What was so different in 1982

I'm a big fan of my apartment. It's really big (1200+ square feet), it has fantastic views, and it's convenient to buses and grocery stores. There are some things that aren't great... the washer and dryer are only slightly quieter than jet engines, the southwestern exposure causes the apartment to get really hot even on cool days, and the carpets need a good cleaning. I can deal with all of that, but the shallow sink is starting to drive me batty.



You can see that the sink isn't even as deep as a standard stadium cup. It's about 5 plates deep, which makes it impossible to actually clean anything without getting the counter or my pants wet. If there is anything in the sink (and since it's used by two dudes who hate cleaning, there always is) you can't even fill the Brita.

What I want to know is who would ever design such a poor solution to a problem that has existed since plumbing came inside. Seriously? My grandmother's sink is really deep, and I think it's been there since the 60s. There is no obstacle that would necessitate a shallow sink in my case.

If anyone has a solution to this (that doesn't include installing a new sink), let me know.