Pet Peeves: Aka Things That Make You Go "Gah!"

[bubbls]

Pet peeve of the day for me is all the questions I have to answer while simply trying pay for something! Is this price correct? Would you like cash back? And the latest one is if I want an email receipt. NO. I want to give you my money so I can get out. Please, Store, just let me give you my money in peace!!

Now when I do need cash back I'm glad they ask. But today in this miserable heat in this store with the air set too warm? NO NO NO. Just. Let. Me. Pay.

Edited June 13, 2015 by bubbls

[LJonEarth]

Here are my three for the month:

 

1) I've never owned a car with it, but I hate that little horn that goes off when you lock your car. If hearing it is supposed to indicate that the car is locked, why do people hit it five times? What am I missing?

 

2) People who need to move around you in a store or who need to reach across you to get something who just hover, stare and smile at you until you finally notice and move. It would be so much quicker to say "excuse me." It's not rude to ask me to move.

 

3) I leave my toilet seat down all of the time. I put it down before I flush to lessen the toilet aerosol (thanks, MythBusters!). I hate looking into a toilet bowl. Plus it solves the men vs women seat lid up or down debate. Everyone has to lift. I hate when visitors come to my house and don't leave my bathroom how they found it, with the lid up and sometimes with special "gifts." The toilet brush is right there and put my lid back down!

[Bastet]

I hate when I can't remember how someone's toilet was arranged before I got to it - lid up or down - because I like to leave it how I found it.  I like to leave the hand towel looking just as it did, too.  And if I have to put on a new roll of toilet paper, I look first to see if they're an over or an under so I can put it on the right way for them (even if it's the wrong way to me - I'm an over).

[LJonEarth]

To be clear, I'm talking about the toilet lid not the the toilet seat. I know plenty of people who keep the lid down because of pets or babies. I have a different reason, but I know I'm not alone.

Edited June 13, 2015 by LJonEarth

[Sweets McGee]

2) People who need to move around you in a store or who need to reach across you to get something who just hover, stare and smile at you until you finally notice and move. It would be so much quicker to say "excuse me." It's not rude to ask me to move.

Sorry, I do this, but hey at least I'm smiling and not giving you dirty looks! :)

 

On the store topic, people who block the entire aisle, either by standing in the middle or parking the cart on one side and standing on the other. Leave a lane, people.

[Sandman87]

Once I was typing a dictation where the doctor said the patient had taken "a ton" of aspirin. I of course put "a ton" in quotes, since it would clearly be impossible for the patient to take such a large amount of aspirin.

Is that in metric, long, or short tons?

[auntlada]

Pet peeve of the day for me is all the questions I have to answer while simply trying pay for something! Is this price correct? Would you like cash back? And the latest one is if I want an email receipt. NO. I want to give you my money so I can get out. Please, Store, just let me give you my money in peace!!

Now when I do need cash back I'm glad they ask. But today in this miserable heat in this store with the air set too warm? NO NO NO. Just. Let. Me. Pay.

The answer to do I want cash back is, "Did I give you more money than it costs?" If that answer is yes, then yes I want cash back. I'm not going to overpay just to avoid change.

I usually wait quietly for people to finish getting their stuff if I can so I don't rush them and also because I don't want to get that close to people or often even have to talk to them even to say excuse me. Sometimes that just opens the conversational floodgates, and I don't want to make small talk with strangers.

[bubbls]

I always say "excuse me" with a smile if I need something and someone is in the way. I say this as I'm reaching for the item. I'll generally also say something along the lines of "I just need to grab this and I'll be out of your way." I get what I need and they can go back to deciding without me breathing down their neck. I'm always in a hurry to get errands done so I don't have the patience to wait.

Edited June 13, 2015 by bubbls

[pandora spocks]

"On the store topic, people who block the entire aisle, either by standing in the middle or parking the cart on one side and standing on the other. Leave a lane, people."

What's worse are the "family reunions" that take place in the aisle complete with hugs and tearful sentiments. I don't like to witness such private moments. If you must have a family gathering, please rent a picnic area or find one family member gullible enough to host the festivities!

[Sandman87]

Similar to the "family reunions" in stores: In my rural neighborhood there's exactly one paved street (not counting the back ways via dirt road) connecting to the highway. Any time I need to drive out there's about a 30% chance that there'll be two cars side by side blocking the road, one facing in each direction, while the drivers sit there with their windows open and have a chat. Grrrr...

Edited June 14, 2015 by Sandman87

[Quof]

"On the store topic, people who block the entire aisle, either by standing in the middle or parking the cart on one side and standing on the other. Leave a lane, people."

 

Or the shopping en masse.   Six women enter a store - think TJ Maxx, with its narrow, crowded aisles - and proceed to travel in a pack.  All 6 of them roam together, all 6 of them stop to examine and exclaim over every item....   Really?   Do none of you have individual tastes, or shopping lists?   Are you all looking for the exact same thing?  Is only 1 of you actually shopping, seeking validation from 5 people?   Most importantly, can you not get out my damned way?

[auntlada]

That's why I hate shopping with lots of other people. They all move too slow. I like to move pretty fast through the store. It doesn't take me long to see whether I'm interested in anything there or not, even if I touch everything in the store.

[bmasters9]

"On the store topic, people who block the entire aisle, either by standing in the middle or parking the cart on one side and standing on the other. Leave a lane, people."

What's worse are the "family reunions" that take place in the aisle complete with hugs and tearful sentiments. I don't like to witness such private moments. If you must have a family gathering, please rent a picnic area or find one family member gullible enough to host the festivities!

I'm very much in with you on that one! You're not alone. 

[Quof]

I have a friend who has to stop and touch every single item in a store.  The third friend who shops with us is like me - we can stand at the front of store, case the entire joint, and determine there is nothing there we like.  Once on an exhausting trip to the mall, she went into a plus size store. My friend and I took the opportunity to sit on a bench and rest.  We made it clear she was to take as long as she wanted, we would wait as long as she asked.   In truth, we could have done every other store in the mall in the time it took her to do this one.   She later told other friends we were too embarrassed to be seen with her in a plus size store!  

[magicdog]

 

Six women enter a store - think TJ Maxx, with its narrow, crowded aisles - and proceed to travel in a pack.  All 6 of them roam together, all 6 of them stop to examine and exclaim over every item....   Really?   Do none of you have individual tastes, or shopping lists?   Are you all looking for the exact same thing?  Is only 1 of you actually shopping, seeking validation from 5 people?

 

 

Sounds like they're shoplifting and the rest are covering.

[Quof]

Nah, I really think they're just typical 20-somethings who can't do anything without constant attention and validation.  Hence the constant Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc of every second of their lives.  (I once heard the typical 20 year old's Facebook stream is "Wah, wah, wah, Look At Meeeee!.  Wah, wah, wah.) Also why, in those rare moments they are alone, they are texting.  It's like they are incapable of being alone with their own thoughts.   Kind of  like tree falling in the forest with no one there to hear it. 

Edited June 14, 2015 by Quof

[ramble]

It's like they are incapable of being alone with their own thoughts. Kind of like tree falling in the forest with no one there to hear it.

Good grief gravy this! This! A thousand times this! The incessant narration of one's life to others makes me a bit crazy. As I've gotten older I've found I need more alone time. I would consider myself an extrovert. I find crowded malls at Christmas to have a pulse that's energizing & I can usually talk to anyone if I decide I want to. My children make fun of the fact that I often chat with the checker or person in line in the grocery store. (Pet peeve cover: only if they seem like a fellow chatter. I can usually judge the ones who are being polite, but uninterested, due to studying my mom's responses, versus the ones who like chatting.) However, as the years have gone by I've noticed I appreciate longer blocks of private time & more separate space. I can't fathom needing to be surrounded by a virtual group of friends if I am doing something alone.

A friend of mine chronicles her daily life on Facebook, Instagram, etc. She also texts 10-15 people multiple times a day. Fortunately I don't participate in social media, other than a Facebook account to see what my nieces are doing at college. For a couple of years my friend would ask if I'd seen what she'd posted on various sites & then remember that I don't do social sites so she'd text me the picture or quote. Seriously? Interact with me if you want interaction. I'm right there in front of you & if I am, interact with me alone as opposed to texting, tweeting & posting what we're doing. We're still friends, but we are much less close than we used to be. She's grown closer to the women who will participate in her public pronouncements. Since I can't be linked or tagged my usefulness seems to be in question. My old age crankery is teaching me that I'd rather have fewer friends who understand friendship than many who are lightweights when it comes to being true.

Edited June 14, 2015 by ramble

[AltLivia]

The other day I was in a local store. Two people are at the front of the aisle that I'm in. They have a toddler with them. They are deep in conversation and ignoring their toddler, who is several feet ahead. The toddler then grabs the back of my cart and begins pulling. I just try to hold the cart steady because if I try to pull it away (and toddler lets go) I will fall backward and hurt myself. Or the child could be hurt. As it is, I'm struggling just to hold the cart still. The parents finally look up and say sweetly to the child, "Don't pull the lady's cart." I looked at the parents and rolled my eyes. Sorry about the attitude, but had I fallen, I would have made a seriously angry scene. I'm not babysitting your kid.  You have a toddler, roaming freely in an aisle of a store. That was your choice. I want to stay safe and uninjured. That's my right.

 

Separate pet peeve - I had a friend visit me. I take her out to a department store (similar to a TJ Maxx). Like an overstock store. My friend is a beautiful person who is plus-sized. I know that she will find something here - there's plenty of clothing, I know her style and her size. But hey, if not clothing, there are accessories, home decor, you name it! Five minutes in, friend has tried on nothing, looked at nothing, and is sobbing. "I can't fit into anything here!" 

 

I was sorry that she was so upset and I felt that I'd made her upset. Her reaction was so extreme and unexpected. Like a meltdown. I thought, "Now I have to fix this. Now I have to get you on an even emotional keel." There were plenty of other things. She didn't have to buy clothes, And if she said "Oh, I don't like anything here," I'd understand and move on. Or if she said, "I don't think anything will fit, and I'm not comfortable trying anything on. Fine. Whatever you want to do.  I want to make this a good visit. Don't sob at me. In the middle of a store." I have social anxiety. Since then, I always worry that someone will have an extreme emotional reaction at me, unexpectedly.

Edited June 14, 2015 by AltLivia

[auntlada]

That is why my child still sits in the cart buckled up at age 3. He's a runner, and I can't watch him and shop.

[bubbls]

The other day I ranted about random strangers telling me to smile. Some of you felt the same way, and I thought you'd get a good laugh out of this video. It seems this is a common complaint.

 

Edited June 15, 2015 by bubbls

[Maharincess]

My new pet peeve is people who say whenever instead of when.

Somebody actually said to me today "whenever I turned 5 I had a big party". I asked how many times she turned 5 and she looked at me like I was crazy.

[backformore]

Nah, I really think they're just typical 20-somethings who can't do anything without constant attention and validation. Hence the constant Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc of every second of their lives. (I once heard the typical 20 year old's Facebook stream is "Wah, wah, wah, Look At Meeeee!. Wah, wah, wah.) Also why, in those rare moments they are alone, they are texting. It's like they are incapable of being alone with their own thoughts. Kind of like tree falling in the forest with no one there to hear it.

Oh, and this next generation is going to be worse! 8 year olds with cell phones and tablets. A whole generation of kids who will never play a board game or a card game. Where I work, if I need to talk to a mom for a few minutes, she has to make sure her child has some electronic device to keep him busy. They give their cell phones to a toddler in a stroller, to play a game! Some kids don't even have toys, you know, blocks and little animal figures, etc. Parents would rather occupy a kid with an electronic device, than to have them at with toys that will have to be picked up afterwards.

My new pet peeve is people who say whenever instead of when.

Somebody actually said to me today "whenever I turned 5 I had a big party". I asked how many times she turned 5 and she looked at me like I was crazy.

No kidding! I hear this all the time. I was confused by a teen saying to me "whenever my parents got divorced". I honestly thought at first she meant that they split up and got back together frequently. No, she was using "whenever" but meant "when".

It's similar to people saying utilize for use, and conversate for converse. Also orientate for orient.

Edited June 15, 2015 by backformore

[GHScorpiosRule]

Man, I feel sorry for today's children. What they're missing out on: Sorry!, Double Trouble, Monopoly, Chutes and Ladders, Life, Connect Four, Perfection, Operation!

 

Hmm, speaking of which, I think I need to buy some of them. It'll keep me off the 'puter when I'm bored.

Edited June 15, 2015 by GHScorpiosRule

[topanga]

I hate when I can't remember how someone's toilet was arranged before I got to it - lid up or down - because I like to leave it how I found it.  I like to leave the hand towel looking just as it did, too.  And if I have to put on a new roll of toilet paper, I look first to see if they're an over or an under so I can put it on the right way for them (even if it's the wrong way to me - I'm an over).

Wow. You're so considerate. I hate when toilet better is on the wrong way. So much so that when I'm a guest in someone's house, and I see that their toilet paper is hung the wrong way (I'm also an over), I will fix it for them. I know that's incredibly rude, but I can't help myself.

 

 

I usually wait quietly for people to finish getting their stuff if I can so I don't rush them and also because I don't want to get that close to people or often even have to talk to them even to say excuse me. Sometimes that just opens the conversational floodgates, and I don't want to make small talk with strangers.

Yes, I'm like that, too. And whenever I'm in a crowded grocery store, I'm reminded how much I hate crowded grocery stores. I usually save my big shopping trips for early mornings or late in the evening, but I sometimes forget.

[Qoass]

I'm also an "over".  However, if you have a cat, you want to be an "under" because it keeps your furry friend from pulling the whole roll onto the floor.

 

And I think it should be a law that anyone who is not working at a paid job from 9 to 5 on weekdays must do their grocery shopping and dentist appointments between those hours so they leave early mornings and evenings free for those who have less choice and time in their schedules.

[DeLurker]

No kidding! I hear this all the time. I was confused by a teen saying to me "whenever my parents got divorced". I honestly thought at first she meant that they split up and got back together frequently. No, she was using "whenever" but meant "when".

It's similar to people saying utilize for use, and conversate for converse. Also orientate for orient.

Those kids could be my niece and nephew - their parents have been on the verge of divorce since they got back from the honeymoon (25 years ago!).  To the point of telling their kids it was going to happen, seeing lawyers, looking for a new place to live...in their case, whenever does seem more accurate than when.

[BW Manilowe]

OK I'm back with some more Pet Peeves:

1. When people say "Warshington" vs. the correct "Washington" (or "warsh" vs. "wash").

2. People/supposedly professional writers who use "women/gentlemen" (the plural forms) vs. the correct, singular, "woman/gentleman".

3. People who write 100$ vs. the correct $100 (or whatever denomination).

4. People who say/write, for example, "use to" vs. the correct "used to" (&/or who drop the D at the end of other words needing it & think the word is in past tense without the D).

5. People who use would/could/should of vs. the correct would/could/should have (or the equally correct contraction forms of those words)--I know the second word sounds like "of" most of the time, but it really isn't that word.

6. People who don't know when to use "affect" &/or "effect" properly.

7. People who write that they "love being *apart* of something" (which would mean they love being *separate* from it) when they really mean they "love being *a part* of something" (involved in/with it).

8. Restaurants--usually Mexican--which want you to pay for dip/queso/some salsas, above & beyond any complimentary chips & salsa from the restaurant (which is OK), *then* expect you to pay *separately* for chips to go with the paid for dip/queso/some salsas & won't just *give* the chips to you like other restaurants do when you pay for dip/queso/some salsas (at least 3 local Mexican restaurants are doing this "pay for chips" thing--they all have different names, but I think they have the same owner since they all have this policy--& the idea of having to pay separately for chips to dip, when other restaurants provide them with paid for dip/queso/some salsas, makes me not wanna patronize these 3 restaurants).

9. This has to do with a fandom of mine. My favorite male singer is about to finish what's supposed to be his last major tour (at least in the US--it remains to be seen if he'll take the tour to the UK, where his next largest fanbase is). Right now on my Twitter feed (yes, I'm into social media), after each show, I'm seeing Retweets from fairly young people who've gone to the shows & said they loved them, then said something about they feel they have to pretend to be older than they are to "justify" having gone to this singer's show instead of, say, going to see Taylor Swift (who was actually performing in a venue next to where my singer's show was on Friday night), One Direction, etc. I don't feel these people have to "justify" their musical choices to anyone--I never have--& I wish they'd just "own" their choice, though I also know it's never really been that "hip" to like this singer, & his audience does skew older, because I've liked him since I was 12 (which essentially means throughout his career).

[backformore]

8. Restaurants--usually Mexican--which want you to pay for dip/queso/some salsas, above & beyond any complimentary chips & salsa from the restaurant (which is OK), *then* expect you to pay *separately* for chips to go with the paid for dip/queso/some salsas & won't just *give* the chips to you like other restaurants do when you pay for dip/queso/some salsas (at least 3 local Mexican restaurants are doing this "pay for chips" thing--they all have different names, but I think they have the same owner since they all have this policy--& the idea of having to pay separately for chips to dip, when other restaurants provide them with paid for dip/queso/some salsas, makes me not wanna patronize these 3 restaurants).

 

Yeah, apparently this started with customers coming in for margaritas, sipping on ONE drink for hours while catching up with friends, each having ONE drink, and scarfing down chips and salsa all evening - and taking up tables that could be used for people who want dinner.  Restaurants started with a "one free bowl of chips per table"  policy.  

 I know a guy who worked in a place near me, who complained about groups of women ordering the fruit-flavored margaritas. and each women at the table had to have a different flavor, making the bartender work really hard, and the women taking up tables for long periods of time without having dinner.    I think some places might have over-reacted, and customers who aren't the culprits are suffering the consequences. 

I do agree, though, that when you pay for a dip, the chips should be included.   

 

I want to add to your grammar peeves -  "prejudice" used in place of "prejudiced".  I started hearing it recently from teens, and it's becoming as commonly used as the word I HATE -  "Supposably" 

[bilgistic]

Oh, and this next generation is going to be worse! 8 year olds with cell phones and tablets. A whole generation of kids who will never play a board game or a card game. Where I work, if I need to talk to a mom for a few minutes, she has to make sure her child has some electronic device to keep him busy. They give their cell phones to a toddler in a stroller, to play a game! Some kids don't even have toys, you know, blocks and little animal figures, etc. Parents would rather occupy a kid with an electronic device, than to have them at with toys that will have to be picked up afterwards.

My sister has a 7YO daughter/my niece who plays on her mother's/my sister's tablet and phone every now and then, but she also plays board games and such. The last time I was spending time with them, my niece picked up and started playing with my phone and begins putting in random numbers to try to unlock it for use. I told her to stop because she was going to lock my phone permanently (after five missed tries, it locks). My sister says, "Oh, just give her the code." Um, NO. My phone is not a toy for a child. It is MINE and I worked to make the money to pay for it, and I'm not paying to have it unlocked after your child (who I dearly love, but still) renders it unusable. I took it away from her.

[auntlada]

Yeah, apparently this started with customers coming in for margaritas, sipping on ONE drink for hours while catching up with friends, each having ONE drink, and scarfing down chips and salsa all evening - and taking up tables that could be used for people who want dinner.  Restaurants started with a "one free bowl of chips per table"  policy.  

 I know a guy who worked in a place near me, who complained about groups of women ordering the fruit-flavored margaritas. and each women at the table had to have a different flavor, making the bartender work really hard, and the women taking up tables for long periods of time without having dinner.    I think some places might have over-reacted, and customers who aren't the culprits are suffering the consequences. 

I do agree, though, that when you pay for a dip, the chips should be included.   

 

I want to add to your grammar peeves -  "prejudice" used in place of "prejudiced".  I started hearing it recently from teens, and it's becoming as commonly used as the word I HATE -  "Supposably" 

 

Most of the Mexican restaurants around here charge you for chips and salsa if you don't order any other food, but if you actually order food, the chips and salsa are free (and automatic).

 

They went to the zoo, supposably. (I couldn't resist.)

 

My son uses his daddy's iPad (but not mine) and has a set of games on it, although he also tries to play his father's games, but he also plays several board games, particularly something called Kitty Wampus and Robot Turtles, which is supposed to help kids learn about coding. I don't know if it does or not, but he likes it. He also watches TV, often when we are busy doing things, like fixing supper, which I feel bad about, but not too bad because we also read a lot of books and go to the library once a week. I know that they (whoever they are -- most days I really don't like they) will say not to use the TV as a babysitter and to involve your child in stuff and let him help, but it's hard to let a 3-year-old help fix supper. Hot stoves and ovens and toddlers don't mix too well.

[DeLurker]

 I know that they (whoever they are -- most days I really don't like they) will say not to use the TV as a babysitter and to involve your child in stuff and let him help, but it's hard to let a 3-year-old help fix supper. Hot stoves and ovens and toddlers don't mix too well.

But Masterchef Junior has taught me that kids who compete on these shows are making some pretty sophisticated stuff at 3 and 4.  You're not properly prepping your child for a life in the spotlight!

[BooksRule]

I might be wrong and this phrase can be correctly used the way I hate hearing it used, but it ticks me off when people say that they 'don't believe in' something that exists.  Sometimes it can be appropriate for things that can't be proven, such as 'I don't believe in ghosts',  'I don't believe in reincarnation', etc. However, why do people insist on saying (for example) 'I don't believe in zoos'.  I'm sorry--zoos exist.  They aren't imaginary.  You might not like them, or support them, or approve of them, but you have to believe in them because they are actually real entities. 

[DeLurker]

I actually love that one.  When people say "I don't believe in ____________" it gives me the perfect opportunity to give a smart ass response (if I'm so inclined - I can resist, but at times it takes Herculian effort).  My typical response is "_______ is not like Santa Claus"

[FormerMod-a1]

I usually reply "_______ do exist.  I've/You've seen them." to which I either get a laugh or a  "You know what I mean."

[BooksRule]

DeLurker and aquarian1, I'll definitely try one of those responses the next time I hear one of those 'I don't believe in....' remarks.  I think the only times I've ever actually responded in a similar way is when people say that they don't believe in UFOs.  I will say you might not believe in alien spacecraft, but if you see it flying and you can't identify it, then it's a Unidentified Flying Object.  That's when I usually get the 'you know what I mean' reply!

[harrie]

Not wanna, or not want to? Sorry, couldn't resist.

 

And who is the singer? Spill.

 

Is it Barry Manilow by any chance?

 

I might be wrong and this phrase can be correctly used the way I hate hearing it used, but it ticks me off when people say that they 'don't believe in' something that exists.  Sometimes it can be appropriate for things that can't be proven, such as 'I don't believe in ghosts',  'I don't believe in reincarnation', etc. However, why do people insist on saying (for example) 'I don't believe in zoos'.  I'm sorry--zoos exist.  They aren't imaginary.  You might not like them, or support them, or approve of them, but you have to believe in them because they are actually real entities. 

 

Which is why in cases like this I say "I don't like" or "I dislke"  -- because they exist, but I don't have to like it,

[FormerMod-a1]

The way I see it, you can believe, or not believe, in the purpose or mission or goal of something, but that's different than believing or not believing in that thing.  It's the difference in saying "I don't believe zoos provide enough benefits to compensate for the negative impact to animals" vs 'I don't believe in zoos."  (or even simpler "I think zoos do more harm than good.")

[bubbls]

A big pet peeve of mine is people saying "axe" instead of "ask." I was watching a true crime show recently, and the prosecutor kept pronouncing it this way during his interview. He seemed like a perfectly nice person, a professional, and certainly smart enough to get a degree and pass the bar, but each time he talked about "axing" the witness this or how he "axed" the witness that I wanted to rip his tongue out. With an axe!!

I suppose it's like me saying "y'all." But it still drives me nuts.

Edited June 16, 2015 by bubbls

[Maharincess]

My sister has a 7YO daughter/my niece who plays on her mother's/my sister's tablet and phone every now and then, but she also plays board games and such. The last time I was spending time with them, my niece picked up and started playing with my phone and begins putting in random numbers to try to unlock it for use. I told her to stop because she was going to lock my phone permanently (after five missed tries, it locks). My sister says, "Oh, just give her the code." Um, NO. My phone is not a toy for a child. It is MINE and I worked to make the money to pay for it, and I'm not paying to have it unlocked after your child (who I dearly love, but still) renders it unusable. I took it away from her.

I love you for saying no. My daughter has a friend whose kids are huge brats. They've never been told no and get anything they want. An example of this is the 5 year old daughter decided at ten at night that she wanted to go play at the gym. Mom and dad said no, she had a fit so they got dressed and went to the gym.

The daughter C is a friend of my granddaughter. They were at my daughter's house one day and C wanted my daughter's phone. My daughter said no, that her own daughter wasn't allowed to play with it. C had a screaming, crying temper tantrum. My daughter kept saying no. The kid's mom kept telling my daughter "just give it to her, it's easier". My daughter refused so the mom had a tantrum of her own and hasn't spoken to my daughter since.

My daughter is actually happy about it, she had been wanting to end the friendship anyway. My granddaughter would start acting up after C came to play so my daughter didn't want them around.

Too many parents give in and don't teach their kids that no means no. The kids end up suffering because they're such brats nobody wants to play with them.

Bilgistic, I am in no way saying that your niece is a brat! I'm just happy to hear somebody stick to their guns with kids.

Edited June 16, 2015 by Maharincess

[BW Manilowe]

Not wanna, or not want to? Sorry, couldn't resist.

And who is the singer? Spill.

I write like I talk. I make no apologies for it either (smile).

The singer is Barry Manilow (I'd have honestly thought most, especially ex-TWOPers, who might sort of know me, might have figured that out by my screenname--I couldn't think of anything else within their screenname rules when I joined TWOP, so I combined the names/initials of 3 favorite celebs at the time). And I make no apologies for liking Manilow (or the other 2 celebs in my screenname) either (smile again).

And I'm mad at myself right now. I thought of another pet peeve & came here to post it--then I forgot what it was by the time I got here, after grabbing my phone to post from. If/when I remember it, I'll post it.

Edited June 16, 2015 by BW Manilowe

[Proclone]

There have been studies done that show when someone is waiting for your space, drivers take longer before they start to back-up.

I'll admit to taking longer on purpose if I think you're waiting for my spot just to be lazy. It's one thing if it's a legitimately busy parking lot and there probably aren't any other spots open, but if there are clearly other spots open and you choose to wait for mine because it's five feet closer to the entrance then you can bet I will take my sweet time pulling out of that space.

[DeLurker]

Too many parents give in and don't teach their kids that no means no. The kids end up suffering because they're such brats nobody wants to play with them.

 

I often wonder what these parents think when they see someone else's kids acting exactly like their own?  Are they sympathetic or thinking "What a brat!  Those parents need to get a clue!"?

 

I come from a family of 5 kids spaced very close together.  Dad was in the Air Force so away a lot when we were kids.  The house rules were clear - there was a lot of ruckus and noise that we could make at home or in the neighborhood playing, but when we were out or had company we had best behave and be polite.  Mom never said a word if we were acting up - she had the "look" which froze you immediately.  My Dad would simply take your hand and give it a squeeze.  Getting the look or the squeeze meant you were at the Gates of Hell.

 

But we also lived on military bases a lot so if a kid was acting up, no adult would hesitate to tell you to knock it off and ask "who's your Dad?" (if it were really bad). 

 

My niece has a 4 year old and while he is a good kid for the most part,  once in a while he speaks in a rather rude or demanding way.  I've never heard his parents correct him except in a very mild way.  I was surprised that my brother and his wife, the grandparents, didn't react at all because their own kids would never have gotten away with that.  I am happy to report that in the last few weeks when the kid speaks rudely to them or someone other than his parents, the grandparents do (gently) correct him and tell him he needs to speak nicely.

[BW Manilowe]

BW Manilowe, things go right by me, I didn't even notice your moniker when I asked about the singer, until another poster guessed and pointed it out. I have occasions of being obtuse. I had all the clues in your cryptic post, with the answer right in front of me, and missed it. I wasn't asking for apologies on liking the great Barry Manilowe, just trying to figure out the puzzle. And I have noticed your moniker here in posts and thought, there's a fan. Sorry if I irritated you. Sometimes I get lost in that rabbit hole of YouTube and listen to Manilowe, Diamond, Reo Speedwagon, Chesney, because it's nice to just listen to straight up ballads sung by people who can sing.

eta Dammit! B W?? I got nothing. What are the other two? Completely blank on B W. All I get is Barry White. I will move along now.

No problem. Seriously.

Back when I joined the previous site, my favorite current TV show was The West Wing (& Manilow's been my favorite male, & overall, singer since I was 12... Seriously... So, for a very long time; I've met him & he's a very nice man--& you DON'T wanna know how many times I've seen him in concert, trust me), & my most favorite TWW characters were Sam & Josh. The BW is for Bradley Whitford (Josh, TWW); Manilowe is a combination of "Manilow" & "Lowe" (for Rob Lowe, who played Sam on TWW for the first 4 seasons).

And, since I'm here... & to get this thread back on topic... I remembered my other pet peeve I wanted to post earlier:

It drives me *nuts* when people write "awe" when they really mean "aww", as in (what *should* be) "Aww... Isn't that cute?"

I've noticed a lot of my pet peeves either have to do with spelling or grammar/English language-related stuff. I wonder if that's related to the fact English & Spelling were 2 of my favorite/best subjects in school?

Edited June 16, 2015 by BW Manilowe

[NutMeg]

This is more than a pet peeve, but here goes: I am furious that airlines keep reducing leg room and seat width while people are steadily becoming taller and bigger. Talk about NOT satisfying your clients' needs...

 

I missed the glamour era of air travel (according to my mom, people used to dress up when taking a plane in the 60s...) but I'm really not a fan of the packing-as-many-bodies-as you-can mentality that airlines have increasingly embraced. And I'm pissed off that any extra comfort is something you now have to pay for. 

 

And while I'm on the subject of air travel - I recently took a long flight (10+ hours) and somehow got stuck in the first row (economy) together with three babies. One baby's parents stuck her with a tablet anytime she was awake. At one point, she was smiling and waving to the tablet! What is wrong with these people, can they not talk or cuddle their baby? The only person who tried to talk and smile to her was the flight attendant, and baby seemed very puzzled at that because it was distracting her from the screen. 

 

The other baby was next to me but the bassinet was in front of me. Baby spent the whole flight on her mother's lap. At least that mom was not touch avoidant, even if she didn't talk to her baby. Between the mom and me sat a middle-aged women. At the end of the flight, when breakfast was served, after 10 hours or so, it appeared she was the grandma. What is wrong with these people? Couldn't she have hold the baby for 10 minutes so that her daughter could stretch a bit? or go to the bathroom? (The poor woman's bladder must have been about to explode by the end of the flight). Why did she not acknowledge the granddaughter the whole flight? It didn't even look like there was some big family drama or anything, just that she thought it was not her job.   

[magicdog]

This is more than a pet peeve, but here goes: I am furious that airlines keep reducing leg room and seat width while people are steadily becoming taller and bigger. Talk about NOT satisfying your clients' needs...

 

I missed the glamour era of air travel (according to my mom, people used to dress up when taking a plane in the 60s...) but I'm really not a fan of the packing-as-many-bodies-as you-can mentality that airlines have increasingly embraced. And I'm pissed off that any extra comfort is something you now have to pay for.

 

 

Word to your entire post NutMeg! 

 

Those SOBs are already trying to create “standing room only” seating in which all the passengers would be stacked standing up shoulder to shoulder!   I wish some of us could storm their board meetings.

 

I came back from vacation last month and the experience wasn’t too bad (I got to fly business class for the first time – it was great!) .  What I hated more was the TSA related security.  You don't to know what it took to take my dad (who's on oxygen) onto a plane! 

 

For what it’s worth, there are a few more options – depending on what you can afford.  Some people are able to get the private jet experience  either through Setjet or Hobo Jet for a decent price – although there are some limitations on time of flight and destinations.  For commercial flights Jet Blue is pretty good – especially “Mint” service (their version of first class).  I was on an AA flight (business class) and everything went well.

[bilgistic]

I have to complain again about "daddy duty". My boss is now using this phrase (that I hate) to describe the plight of a coworker in another department. Coworker's wife went on a vacation with friends to some exotic locale, so poor put-upon hubby is left with the kids all week, you know, LIKE HIS WIFE IS ALL THE TIME. I swear I'm going to say something the next time someone brings up "daddy duty" (since everyone thinks everything I say is "some feminist thing...?" *blank stares*). It's called RAISING YOUR KIDS. STFU or go back in time and use a condom.

Edited June 16, 2015 by bilgistic

[Bastet]

It is truly disgusting how many people think taking care of children is the mother's job, with which the father helps (or not), rather than a joint responsibility.  "I'm on daddy duty" or "I'm babysitting the kids tonight" are words that should never come out of a father's mouth.

[auntlada]

I was surprised that my brother and his wife, the grandparents, didn't react at all because their own kids would never have gotten away with that.

 

My mother has often said that when she had kids, she wondered who those people were that let us get away with whatever and who was that man who looked like her father but who played games with us at the dinner table. I wonder the same thing about her with my son. We'll be at her house, and he will do something, and I'll tell him not to do whatever it is. Often it's playing with something in the house that we would never have been allowed to play with in that way. My mother will say, "Oh, he's all right."

[Quof]

Even fathers who claim to be fully involved co-parents are usually the Deputy Parent, while the mother is the Chief Parent. As I discussed with a male friend, if your wife said your child needed shoes, you would know where to shop, that the child has to go try them on, what is a reasonable price to pay for a pair of child's shoes..... but you would never have noticed that the child's shoes were too small.  If your wife told you your child had a dentist's appointment, you would take the child there, you would know the name and location of the child's dentist, where the insurance card is kept.... but you would never remember that your child was due for a dental checkup and you needed to schedule the appointment.   Dad is still the helper parent, while mom performs the executive function.

[auntlada]

Interesting. My husband is often the one who notices the shoes are too small or have holes in them. Of course, he's the one who helps the boy get dressed in the morning so he deals with shoes a lot more than me. He usually remembers the appointments also. He used to remember them better than me until I started putting them on my work calendar.

 

Of course, we may have a different sort of marriage. I kind of think people often think he's lazy because I mow the lawn and do a lot of the outside stuff, which I enjoy. Among other things, it's exercise and time alone. He washes dishes, however, which I hate (we don't have a dishwasher). He used to always cook, too, but I've taken over weeknight cooking while he plays with the boy. He does weekend cooking a lot. He's generally a better cook than me.