Things That Drive You Crazy Part 46

[RedsFan75]

Ok, here's one that unique to where I live. I drive by 2 schools on my way to work. 1 middle schoole and one that is a middle school and high school in the same lot of land. It's a rural area, and there's ALWAYS a line of cars at the school, as it seems very few people let their kids ride a school bus these days.

School # 1 is always busy but not too bad to get by. School #2 however is insane. The street by the school is a 2 lane with a center turn lane. No lights to allow people to enter or exit the school parking lot. There is usually a long line in the center turn lane waiting to turn into the school, while there is also a long line in the parking lot trying to get out of the school and in a lot of cases cross traffic.

My peeve, and it happens frequently every morning. Someone will stop and allow the traffic waiting to turn to go. This of course opens the flood gates and it ends up stopping traffic for several blocks, even out to the main thoroughfare clogging the 4 lane main road. A lot of times a car will stop to let someone turn and after about a dozen or so cars go pass, they don't even turn into the school but continue down the street!

Makes my drive to work here, 10 miles from my house, more stressful than when I lived near Eastgate and took 275 to Blue Ash!

But maybe it's just me!

[919191]

I used to date a girl who would pull up to the bank drive-up window, and then fill out het deposit ticket and endorse her check. Really held up the line. Even if she was behind another car in line she would not start anything.

[paintmered]

People who drive 15 mph under the speed limit while yapping on their cell phone. I happens to me at least three times a week on a country road that's too busy to pass. It's 7:00 in the morning. Who could you possibly need to talk to already?

Also, left lane vigilantes and trucks who pass each other on the highway because one is traveling .5 mph faster than the other. Three miles later, the truck finally gets around. Nevermind the trailing half mile of cars held up in the process.

And my personal favorite highway pet peave: when merging, the car behind me tries to pass right when the pavement of the onramp meets the highway pavement. Then, he (usually a young guy in a "pimped" out beater and one of those noisy mufflers) stays in the right lane so now I can't merge into traffic and have to slam on my brakes so there isn't a massive pileup.

Oh, and electronics tech support people that think I know absolutely nothing about the products I'm talking to them about. Look, I'm an electrical engineer - I know more about this than you do. Please just send me the replacement part. I had one guy try to explain to me the purpose of the AC adapter once.

Last week, my hard drive in my laptop failed (a dell, btw). I had a new hard drive on my doorstep the next afternoon (a good thing). Problem is, they sent me one that was half the size than the one I had to begin with. Two hours and fifteen minutes on the phone later, I finally had the tech support convinced they sent me the wrong hard drive.

[creek14]

Eww, y'know what I really hate?

When it's like 105 degrees, and you see a dog or child stuck in the car in a parking lot. That makes me want to pick up a shopping cart and throw it through the window so the dog/child can get out.

Makes you want to? Heck, I've done it. Twice. Well not a shopping cart, but I have this cool little escape hammer tool thing and it works really really well.

[OldRightHander]

Driving seems to be the main topic of choice. Since I ditched the office job and started driving a few months ago, I have been doing about 300-450 miles a day and I see plenty.

1. The left lane is for passing and the right lane is for slow pokes, not the other way around.

2. I drive a larger vehicle and need more stopping distance. Don't cut in front of me and then hit your brakes and assume I can stop as quickly as a car.

3. Just because my vehicle is higher than yours doesn't mean you must get around me at all costs only to slow down once you're in front of me.

4. If you see a sign that a certain lane is going to end soon and then you want to stay in that lane until the last possible moment, don't get mad if I don't let you over in front of me when you run out of lane.

5. What's so hard about figuring out when it's your turn to go at a four way stop.

6. Pedestrians downtown. You have crosswalks to walk in when you need to cross a street and you have a light that tells you when you can walk. What's so blasted difficult about that? I almost hit a pedestrian the other day and he started yelling at me like I was the one in the wrong when he was crossing the street in the middle of the block where there was no crosswalk.

Now on to things not related to driving.

1. I'm with Puffy about people handing change back. Don't give me the paper money with the coins stacked on top. I like to put them away separately. I have started dropping the coins every time a clerk does that. It's easy to make it look accidental and it's a good way to make the clerk have to go back into the register for more change and hand it to you separately.

2. The use of plural pronouns when speaking of one person. They, them, their, and theirs refer to more than one person. It's basic grammar.

3. How hard is it to have your checkbook out and the check at least partially filled out before you get to the register, especially if you've been in the line for a few minutes and had all the time in the world to do it.

4. When women use the words never or always. Men, you know what I mean.

[Rojo]

3. How hard is it to have your checkbook out and the check at least partially filled out before you get to the register, especially if you've been in the line for a few minutes and had all the time in the world to do it.

Why are people still even writing checks?

[Ltlabner]

Just flew back in from a sales meeting. This generated some more "things that drive me nuts". These have prob already been covered.

1) People who are rookies at the security check in line. I realize not everybody flys often so there is going to be confusion. No problem at all with that. But instead of telling every person in the security check line that you've never done this before, that you think it's a real pain (because the rest of us really love the process....) and generally complaining the whole time, why don't you listen to instructions and move the line along. Yes, you need to take your belt off, yes you need to take your shoes off (at least in Cincinnati) yes, you need to take your laptop out of the case. Yes, you should be keeping an eye on your children and moving them along.

2) When it's time to board the plane, running right up to the front of the line will not get you to your destination any quicker. Wait for your "zone" or group of rows to be called and then walk up. It's ok. The plane will not leave without you.

3) When you get on the plane, there is really no cell phone conversation so important that it can NOT be intrupted for several minutes so you can manuver your bags into the overhead bin, and get situated in your seat. End your conversation prior to trying to juggle your phone, breiftcase, purse, and starbucks down the narrow isle. You will get hung up and not be able to quickly get in your seat. It holds up the rest of the people behind you.

3A) There is really no cell phone conversation so important that the plane can't leave the gate because you refuse to listen to the instruction to turn the phone off and keep blabbing away. Turn the phone off in the gate area prior to bording and get your messages when you land in a couple of hours. The world will continue to function in your absence.

3B) I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR ULTRA IMPORTANT PHONE CONVERSATION. And cellphones are pretty good now, you don't have to yell. The other person can hear you, I promise.

4) If you are nervous about flying and want to talk to someone to calm your nerves, please be courtious. I'll be glad to chat and take your mind off things. But if I have a laptop on working on something, or I have my headphones on don't just start talking and force me to listen to you. I will ignore you and cut off the conversation.

5) Once the plane lands there is really no need to fire up the cellphone the second the wheels hit the ground. The world made it through your hour or two long silence. It will hold on another few minutes. I say this because.....

5A) Please don't try to wrestle your bag, purse, and coffie up the isle while yacking on your phone. See item 3 above.

6) Once the plane gets to the gate there is really no need to jump right up into the isle. This isn't a race. You will not win a prize if you get off the plane one person ahead of me. In fact, doing this slows down the process of offloading the plane and will slow you down. I understand if you need to stand up because your back/legs are hurting but if you think you are going to sneak ahead of someone else by jumping right up you are really making a mess of things.

7) If you have not been to this airport previously, PLEASE for the love of God, please do not stop exactly at the end of the jet-ramp to get your bearings and figure out where you are going. Chances are good that there are a number of people walking up the ramp right behind you and stopping will only jam them up. Simply walk a few feet past the end of the ramp and there will be plenty of signs and directions on where to go.

[savafan]

Makes you want to? Heck, I've done it. Twice. Well not a shopping cart, but I have this cool little escape hammer tool thing and it works really really well.

No repercussions?

[TeamCasey]

I'll add to the airport one - if you get on the people movers ...... MOVE or make way for a person to walk by you. I use that thing when I'm in a hurry.

A note on airport security - I find it a little confusing too, because each airport is different. I just try to do whatever the person in front of me does.

People who stroll and/or stop short. I call them mall walkers. It could be at a festival or any hallway. They walk together and don't let anyone by. Please recognize that I'm in a hurry and let me by.

[i_heart_jason]

Makes you want to? Heck, I've done it. Twice. Well not a shopping cart, but I have this cool little escape hammer tool thing and it works really really well.

why does that NOT shock me?


and of course no repercussions. have you MET her?!?!?! she's creek. she'd even kick Adam's butt, if he got out of line.




(luh you creek)

[vaticanplum]

Just flew back in from a sales meeting. This generated some more "things that drive me nuts". These have prob already been covered.

1) People who are rookies at the security check in line. I realize not everybody flys often so there is going to be confusion. No problem at all with that. But instead of telling every person in the security check line that you've never done this before, that you think it's a real pain (because the rest of us really love the process....) and generally complaining the whole time, why don't you listen to instructions and move the line along. Yes, you need to take your belt off, yes you need to take your shoes off (at least in Cincinnati) yes, you need to take your laptop out of the case. Yes, you should be keeping an eye on your children and moving them along.

2) When it's time to board the plane, running right up to the front of the line will not get you to your destination any quicker. Wait for your "zone" or group of rows to be called and then walk up. It's ok. The plane will not leave without you.

3) When you get on the plane, there is really no cell phone conversation so important that it can NOT be intrupted for several minutes so you can manuver your bags into the overhead bin, and get situated in your seat. End your conversation prior to trying to juggle your phone, breiftcase, purse, and starbucks down the narrow isle. You will get hung up and not be able to quickly get in your seat. It holds up the rest of the people behind you.

3A) There is really no cell phone conversation so important that the plane can't leave the gate because you refuse to listen to the instruction to turn the phone off and keep blabbing away. Turn the phone off in the gate area prior to bording and get your messages when you land in a couple of hours. The world will continue to function in your absence.

3B) I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR ULTRA IMPORTANT PHONE CONVERSATION. And cellphones are pretty good now, you don't have to yell. The other person can hear you, I promise.

4) If you are nervous about flying and want to talk to someone to calm your nerves, please be courtious. I'll be glad to chat and take your mind off things. But if I have a laptop on working on something, or I have my headphones on don't just start talking and force me to listen to you. I will ignore you and cut off the conversation.

5) Once the plane lands there is really no need to fire up the cellphone the second the wheels hit the ground. The world made it through your hour or two long silence. It will hold on another few minutes. I say this because.....

5A) Please don't try to wrestle your bag, purse, and coffie up the isle while yacking on your phone. See item 3 above.

6) Once the plane gets to the gate there is really no need to jump right up into the isle. This isn't a race. You will not win a prize if you get off the plane one person ahead of me. In fact, doing this slows down the process of offloading the plane and will slow you down. I understand if you need to stand up because your back/legs are hurting but if you think you are going to sneak ahead of someone else by jumping right up you are really making a mess of things.

7) If you have not been to this airport previously, PLEASE for the love of God, please do not stop exactly at the end of the jet-ramp to get your bearings and figure out where you are going. Chances are good that there are a number of people walking up the ramp right behind you and stopping will only jam them up. Simply walk a few feet past the end of the ramp and there will be plenty of signs and directions on where to go.

Airports are where I decided that everyone on earth, no matter how shy, has an inner diva. No matter how "quiet" a person may be, put him in an airport with a phone, and he feels perfectly comfortable shouting and letting everyone in the world into his private conversation, with no thought to what's going on around him. I don't know if I'm alone in this, but I ALWAYS feel self-conscious having private conversations in public, and I am most definitely not shy. You HAVE to be aware that someone is actively listening to your conversation -- hence my diva conclusion. How do you people feel about this? Do you ever extend your cell phone conversations in public, or do you try to keep them limited, and does it bother you when other people speak loudly right next to you about things that are clearly not urgent?

Everything else you said about the airport is spot-on. There's not a place on earth where people irritate me more than the airport. Except maybe the bank.

[Gainesville Red]

I hate when someone insists on waiting for a parking space thats ten feet closer to the grocery store.

Instead of just parking in an available space, they wait with their blinker on while someone unloads their shopping cart, gets in, puts on their seatbelt, put it in reverse and backs out. You could have been in the store already, God forbid you take an extra six steps today.

[Ltlabner]

Do you ever extend your cell phone conversations in public, or do you try to keep them limited, and does it bother you when other people speak loudly right next to you about things that are clearly not urgent?

VP,

I hate to use my cellphone in public. And I am in sales! I try to limit my conversations, move away from people so I don't bother them or they can hear me and often times will not answer a call in public until a better time.

I HATE that people seem to think they are having a really interesting conversation and that we all must absoutley hear about their dinner plans and how to get ring-around-the-collar out of dress shirts.

This new fad of having a bluetooth headset has only diven me to a new level of irritation. I am convinced that these people really do think they look cooler and more impressive with those glued to their ears. And they leave them on when in stores, walking through the airport or wherever. Again, I am convinced they do this mostly to get noticed.

[dabvu2498]

I hate when someone insists on waiting for a parking space thats ten feet closer to the grocery store.

Instead of just parking in an available space, they wait with their blinker on while someone unloads their shopping cart, gets in, puts on their seatbelt, put it in reverse and backs out. You could have been in the store already, God forbid you take an extra six steps today.

That might help counter-act the 6 dozen Krispy Kremes they're about to buy. Can't have that.

[TeamSelig]

People that walk in through the "Exit" on the automatic doors. Go through the right side, idiot.