Haha!
Yesterday I went to a kiosk at the mall to get some new tunnels. This is the exchange I had with the worker.
Me: Do you guys have any 9/16 tapers? *he checks, they don't.*
Him: What size is that you're wearing? Half an inch?
Me: Yes. (I'd been using the tape method so it was only slightly above half an inch.)
Him: Then why get the taper? You can just shove them in. (referring to the 9/16 tunnels) You see, if you want to go to a half inch, you use a 7/16 taper then put in a half inch plug. For a 9/16, you would need a half inch taper. See what I mean? The taper's always a size smaller.
Oh the frustration I felt.