Pencils and erasers

We've all used them,

Pencils.

Some of us use them everyday, some of us use them on occasion, some of us haven't held one in our hands since finishing (or dropping out) of high school. After all, pens are much cooler than pencils.

Today I realized something very important, maybe. The makers of those generic yellow pencils with the little pink erasers are jokers. Really they are. They make fine pencils, pencils you could write all day with provided you have a pencil sharpener handy. But ever try to use the other end of it; the little pink nub that's supposed to make your mistakes dissapear? Of course you have; we all have. And surely most of us have regretted it.

Lets face it people, the pink erasers that come attached to the end of wooden pencils are practically useless. I don't say completely only because they do allow you to smudge your writings beyond recognition, which could be considered as erasing. But nobody wants smudges.

My question is why?

Why do pink erasers never work properly?
Why do manufacturers put them on the end of their pencils anyways?
I just thought of this, but why, if the pink erasers are made to erase use with a particular type of pencil or a particular type of paper, is that not clearly indicated on their packaging?

Because most of us will never stop trying out the little pink erasers when a trusty white one isn't available, which happens more often then you'd think, pencil manufacturers are jokers. They might also be the devil, but that's debatable.

Take care.

R.