optional. Personally, I find the wool of the tartan can chafe, so I usually do. Particularly when attending weddings, as there can be alot of dancing involved.

        (As a side issue, always remember to move your sporran before dancing. A bouncing sporran can cause undue wincing.)

        Oh, and kilts are babe magnets.
        • Re:as (Score:3, Informative)

          Ah, you're not a real Scotsman then. Didn't your momma tell you to saw a square of silk to the inside of the front of the kilt? Perfect solution to the chaffing problem, plus its sanitary as well!

          • Re:as (Score:3, Informative)

            by csteinle ( 68146 )
            Born in Glasgow, brought up just south of Inverness, now live in Edinburgh. Scottish enough? And no, I don't know your great uncle Wullie :-)

            There's actaully a big patch of cotton on the inside of mine. Us poor Highlanders can't afford silk. That's for you soft 13th gen ex-pats. Still more comfortable with undercrackers.

            And it's not "momma" in Scotland. I think you'll find it's "Maw". :-)
    • Kilts (Score:4, Interesting)

      by Jim Hall ( 2985 ) on Tuesday July 29, 2003 @12:15PM (#6560249) Homepage

      for wearing pants: they're optional. you are also allowed to wear a skirt, kilt or dress.

      I own two kilts, and I do wear them to work sometimes. For casual wear, great for summer weather, buy a Utilikilt [utilikilts.com]. They're not very expensive. Check out these Top 10 Reasons for Wearing a Kilt [utilikilts.com].

      Afraid you'll look silly in something that looks like a skirt? Don't be. Wearing a kilt shows a sense of security with yourself, and you will inspire much debate in others.

      Overweight? Not a problem. Order one with a Beer Gut Cut. The beer gut cut is for guys who carry a little extra weight down in front. You can order a single, or double (God help you), beer gut cut.

  • by ninthwave ( 150430 ) <slashdot@ninthwave.us> on Tuesday July 29, 2003 @09:58AM (#6558603) Homepage
    I rarely were pants(British) to the office. No one ever seems to notice here.
    • by Anonymous Coward

      Werepants?

      Is that some kind of horrible pant-based creature that can only be destroyed by silver scissors?

  • No problem here... (Score:5, Interesting)

    by TopShelf ( 92521 ) * on Tuesday July 29, 2003 @09:58AM (#6558604) Homepage Journal
    It would be interesting to find out what portion of /. readers where ties regularly. I'd guess the figure would be very low, somewhere under 5%. When I got my first office job back in 1986, wearing ties every day was the norm. In my case, that changed around 1994 (thank goodness)...
  • Glaucoma huh? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by RPI Geek ( 640282 ) on Tuesday July 29, 2003 @09:59AM (#6558607) Journal
    I hear that marijuana can cure glaucoma ... maybe that's another solution :)
  • by buro9 ( 633210 ) <david&buro9,com> on Tuesday July 29, 2003 @10:00AM (#6558615) Homepage
    ... so providing you wear a looser necked shirt and tie... there's no reason to actually not wear a tie.

    not quite the strength of argument for me to bash my boss with health and safety law!
    • by TopShelf ( 92521 ) * on Tuesday July 29, 2003 @10:09AM (#6558723) Homepage Journal
      That's the amazing thing - the majority of guys don't really wear shirts that fit correctly. Either they just don't have the time/care to make sure, or vanity (this used to fit) gets in the way...
    • by bear_phillips ( 165929 ) * on Tuesday July 29, 2003 @10:17AM (#6558795) Homepage
      You are right. But can anyone answer this. Whenever I go to get a suit, the salesman always picks a shirt that seems to be way to tight in the neck. I have to basically tell him I don't care what size he thinks I need and get a larger neck size. Is having a tight fit around the neck considered in fashion?
    • there's no reason to actually not wear a tie.

      You misspelled something there -- the word "not" should be replaced by ^H^H^H.

      Hope this helps.

      I haven't worn a tie to work for more than 11 years. The last time I wore a tie for business purposes was for an interview that seemed to go well -- I was interested in the work, they seemed to be interested in me... The next morning I got a call from my headhuntress who told me that the company definitely like my qualifications, but that I "didn't fit their image;
  • Er... (Score:4, Funny)

    by Obiwan Kenobi ( 32807 ) * <evan@misterFORTR ... m minus language> on Tuesday July 29, 2003 @10:00AM (#6558618) Homepage
    Now, if only some kind researchers could get us all out of wearing pants at the office, we'd be set!

    Judging by the general clientele of slashdot, myself included, I'm hoping that this never comes to pass.

    Think of the co-workers, I tell you.

    Remember kids: Graphic, disturbing images can cause hysterical blindness.
  • by AtariAmarok ( 451306 ) on Tuesday July 29, 2003 @10:01AM (#6558622)
    "Now, if only some kind researchers could get us all out of wearing pants at the office, we'd be set! "

    Researches funded by the William Jefferson Clinton Foundation are feverishly working on this one, don't worry.
    • Studies have already linked tight fitting pants to a lack of sperm motility.

      So just tell your boss that wearing pants infringes on your right to reproduce. . .altough I can't say I recommend doing so on company time. Clinton might have some advice along that line.

      KFG
  • by seinman ( 463076 ) on Tuesday July 29, 2003 @10:02AM (#6558636) Homepage Journal
    Nobody here wants to see that.
  • Pants (Score:3, Funny)

    by nmg196 ( 184961 ) on Tuesday July 29, 2003 @10:02AM (#6558639)
    > if only some kind researchers could get us all out of wearing pants at the office

    Using the British definition of the word "pants" (underwear/briefs) this proposition seems EVEN LESS sensible!
  • by Dr. Bent ( 533421 ) <ben&int,com> on Tuesday July 29, 2003 @10:02AM (#6558640) Homepage
    I guess this explains why most CEO's can't see past next quarter's earnings report. If only the corporate culture at Worldcom and Enron was a little bit more casual...
  • Bah! Pants in the office! Only in winter, dammit!
  • by proverbialcow ( 177020 ) on Tuesday July 29, 2003 @10:03AM (#6558647) Journal
    "I hope he tells us to burn our pants, cause these things are really riding up on me."

    and later on...

    "Don't you hate pants?!"

    pcow
  • Now, if only some kind researchers could get us all out of wearing pants at the office, we'd be set!

    I don't think I'd mind wearing a kilt to work, though the wool would be kinda scratchy. And a bit warm, too, in Alabama's summer weather. Still, the US military services do have their own tartans, so it could even be considered "in uniform." :)

  • by HiredMan ( 5546 ) on Tuesday July 29, 2003 @10:03AM (#6558651) Journal
    I've been trying to start pantless Fridays at the office for quite some time...
    Hawaiian shirt Fridays is as far as I've gotten but it's just not the same.

    =tkk

    • "mmm....yeah...this Friday is hawaiian shirt day, so if you want, go ahead and wear a hawaiian shirt and jeans..." - Quoth the Lumberg
  • First off, I heard this on the radio this morning, /. you are disappointing me (I also heard about the terrorism betting).

    Second, management in general needs to relax. Hopefully the tightness around their necks causes glaucoma and because there are entirely too many managers out there, this will force the legalization of medical marijuana and and end to the pressure of glaucoma! :)
  • uhoh (Score:5, Funny)

    by falconed ( 645790 ) on Tuesday July 29, 2003 @10:03AM (#6558657)
    let's see... wearing a tie makes you go blind...

    *takes off his belt*

  • Funny.... (Score:3, Informative)

    by whiteranger99x ( 235024 ) on Tuesday July 29, 2003 @10:04AM (#6558659) Journal
    Now, if only some kind researchers could get us all out of wearing pants at the office, we'd be set!

    I find that funny for CmdrTaco [slashdot.org] to say that, given his sig says "Pants are still optional, but recommended for you."
  • Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)

    by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Tuesday July 29, 2003 @10:04AM (#6558660)
    Comment removed based on user account deletion
    • Re:wearing pants? (Score:3, Insightful)

      by IANAAC ( 692242 )
      I think in general, dress-code has relaxed everywhere. When I was a kid my dad worked for an airline, which meant we could fly basically free. The catch was that we could not wear jeans. We had to wear slacks. Boy has THAT rule been relaxed. I look at what people wear on a plane now and think all americans are slobs. I've seen bathing suits and flip-flops on international flights. I realize when we travel we want to be comfortable, but it would be nice to have a happy medium. We're not in our living
      • Re:wearing pants? (Score:3, Insightful)

        by multimed ( 189254 )
        I have to say that I'm more in favor of comfortable attire on an airplane than anywhere else. You're packed in close proximaty to a bunch of people, breathing recirculated air, and then (no disrespect to aerospace engineers) throw in the fact that you're miles above the ground in something that weights hundreds of thousands of pounds. I say anything that can help people relax is a good thing. I suppose though, bathing suits are a bit over the top. I recently discovered how much more relaxing a flight is
    • Dress code harm (Score:3, Insightful)

      by The Tyro ( 247333 )
      Dress codes can actually hurt you, particularly if put in place by folks who are more concerned about form than function.

      For instance, I never, ever wear a tie at work, because it's hazardous to my health, and that of others... let me explain. Working in emergency services puts me in contact with all sorts of antisocial, psychotic, and generally dangerous characters. Ever look at a tied necktie and say to yourself "hmmm... that looks kind of like a noose..." Well, you're right, it does. It also ACTS li
  • by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 29, 2003 @10:05AM (#6558679)

    Soo.. since I wear no tie, I have in practice "negated" the blinding effect of masturbation?!

    Or was that... <checks palms>

  • Warning: Wearing a tie while masturbating will double your chances of going blind...
  • Dress code (Score:2, Interesting)

    by kongjie ( 639414 )
    Currently I'm unemployed by choice. I'll bet this sounds stupid, but one of the reasons I'm reluctant to pursue my former career path (higher education administration) is that a jacket and tie are usually required dress.

    One on hand it's no big deal, but on the other I really, really would prefer to wear khakis and a short sleeve button-down or polo shirt. I hate having to dress up! At my last job I gradually downshifted my dress code but that took a couple of years of inculcating my bosses to the change. I

  • by nuwayser ( 168008 ) <pete&tux,org> on Tuesday July 29, 2003 @10:06AM (#6558687) Homepage Journal
    Keeping Your Pants On Curbs Population Growth!

    Wearing Wedding Rings Makes Fingers Fall Off!

    Squeezing Stress Balls May Aggrevate Repetitive Stress Disorders!

    Cleaning Your Keyboard Can Extend Your Lifespan!

    Wearing Dress Shoes Sucks!

    Reading Slashdot Constantly Can Lead To Blindness!
  • Small point but .. (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Mr_Silver ( 213637 ) on Tuesday July 29, 2003 @10:06AM (#6558694)
    .. wearing anything too tight can damage you in some way.

    This is possibly one of the most useless bits of "research" for a while and i'm amazed it didn't come out of a UK university.

    My old Uni announced to a great fanfare that they had provded that "the smell of food made people hungry". Another one was that "people look fatter on television than they really are".

  • by Bostik ( 92589 ) on Tuesday July 29, 2003 @10:06AM (#6558696)

    Casual friday [snafu-comics.com] all week long?

    I could live with that...

  • Also (Score:5, Funny)

    by Znonymous Coward ( 615009 ) on Tuesday July 29, 2003 @10:07AM (#6558699) Journal
    Women wearing shirts and bras will get breast cancer. Please consider removing them ASAP to help cure cancer!

  • Get a decent one (Score:5, Interesting)

    by shplorb ( 24647 ) on Tuesday July 29, 2003 @10:08AM (#6558709) Homepage Journal
    I recently purchased myself a suit, it is properly fitted for me. Consequently it is very comfortable to wear and I enjoy wearing it with a tie. Another advantage is that girls like men in suits. =]

    One thing that I have found is that the combination of the shirt collar and tie encourage me to sit with correct posture, otherwise I can feel them cutting into my throat. This is a good thing.

    Of course, you could always wear a 'clip-on' tie or bow-tie (how come I only see doctors wear them?) which also have certain personal safety benefits - like not having to worry about being killed/maimed if it gets caught in a shredder =]

  • Insert joke about choking your ___ leading to blindness.

  • We can now 'fight the cancer' AND leave our ties at home, thanks to recent research. As for speculation on going blind in the process, no fear - simply take that tie off and there's balance in the world!

    Brilliant. Love it when old prejudices are, ahum, beaten off.
  • Such pressure rises have been linked to glaucoma..

    Yeah, that's what I have officer, glaucoma from wearing this tie. Can you give me back my medicine now?

  • Oh man, I can see it now; Every geek who wants to go without a tie or does not want to wear shoes, or who thinks that washing their ass should be optional, is going to extrapolate shit like this into claims of a hazardous workplace environment.

    "Shoes are bad for my back, and for that matter, my toes need to BREATHE"

    "Deodorant is toxic poison, you cant make me use it, and you cant fire me for what occurs natually in nature; I KNOW MY RIGHTS!!!!"

    "Did you take my red stapler, asshole?"

    Yep, this is gr

  • by adzoox ( 615327 ) * on Tuesday July 29, 2003 @10:14AM (#6558773) Journal
    It's not ties that cause blindness ... it's people doing stupid stuff that causes blindness. Welding without a welder's mask can cause blindness ... read that doesn't say WELDING causes blindness. The article may have been written by someone (or ispired) that was fired from a tie factory! Don't wear a tie or a shirt that doesn't fit you ... don't worry about it. Same analogy: is McDonald's making people fat or are obese eaters making themselves fat?
  • by BobRooney ( 602821 ) on Tuesday July 29, 2003 @10:15AM (#6558778) Homepage
    This is why I love being a programmer at a little company: my "corporate uniform" typically includes a hawaiian(sp?) shirt, shorts, and sandals (with or without socks). The more tacky the shirt the better; it screams "I sit in front of a computer all day and I love it!"...unfortunately it also screams "I'm single and have no burning desire to attract women". On occasion you'll be suprised and women won't run away screaming upon seeing your tacky polyester hawaiian shirt...
  • by mblase ( 200735 ) on Tuesday July 29, 2003 @10:15AM (#6558780)
    "Wearing your tie too tight could put you at increased risk of blindness, say doctors."

    So buy some shirts with an extra half-inch in the collar, guys.

    Y'know, current trends in fashion notwithstanding, I like neckties. They break up an otherwise monotonous dress shirt, and give us white-collar male workers an easy way to add some multi-colored style to our two-color uniform. They just plain look professional. And they're only uncomfortable if you're wearing them wrong, or if your collar is too small.
  • I'd hate to see what would happen to your eyesight if you masturbated with a tie on!

    Thank you, thank you. Drive safely and make sure to tip your waitress.
  • Shirt tucking, and dress shoes. I never had to wear a tie anyway, except for a long time ago at a grocery store.
  • i agree with Taco - by saying "pants" im sure he means "slacks, or dockers etc...". i HATE pants - the company that i work for allows colored jeans and polo shirts. i wear (dont laugh) black jeans to work every day...

    i think that the IT industry should come up with a dress code that actually lets you crawl around on the floor under a desk etc... that makes some stinkin sense.

    a T-shirt, jeans, sneakers and some sort of smock or whatever its called. Like the ones that they wear in the hospitals etc... and they would have to be nice jeans and sneakers. not the shit you have left over from high school with your ass sticking out and sneakers that are no longer the original color that they were purchased as...

    and im SERIOUS!!! i think that this should become a norm... i hate being in the data center and working on the UPS or racks or up in the ceiling with light colored polo shirt on that i spent 30 bucks for. when im done - its done. im sure this has happened to everyone. it pisses me off. the wife bitches that she cant get it clean etc...

    and i dont care if its "professional" or not. im a "professional" no matter what im wearing - and wouldnt it be nice if you could be comfortable all the time???

    /rant off... sorry i get a little wired when i talk about workplace clothing... :)

    duke

  • by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) on Tuesday July 29, 2003 @10:22AM (#6558831)
    Comment removed based on user account deletion
  • Now, if only some kind researchers could get us all out of wearing pants at the office, we'd be set!

    Now isn't that just like the slashdot editors...always have to put in some snarky comment to take a dig at the company that won't let you go pantless. You call this journalism!?

  • by ryanvm ( 247662 ) on Tuesday July 29, 2003 @10:24AM (#6558852)
    Now, if only some kind researchers could get us all out of wearing pants at the office, we'd be set!

    As this time-travelling picture [angelfire.com] from the year 2006 shows, the pantsless office policy at Slashdot was not such a great idea.
  • by elliotj ( 519297 ) <slashdot&elliotjohnson,com> on Tuesday July 29, 2003 @10:35AM (#6558944) Homepage
    Geez, is there anything I can do that doesn't make me go blind!?!
  • by HerbalSpiderMonkey ( 679139 ) on Tuesday July 29, 2003 @10:49AM (#6559056)
    Recently, we have heard that:

    1. Masturbating keeps your prostate healthy.

    2. Eating pizza helps prevent cancer

    3. Not wearing a tie can preserve your eyesight

    Bout time we had a run of good news :D
  • Conformist behavior (Score:5, Interesting)

    by dark-br ( 473115 ) on Tuesday July 29, 2003 @10:55AM (#6559119) Homepage
    I remember starting a job and having my first all-hands meeting with that employer. The boss informed us that a couple VIPs were coming the next day and he wanted all the men to wear ties and all the women to wear dresses. After the boss left I mentioned to the woman sitting next to me that I wasn't going to wear a tie because I didn't wear ties and the company had no dress policy. She looked at me in disbelief and insisted that I was going to wear a tie. When I again stated that I didn't wear ties I saw a vein nearly pop in her forehead. Her blood pressure nearly doubled.

    "We'll see about that" she said with an angry look on her face as she ran to the boss' office to tell him of my criminal behavior. I walked over to the office and popped my head in the door.

    "The secretary says you won't be wearing a tie tomorrow" he stated with one eyebrow raised.

    "Sorry, but I don't wear ties" I replied.

    "Okay, I didn't hire you for your looks and thanks for letting me know" he smiled.

    The secretary nearly passed out when I didn't get the death penalty for not wearing a tie. Till this day I have never seen conformist behavior quite like that.

  • This has been known for a long time. Consider the peacock's tail... a large decoration that attracts the female of the species not because of its brilliant colours, but simply by its size. The larger the tail, the stronger the peacock.
    The same goes for the tails of the birds of paradise, the longer the tail the more danger the bird is in, and more attractive to fenales.
    This is "dangerwear", and in its extreme human form, comes in the form of military uniforms.
    Women like to look at men in suits because if you can survive a day of strangulation, you are by definition tough, and that's good, somehow.
    (I'm not sure why the ability to bear suffering is attractive to women, but nature has its reasons, I guess.)
    However, scientifically this can be measured. Half the geeks wear a tie and suit for a month, the other half wear comfortable shorts and sandals. At the end of the month, who got more sex?
    Far-fetched, I know, but just maybe...
  • Necktie Origins (Score:4, Interesting)

    by heli0 ( 659560 ) on Tuesday July 29, 2003 @11:52AM (#6559834)


    In 1660, in celebration of its hard-fought victory over Turkey, a crack regiment from Croatia (then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire) visited Paris. There, the soldiers were presented as glorious heros to Louis XIV, a monarch well known for his eye toward personal adornment. It so happened that the officers of this regiment were wearing brightly colored handkerchiefs fashioned of silk around their necks. These neck cloths, which probably descended from the Roman fascalia worn by orators to warm the vocal chords, struck the fancy of the king, and he soon made them an insignia of royalty as he created a regiment of Royal Cravattes. The word 'cravat', incidentally, is derived from the word 'Croat'. It wasn't long before this new style crossed the channel to England. Soon no gentleman would have considered himself well dressed without sporting some sort of cloth around his neck -- the more decorative, the better.

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