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

[potatoradio]

 

This reminds me of one of my major pet-peeve zones: fancy artisan ice-cream places. The ones that let you taste multiple flavors before you order.

 

I remember one such place in the SF bay area. I was just two or three spots from the front of the line, and then the couple in front of us takes 10 minutes to order. How that's even possible still perplexes me, but the place allows three samples per customer, so of course these two request their full allotment of six samples. And mull over each one very carefully. And then the guy quizzes the counter girl about the origins of the ingredients. Who's your hazelnut supplier? I'm really into Vietnamese cinnamon these days - where do you source your cinnamon? And then mull some more, while the girl keeps changing her mind - oh honey, I'm not sure I'm in a sorbet mood today. All while everyone behind them in line stands around watching.

 

And finally, it's over and the next person in line gets their audience with their own personal ice-cream concierge.

 

I realize some of these places have really good ice cream, but man, when did ice cream become the new "wine tasting"?

 

Unfortunately, this trend is no longer contained to fancy ice cream places. Oh, no, the people who frequent these places bring the same expectations to small town dairy bars, and have no problem asking every one of their six hundred kids what flavor they want to try next. Never mind the mob of sunburned, weary people who would simply like to order ice cream, it's way more important that you and your entitled group sample the difference between pecan praline and toffee fantastic. And, no, dummy, these are not local pecans. We're in the Midwest, remember?

 

I actually saw one woman go up to the counter and announce, "well, I know you just called number 46, but I really think my children and I have waited long enough."

 

#getthehellouttahere

 

Also, "personal ice-cream concierge" had me laughing out loud. Must stop reading this while at work.

 

Checkout pet peeve: When I'm signing my check and waiting for my receipt - by the way, I've already written the check while standing in line - please do not vulture the little platform and passive-aggressively "encourage" me to move along. You can wait the ten seconds it takes me to put my wallet back in my purse before I pick up my groceries. Also, please don't try to shove your cart between me and the next lane; it won't fit, OK? My honkytonk badonka donk and I thank you.

 

Checkout question: I could not outsmart the plastic produce bags (the "Open" and up arrow is a fat lie) and so did not put my zucchini in a bag. In a bag, they'd count as one item. Out of the bag, they brought my total up to 20, beyond even the squeak by limit of the express lane. Could I have gone through the express lane? I didn't, but I wondered.

 

Nothing will make me write and leave a nasty post it note faster than a car parked over the parking lines. Especially in a busy parking ramp. And when I drove a Honda civic, you can bet I would squeeze into half a space and do my best to make the offending car's exit as difficult as possible. But now I drive an SUV and I have to say I'm a little confused about whether I should park in a "compact vehicle" spot. The sign says "must not exceed the lines." My car doesn't - either width or length wise - but I don't think an SUV belongs in a compact spot because it's tall and if a small car parks next to me, they'll have a heck of a time seeing if the lane is clear before backing up. But I fit in the lines. Do I park there anyway? I really don't want to, but if there is no other spot and it's a choice between parking under shelter and parking on the roof, well...I'm tempted.

 

And then I also don't know what to do about the "eco friendly car" parking spots, either. My car has a little green leaf on it and gets very good gas mileage for its class. Does that qualify it to park in an eco friendly spot? I mean, I'd really feel like an arse parking my car next to a Prius in those spots, but if I can, I'd sure like to.

 

I miss the days when there were just spots, with a few dedicated handicapped options.

Edited July 28, 2015 by potatoradio

[Sweets McGee]

 I also fear slipping down my stairs to my death or at least embarrassing injury.  

I did that recently. The embarrassing injury and not the death, obviously. ;) I was going downstairs to get the laundry from the dryer, just moving a little too fast and not thinking and lost my balance and tumbled down the stairs and landed on my head. No broken bones, luckily, but a concussion was not fun. This was nearly 6 months ago and I still get the occasional dizzy spell.

 

I have great respect for stairs now!

 

(Carpeted, BTW)

[Prairie Fire]

In some places, a scoop of ice cream costs as much as wine by the glass.  I try not to be too impatient with those folks - I was that kid who could never decide what I wanted (hence my parents or brothers usually decided for me in the interest of time).  In fact, I avoid any place that gives me too many choices - doesn't matter if it is ice cream, lamps or shirts.  If I have too many choices, I can no longer tell what I like and what I don't.

 

In all fairness, there are reasons why someone at the front of the line at places like this may take awhile - the high prices, abundance of choice, the fact that you waited in line for awhile to get to the front, reasonable attempts to accommodate kids. That said, I know someone who worked at Starbucks and she claims a lot of people are just shameless and completely oblivious to the number of people waiting behind them. It has to be worse at fancy ice cream and cupcake places. Employees there must have Biblical levels of patience.

 

I did once visit an ice cream place in San Diego that had two lines - one for repeat visitors who know what they want, another for those who want the full-on concierge service. Great solution.

[Qoass]

Yes, I've often fantasized about a "I know what I'm doing" lane... on the highway, in the supermarket, at a fast food place...

 

Then again, I have often witnessed people who waved off offers of help because they knew what they were doing and then went on to screw up spectacularly.

[harrie]

I actually saw one woman go up to the counter and announce, "well, I know you just called number 46, but I really think my children and I have waited long enough."

 

#getthehellouttahere

 

Checkout question: I could not outsmart the plastic produce bags (the "Open" and up arrow is a fat lie) and so did not put my zucchini in a bag. In a bag, they'd count as one item. Out of the bag, they brought my total up to 20, beyond even the squeak by limit of the express lane. Could I have gone through the express lane? I didn't, but I wondered.

 

And then I also don't know what to do about the "eco friendly car" parking spots, either. My car has a little green leaf on it and gets very good gas mileage for its class. Does that qualify it to park in an eco friendly spot? I mean, I'd really feel like an arse parking my car next to a Prius in those spots, but if I can, I'd sure like to.

 

 

The #46 issue applies to the deli line too.  A shopper will take a number, decide s/he's got time, and go pick up other stuff in the store.  Meanwhile, the number came up, nobody answered, so the deli people move on.  A couple of numbers later - and it seems always when I'm the next number up - shopper comes back waving their ticket, saying "I'm #45...I just stepped away for a second."   I'm sorry, but you got out of line, so take another number and go to the back of the line. That's how it works in my mind, but not in reality.

 

If you can find some moisture - my antique grocery store still has those misters that turn on and off periodically - you can dampen your fingers, then rub the top of the bag together, and it should open up pretty easily.  Even if you've got the bottom of the bag, the sides of the bag will separate, and you can take it from there. Whether you consider saliva a satisfactorily sanitary choice in the produce aisle is up to you, of course. 

 

At the Whole Foods where I shop, it's a given that the area reserved for fuel efficient vehicles is packed with Range Rovers, Chevy Suburbans, etc.  But then, it's Whole Foods, land of the entitled shopper.  (I don't mean to condemn all Whole Foods stores and shoppers; I am only referring to my personal experiences [aka shopping nightmares] from that particular store.)

Edited July 28, 2015 by harrie

[GHScorpiosRule]

I'm new to Whole Foods, and I love them, only because I can buy Mango Lassi there. It's the only store I can buy it at that is not an Indian restaurant.  Not even the Indian grocery stores carry it.  It's basically a Mango smoothie with rose water, I think. I don't know exactly the ingredients, but it's yummy.  And I love their pasta salads. Those are the only things I purchase from there, because they are so bloody expensive.

Edited July 28, 2015 by GHScorpiosRule

[potatoradio]

 

Yes, I've often fantasized about a "I know what I'm doing" lane... on the highway, in the supermarket, at a fast food place...

 

Oh, please let this be the future. If you are able to prove that you are one who knows which end is up, you earn a tag that lets you bypass all the undecided, confused souls trying to navigate the big bad world. They must follow a laser dot at all times. Said dot is controlled by a drone, which acts like the helicopter parent/teacher/conscience these people never had and will show them exactly what to do. You are eligible for a I know What I'm Doing tag after you can show that you can drive/shop/order/behave without the dot for at least a year.

 

You may remove your tag on bad hair days and Mondays as needed.

 

 

If you can find some moisture - my antique grocery store still has those misters that turn on and off periodically - you can dampen your fingers, then rub the top of the bag together, and it should open up pretty easily.  Even if you've got the bottom of the bag, the sides of the bag will separate, and you can take it from there. Whether you consider saliva a satisfactorily sanitary choice in the produce aisle is up to you, of course.

 

The Force is strong with this one. Thank you so much ... I will try that trick for sure!

[JTMacc99]

The #46 issue applies to the deli line too.  A shopper will take a number, decide s/he's got time, and go pick up other stuff in the store.  Meanwhile, the number came up, nobody answered, so the deli people move on.  A couple of numbers later - and it seems always when I'm the next number up - shopper comes back waving their ticket, saying "I'm #45...I just stepped away for a second."   I'm sorry, but you got out of line, so take another number and go to the back of the line. That's how it works in my mind, but not in reality.

When I was a kid, I worked the deli section of a supermarket.  Of the few things I got out of it, the two big ones I've carried forward into life is how to order and basic deli section etiquette. Even with that knowledge, it's still my hope to get in and get out as quickly as possible.

 

The whole "take a number" thing is a breeding ground for hostility. If it weren't for the fact that we are all standing next to the people involved in the process, there would be a lot more colorful language exchanged.  I see it a lot like a merging situation in city traffic. If we were all in cars, we'd be eyeballing everybody around us, cursing out the ones who appear to be attempting to get in front of us when it clearly isn't their turn, cursing out the guy who set up the cones that created this bottleneck, and for sure cursing out the cop at the front who seems to be doing things that are holding us up.

[Qoass]

 

The whole "take a number" thing is a breeding ground for hostility. If it weren't for the fact that we are all standing next to the people involved in the process, there would be a lot more colorful language exchanged.  I see it a lot like a merging situation in city traffic. If we were all in cars, we'd be eyeballing everybody around us, cursing out the ones who appear to be attempting to get in front of us when it clearly isn't their turn, cursing out the guy who set up the cones that created this bottleneck, and for sure cursing out the cop at the front who seems to be doing things that are holding us up.

 

I have considered this frequently as well, always while driving.

 

My other wish is for every driver to be issued a dart gun with, say, five sticky-darts.  Whenever another driver pulled some toolish move, you would shoot one of your darts at his/her car.  Whenever a car has five darts on it, the police could pull them over and arrest the driver just for being an a$$hole.

 

 

[harrie]

When I was a kid, I worked the deli section of a supermarket.  Of the few things I got out of it, the two big ones I've carried forward into life is how to order and basic deli section etiquette. Even with that knowledge, it's still my hope to get in and get out as quickly as possible.

 

The whole "take a number" thing is a breeding ground for hostility. If it weren't for the fact that we are all standing next to the people involved in the process, there would be a lot more colorful language exchanged.  I see it a lot like a merging situation in city traffic. If we were all in cars, we'd be eyeballing everybody around us, cursing out the ones who appear to be attempting to get in front of us when it clearly isn't their turn, cursing out the guy who set up the cones that created this bottleneck, and for sure cursing out the cop at the front who seems to be doing things that are holding us up.

 

JTMac99, I love your perspective from the other side of the counter.  We must look like beasts at times.  And you're right - there's lots of sidelong (and suspicious) glances, subtle shuffling around and positioning, etc. if the counter is busy.  When the hub and I aren't in a hurry, it's fun to people-watch while we wait. 

[JTMacc99]

It's the whole damn process. People get annoyed when they pull number 79 and it says Now Serving 70.  They get annoyed when the clerk didn't advance the number because they are clearly serving 72, because we just saw 72 place his order, but it still says 70.

 

They get annoyed when somebody goes up and orders something that nobody ever orders. Everybody's just annoyed. 

 

You can see that this is recognized by supermarkets because they've done a couple things to make it better. They have the more popular items already sliced and packaged ready for people to just walk up and purchase it. That's clearly a sacrifice they make to improve customer service, because some of that stuff will get tossed.  They also have the little computer at the front now where you can place your deli order and they'll cut it for you while you walk through the store.

 

I tend to pick up the already sliced stuff when I just want swiss cheese, and I just avoid the supermarket entirely and go to the local deli if I want a bunch of stuff.
 

[Sweets McGee]

Oh, please let this be the future. If you are able to prove that you are one who knows which end is up, you earn a tag that lets you bypass all the undecided, confused souls trying to navigate the big bad world. They must follow a laser dot at all times. Said dot is controlled by a drone, which acts like the helicopter parent/teacher/conscience these people never had and will show them exactly what to do. You are eligible for a I know What I'm Doing tag after you can show that you can drive/shop/order/behave without the dot for at least a year.

This is my favorite thing ever. If you ever start the I Know What I'm Doing club, let me know because I want in.

[DeLurker]

You can see that this is recognized by supermarkets because they've done a couple things to make it better. They have the more popular items already sliced and packaged ready for people to just walk up and purchase it. That's clearly a sacrifice they make to improve customer service, because some of that stuff will get tossed.  They also have the little computer at the front now where you can place your deli order and they'll cut it for you while you walk through the store.

 

The Kroger (Ralph's in some states) near me has this.  I don't buy deli stuff much, but I use it if there is a line at the counter.  I just bought deli meat today for sandwiches (my "It's Too Damn Hot to Cook"  meal).  The deciding factor was if I had to wait.  Today was no waiting so I bought some turkey. 

 

My other wish is for every driver to be issued a dart gun with, say, five sticky-darts.  Whenever another driver pulled some toolish move, you would shoot one of your darts at his/her car.  Whenever a car has five darts on it, the police could pull them over and arrest the driver just for being an a$$hole.

This would be awesome.

Edited July 28, 2015 by DeLurker

[Qoass]

My pet peeve at the deli (or seafood) counter is that I go first thing in the morning (as in 8 am on a weekday) in order to avoid the crowds but I still have to wait because the staff is still getting themselves together.  I wish management would pay them to set up their stations before the store opens rather in the first 30 - 60 minutes it is open to the public.

[Quof]

1.   I spent one hellish summer working at a roadside ice cream stand.  It's horrible; it's hot, and sticky, and you are busiest when the temperature soars. And it pays minimum wage, and parents with 6 kids don't tip.    I can't tell you the amount of restraint it took to hold my tongue when a customer said "I'll have a small ice cream" (we had 25 flavours, can I just give the one we can't get rid of?) or "I'll have a vanilla" (we had three sizes, shall I guess what size you want based on your girth?).  Thank god we didn't give samples, but our rule was "If the ice cream falls off the cone while you are on the premises, we replace it. "  I can't tell you the number of parents who bought a triple scoop, shared it among the entire family then conveniently knocked it off the cone when there were a few licks left.

 

2.  The I Know What I'm Doing Lane.  Hell, ya!  A major Canadian airport has a dedicated security lane for those with electronic boarding passes.  I could never figure out why, then I realized it's because (or, in the early days, before everyone had smartphones) business travellers tend to be the ones with Blackberry boarding passes. They travel frequently, so they know the drill - boarding pass displayed, metal removed, coat off, all items in the bins....   So much better than being stuck behind a family who has never travelled, doesn't understand that a can of spray paint is indeed a liquid (swear to god, I've seen it), don't want to remove their camoflage ball caps.... 

[Maharincess]

What the hell is wrong with people?! My husband just called from Arizona, he was at a grocery store and there locked in a car in the hot sun were 2 mini Schnauzers. He said they were panting and drooling. He waited 3 minutes then called the police and told them he was breaking the window and taking them out.

He got the dogs out, put them in his air conditioned truck and gave them water, the police and animal control came. He waited as long as he could but had to get back on the road.

He gave the officer his card and they're supposed to call and let him know what happens. He's coming back through Arizona on his way home and told animal control that instead of giving the dogs back to the owner who tried to kill them, he would take them. They whined and tried to follow him when he left them.

They said legally if the owner comes for them, they will probably have to give them back.

We'll see what happens.

Why do people still do this? I just do not understand. My dog loves going "bye bye in the car". As soon as we say bye bye she runs to her leash and does her butt wagging happy dance, but when its hot, she stays home.

People really suck sometimes.

[Maizie131]

I did that recently. The embarrassing injury and not the death, obviously. ;) I was going downstairs to get the laundry from the dryer, just moving a little too fast and not thinking and lost my balance and tumbled down the stairs and landed on my head. No broken bones, luckily, but a concussion was not fun. This was nearly 6 months ago and I still get the occasional dizzy spell.

 

I have great respect for stairs now!

 

(Carpeted, BTW)

Sweets McGee - I absolutely can identify w/your fall down the stairs.  5 years ago I was rushing down the back stairs of the office building where I worked (to go have a CIGARETTE, no less!), and slipped on the concrete stairs due to leather-sole flats I was wearing (hey - they were cute!).  Anyhow, I went down on my ass on 4 stairs.   Took about 3 months for my tailbone to heal and even longer for my right elbow -- I couldn't even set it down on the arm-rest of my car.  It was awful!  I still get a chill down my spine just thinking about it!  Memo to ALL -- don't EVER be in a hurry going down stairs! 

[bilgistic]

I'm so relieved to see that some other people opt for carpeting.  I too am afraid I wouldn't be able to maintain hardwood properly and I'm not a fan of laminates.  I also fear slipping down my stairs to my death or at least embarrassing injury. 

I have fallen down cheaply carpeted stairs more times than I care to admit. I would think at least my feet would be able to grasp onto hard floors. (I never wear socks or shoes indoors, except at work, where I have no choice.)

 

Nothing will make me write and leave a nasty post it note faster than a car parked over the parking lines. Especially in a busy parking ramp. And when I drove a Honda civic, you can bet I would squeeze into half a space and do my best to make the offending car's exit as difficult as possible. But now I drive an SUV and I have to say I'm a little confused about whether I should park in a "compact vehicle" spot.

Because I am a terrible person, I leave notes--"NOT COMPACT!"--on giant SUVs parked in compact spots. My rule is that if you rented the car, would it be in the "compact" class? No? Don't park it in the "compact" spot. If I can't get out of my base-model Civic because some jackass parked their Tahoe beside of me, I'm leaving them a note.

 

What the hell is wrong with people?! My husband just called from Arizona, he was at a grocery store and there locked in a car in the hot sun were 2 mini Schnauzers. He said they were panting and drooling. He waited 3 minutes then called the police and told them he was breaking the window and taking them out.

He got the dogs out, put them in his air conditioned truck and gave them water, the police and animal control came. He waited as long as he could but had to get back on the road.

He gave the officer his card and they're supposed to call and let him know what happens. He's coming back through Arizona on his way home and told animal control that instead of giving the dogs back to the owner who tried to kill them, he would take them. They whined and tried to follow him when he left them.

They said legally if the owner comes for them, they will probably have to give them back.

We'll see what happens.

Why do people still do this? I just do not understand. My dog loves going "bye bye in the car". As soon as we say bye bye she runs to her leash and does her butt wagging happy dance, but when its hot, she stays home.

People really suck sometimes.

Your husband is a hero. There are so many people in this world that don't deserve pets.

[Maizie131]

What the hell is wrong with people?! My husband just called from Arizona, he was at a grocery store and there locked in a car in the hot sun were 2 mini Schnauzers. He said they were panting and drooling. He waited 3 minutes then called the police and told them he was breaking the window and taking them out.

He got the dogs out, put them in his air conditioned truck and gave them water, the police and animal control came. He waited as long as he could but had to get back on the road.

He gave the officer his card and they're supposed to call and let him know what happens. He's coming back through Arizona on his way home and told animal control that instead of giving the dogs back to the owner who tried to kill them, he would take them. They whined and tried to follow him when he left them.

They said legally if the owner comes for them, they will probably have to give them back.

We'll see what happens.

Why do people still do this? I just do not understand. My dog loves going "bye bye in the car". As soon as we say bye bye she runs to her leash and does her butt wagging happy dance, but when its hot, she stays home.

People really suck sometimes.

Maharincess - Thank you for sharing that heartbreaking story!!!  Your husband is a GREAT man!  I cannot TELL you how many times I've called 911 over dogs left in hot cars!!!!  NOTHING pisses me off more!  I can't believe the police will actually let those assholes KEEP those poor puppies. 

 

Please keep us posted if you hear anything from the police.  I hope those people were - at the very LEAST - ticketed BIG-TIME! 

[Maharincess]

He asked me to research the laws about this in Arizona. Those dogs really touched him.

We are huge animal lovers. The two of us love animals more than we like most people. Over the years he's been on the road, he's rescued anandoned litters of kittens and puppies and adult dogs that jerks just dump on the side of the road. After finding the first litter he always checks boxes he sees.

Most of the time he'll take them to a shelter or rescue but there have been a few along the way that have really touched him and he brought those home.

One kitten he found got out of the box, climbed his arm and slept on the back of his neck as he drove. She slept there for over 200 miles. She came home.

On the website for my city it seems like there are stories every day of idiots leaving their dogs in hot cars.

Edited July 28, 2015 by Maharincess

[Prairie Fire]

2.  The I Know What I'm Doing Lane.  Hell, ya!  A major Canadian airport has a dedicated security lane for those with electronic boarding passes.  I could never figure out why, then I realized it's because (or, in the early days, before everyone had smartphones) business travellers tend to be the ones with Blackberry boarding passes.

 

That's a brilliant idea. Not just having such a lane, but using electronic boarding passes to separate people. Because you can't, like, actually tell people to separate based on whether they know what they're doing or not, but you can do it based on type of boarding pass and get the same result. Well played, Major Canadian Airport.

 

Continuing on this theme, it seems to me that people are taking longer to order (and lines moving slower) at pretty much any quick-service type restaurant, not just ice cream places. I'm thinking the typical American consumer has gotten progressively more entitled about making lots of crazy off-the-menu requests over the years. If you're allergic to an ingredient or have a single, uncomplicated request ("sauce on the side, please") it's fine. But if you go everyone expecting people to make your burger or sandwich or burrito exactly the way you like it, I may be going out on a limb here, but shouldn't you be cooking for yourself at home instead?

[Maharincess]

I wish stores had a cash only line. I'm probably the last one on earth but I prefer using cash. I spend less when I can actually see my money leaving my hands. I hate having to wait for people signing their papers if I'm in line with one thing and the cash in my hands.

I've seen people using debit or credit cards to buy a damn candy bar.

Edited July 29, 2015 by Maharincess

[Sandman87]

The next 4 days are going to be 104, 108 and then 2 days at 103.

My house has no air conditioning and the insulation sucks.

I'm not looking forward to it.

I had good luck using a portable AC unit when I lived in a couple of apartments like that. Just roll it to whatever room needs cooling and run the exhaust hose to the window. It'll only keep one bedroom-sized room cool at any given time, but it's better than nothing. I still use it occasionally.

[auntlada]

It's the whole damn process. People get annoyed when they pull number 79 and it says Now Serving 70.  They get annoyed when the clerk didn't advance the number because they are clearly serving 72, because we just saw 72 place his order, but it still says 70.

 

They get annoyed when somebody goes up and orders something that nobody ever orders. Everybody's just annoyed. 

 

You can see that this is recognized by supermarkets because they've done a couple things to make it better. They have the more popular items already sliced and packaged ready for people to just walk up and purchase it. That's clearly a sacrifice they make to improve customer service, because some of that stuff will get tossed.  They also have the little computer at the front now where you can place your deli order and they'll cut it for you while you walk through the store.

 

I tend to pick up the already sliced stuff when I just want swiss cheese, and I just avoid the supermarket entirely and go to the local deli if I want a bunch of stuff.

 

 

The things I miss living in a relatively small town. If I have to wait at a store's deli counter, there's generally only one person in front of me, maybe two. There are no numbers to take. If the counterperson tries to help someone who came later, that person always says, "Oh, she (he, whatever) was here first." The chatting at the checkout is annoying, but the other side of it is pretty good.

[DeLurker]

Checkout question: I could not outsmart the plastic produce bags (the "Open" and up arrow is a fat lie) and so did not put my zucchini in a bag. In a bag, they'd count as one item. Out of the bag, they brought my total up to 20, beyond even the squeak by limit of the express lane. Could I have gone through the express lane? I didn't, but I wondered.

If the zucchini is sold by the pound I would count them as one - bag or no bag.  They'll be weighed together and show up on your receipt as one.

 

Grocery store anti-peeve - stopped by the store on Sunday to pick up an ice cream cake for my son's birthday.  Only one register was open and there was probably a line of 6 - 7 people.  When I was about 4th, the two people in front of me told me to go ahead since I only had 1 item.  They both had less than 10 and had been waiting several minutes already, so that was really considerate of them.  I told them not too worry, my cake was going to be fine but I appreciated the offer. 

[Sweets McGee]

I wish stores had a cash only line. I'm probably the last one on earth but I prefer using cash. I spend less when I can actually see my money leaving my hands. I hate having to wait for people signing their papers if I'm in line with one thing and the cash in my hands.

I've seen people using debit or credit cards to buy a damn candy bar.

I use credit cards 95% of the time. I think I'm pretty fast with it. Swipe and tap, and rarely have to sign if it's under a certain amount. I think I'm faster than cash people! :)

 

That said though I do feel silly having to use the card for a couple dollars, but I've done that before if I have absolutely no cash on me. I usually try to have $5-$10 on me for things like that though.

[Maizie131]

Pet peeve (actually, hatred) of people who leave their dogs in cars on hot days -- even if windows are cracked & they had water in the car for the dog.  Article from my local newspaper this morning:

 

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/29652938/dog-found-left-in-126-degree-parked-car-in-southfield

[Qoass]

Professional sports can be fun.  So can tiddlywinks.  And really, in the course of human events, they are equally important.  So please, world, stop behaving as if under-inflated footballs or steroid use or whatever matters. at. all.  Who gives a (your choice of expletive here) about a bunch of man-children in ugly uniforms chasing each other around with balls and sticks? 

 

I'm in New England so between Tom Brady and Boston's aborted attempt to host the Olympics, I've heard enough about sports this week to last several lifetimes.

 

 

[harrie]

Professional sports can be fun.  So can tiddlywinks.  And really, in the course of human events, they are equally important.  So please, world, stop behaving as if under-inflated footballs or steroid use or whatever matters. at. all.  Who gives a (your choice of expletive here) about a bunch of man-children in ugly uniforms chasing each other around with balls and sticks? 

 

I'm in New England so between Tom Brady and Boston's aborted attempt to host the Olympics, I've heard enough about sports this week to last several lifetimes.

 

Same here on both location and the non-news factor.  But I do admire Boston's mayor for refusing to agree for the city to accept responsibility for all cost overruns incurred by the Olympic committee.  I know it's no secret the OCOG is a big bunch of profiteers, but I'm glad someone wasn't so blinded by the allure of hosting the games that he signed whatever they gave him.  (Even though cities vie to host the games because of the tourist revenue they anticipate, has any city even broken even? Must look that up.)

 

Re Brady, I thought the whole thing was a publicity stunt by the NFL to drive ratings for the Super Bowl.  Since Brady's suspension ends in a way that his first game back, they face the Colts, I still kind of think this whole thing is a setup and even more of a non-news item. 

[topanga]

Professional sports can be fun.  So can tiddlywinks.  And really, in the course of human events, they are equally important.  So please, world, stop behaving as if under-inflated footballs or steroid use or whatever matters. at. all.  Who gives a (your choice of expletive here) about a bunch of man-children in ugly uniforms chasing each other around with balls and sticks? 

 

I'm in New England so between Tom Brady and Boston's aborted attempt to host the Olympics, I've heard enough about sports this week to last several lifetimes.

I agree, but isn't it all tiddlywinks? Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who, Sleepy Hollow, Real Housewives, Harry Potter, The Emmys, The Oscars, The View? In the vast scheme of things, television and movies aren't as important as the global water shortage and genocide.  But I love talking about TV and movies, especially on this board, and I love talking about sports, too. Qoass, you should visit the NFL thread. All Brady all the time.

 

Professional sports generates so much revenue these days, for the team owners, the players, and the sports leagues themselves, that sports news often dominates real news.

[Qoass]

 

Professional sports generates so much revenue these days, for the team owners, the players, and the sports leagues themselves, that sports news often dominates real news.

 

And that's a freaking disgrace.

 

Plus, I believe pornography also earns a pretty penny but I don't see that shoving the middle east out of the top stories on my local news.

[ALenore]

On the about 10 items line was a person paying, a person about to be rung up, and a guy who just got there in front of me with a basket that was PACKED so full that he also had a couple items under his arms. He was clearly operating under the "If it fits all in one of these little baskets, it qualifies for the express lane" theory.

On the about 15 items were also three people, but two of them were old people. One was really old and the other was just kind of old.  Experience told me that one or both of them were going to be digging for change in the bottom of the purse.

 

One time several years ago I had a choice in a grocery store of two lines to choose from.   One had an a woman with kids, and another a fairly young man.  I got in line behind the man, assuming he'd be faster.   He only had a few items, but he took forever to pull out his checkbook, he wanted to write the check for over the amount of his purchase so he had to show his driver's license, which he took forever to find, and then he pulled out some receipts he'd gotten for soda can return and wanted to get paid for them.   By the time I got to the cashier, two other people had gone through the other line I was in.   

 

That is one of the reasons why I use self checkout, I scan the items as I buy them and put them in bags in my cart.   At the register all I have to do is scan the checkout bar code and and swipe my credit card.   (The deli at my grocery store also has a  kiosk where you can just choose what you want and continue shopping, then they call you when it's ready to pick up.   If the kiosk is broken, I just choose one of the prepackaged items rather than waiting in line.)

[JTMacc99]

Plus, I believe pornography also earns a pretty penny but I don't see that shoving the middle east out of the top stories on my local news.

Heh. That would definitely sell a lot of papers.

[bilgistic]

Professional sports generates so much revenue these days, for the team owners, the players, and the sports leagues themselves, that sports news often dominates real news.

I found out recently that the NFL is a non-profit organization, and that made me hate football even worse than I already did. NON-PROFIT...like your local YMCA or no-cost pharmacy for those in poverty--organizations that have helped me in my life. I suppose the NFL makes people happy or something, but there's absolutely no reason I can think of for it to be non-profit--not with the amount of money it generates and pays its players.

[Maharincess]

Bilgistic, I just found that out not too long ago as well. It makes me as mad as tax exempt churches do.

[MargeGunderson]

Do we work together?

AuntLada, can you also open both before 8am but not after? What's up with that?!

[Prairie Fire]

Same here on both location and the non-news factor.  But I do admire Boston's mayor for refusing to agree for the city to accept responsibility for all cost overruns incurred by the Olympic committee.  I know it's no secret the OCOG is a big bunch of profiteers, but I'm glad someone wasn't so blinded by the allure of hosting the games that he signed whatever they gave him.  (Even though cities vie to host the games because of the tourist revenue they anticipate, has any city even broken even? Must look that up.)

 

Re Brady, I thought the whole thing was a publicity stunt by the NFL to drive ratings for the Super Bowl.  Since Brady's suspension ends in a way that his first game back, they face the Colts, I still kind of think this whole thing is a setup and even more of a non-news item. 

 

The IOC is one of my pet peeves. I always liked the Olympics. It should be something cities vie to host. Yet it's turned into something most cities would be foolish to want to host. It's sad that it's come to this.

 

And although I'm a huge sports fan, the coverage of Deflategate is also a pet peeve. You'd think that Tom Brady was facing a Pete Rose-type lifetime ban, instead of missing a quarter of the regular season, which is not that big a deal! Meanwhile, many teams across the other sports lose star players for even bigger chunks of the regular season and it's not treated like the end of the world - the show goes on, and a backup gets valuable experience. All this does is turn a championship team into an outlaw championship team and make Patriots fans even more obnoxious. Ugh.

[applecrisp]

If the zucchini is sold by the pound I would count them as one - bag or no bag.  They'll be weighed together and show up on your receipt as one.

 

Grocery store anti-peeve - stopped by the store on Sunday to pick up an ice cream cake for my son's birthday.  Only one register was open and there was probably a line of 6 - 7 people.  When I was about 4th, the two people in front of me told me to go ahead since I only had 1 item.  They both had less than 10 and had been waiting several minutes already, so that was really considerate of them.  I told them not too worry, my cake was going to be fine but I appreciated the offer. 

Sometimes I lose faith in human beings and then they go and do something nice.  I was at a coffee shop and had forgotten my wallet.  I think I was going to come back.  Anyway a young man was waiting and ordered and not missing a beat said and her coffee.  What a nice gesture.

[bilgistic]

My faith in humanity was restored a bit last week when my mother and I spent a day in Charleston, SC. We went to Emanuel church where the shooting took place to pay our respects and there was a service going on outside. I was overcome with emotion being at a place where such a horrible, evil event happened, but then seeing people from all walks of life, all races and statuses hugging and singing and crying and being one with each other, being forgiving of an ignorant kid that caused such pain. I'm not religious after being brought up in hellfire-and-brimstone fear-mongering, but seeing that in the face of such despair, the human spirit can prevail is a sign to me of something greater than what I possess in my body. It was beyond beautiful to see those people together.

[JTMacc99]

I found out recently that the NFL is a non-profit organization, and that made me hate football even worse than I already did. NON-PROFIT...like your local YMCA or no-cost pharmacy for those in poverty--organizations that have helped me in my life. I suppose the NFL makes people happy or something, but there's absolutely no reason I can think of for it to be non-profit--not with the amount of money it generates and pays its players.

That is one of those stories that takes a single fact and lets people draw the wrong conclusion. (Which by the way, makes me madder than a mosquito in a mannequin factory) Somewhere near 25% of the NFL's revenue is paid back a taxes, which is actually a very high percentage for a business.

 

I, being a numbers person, looked into this and it only sounds terrible.  In practice, getting all riled up about the part of the NFL that had the non-profit designation was just something that politicians did to make them sound like they were the protectors of the people.

 

The NFL head office was the one that had the non-profit status.  Some years they showed a slight profit, some years they showed a slight loss. No substantial tax was unpaid because of it. The NFL gave up it's non-profit status because it wasn't actually worth any money to them, but it did make people perceive them as being bad guys.

 

The actual profits on the $9 billion of revenue generated by the NFL belongs to the 32 teams, and all of that stuff was taxed fully by the federal and local governments. All of the salaries of the players (which is about half of revenue) were taxed as income taxes just like we pay, and since it's paid as salaries, those guys are very likely to have paid the full amount in the highest brackets. It's very difficult to shield income when paid as salary. 

 

So to put that in perspective, $4.5 billion of the $9 billion went to player salaries, and those players paid about 40% or $1.8 billion of taxes.  Of the remaining $4.5 billion of revenue, let's say that the teams end up with a pretax income rate of 10% of revenue (that might be a little high, but it is a nice round number.) So that would leave another $900 million that was fully taxable at corporate tax rates generating another $360 million of taxes.

 

So of the NFL's $9 billion of revenue, $2.2 billion is paid back as taxes.  It actually ends up being a hell of a lot higher than what the governments collect from most businesses.  But it's more interesting for a politician to make a lot of noise about the NFL's non-profit status than it is to tell the truth.

Edited July 30, 2015 by JTMacc99

[Qoass]

Great explanation but don't try to confuse me with the facts.

 

Next thing you know, you'll be able to tell me why health care businesses like hospitals and pharmaceutical companies are for-profit models.

 

And then we can go on to schools and prisons.

[DeLurker]

 

makes me madder than a mosquito in a mannequin factory

I've never heard this before - too funny!

 

News items, unless celebrity news, might be a topic that is out of bounds for the site.  I've seen mod notices about similar things in the past.

[JTMacc99]

Ha!  Fortunately, I don't know much about the business models of health care and pharmaceutical* companies. Such knowledge would probably annoy me.

 

* Very proud of myself for spelling pharmaceutical correctly without getting the little red underline.

 

I do know ALL about the pay TV and internet delivery business though.  Hopefully nobody gets me started on that topic here.

Great explanation but don't try to confuse me with the facts.

By the way, I am in no way trying to convince people to like football. I just wanted push the conversation back into the many legitimate reasons as opposed to the tax thing. 

[Qoass]

Oh, don't get me wrong-- I love watching football.  I just feel sports are given way, way too much attention on the news right now when there are so many truly newsworthy events going on.

[potatoradio]

 

Meanwhile, many teams across the other sports lose star players for even bigger chunks of the regular season and it's not treated like the end of the world - the show goes on, and a backup gets valuable experience.

 

..and of all people who should appreciate being given a chance as a backup, it's Tom Brady. Says Drew Bledsoe.

 

I am really over online petitions and keyboard vigilantism. I am really uncomfortable with the idea that if enough people post little diatribes on FB and collect X number of sigs on some online form that "They" will "have" to "do something." No, courts, law enforcement or licensing boards should take action after completing a full and honest investigation. I mean, I appreciate the power of public shaming to potentially destroy someone's reputation/career if they do something shameful, but I fail to see how that's a lasting, predictable consequence that really leads to change.

 

 

[Qoass]

 

I mean, I appreciate the power of public shaming to potentially destroy someone's reputation/career if they do something shameful, but I fail to see how that's a lasting, predictable consequence that really leads to change.

 

I think it does.  If enough people speak out that something is not okay, at least some other people stop doing it.  Consider the confederate flag issue.  I am also hopeful that the murder of Cecil the lion leads to a reduction of big game hunting.

[Maharincess]

Sometimes I lose faith in human beings and then they go and do something nice. I was at a coffee shop and had forgotten my wallet. I think I was going to come back. Anyway a young man was waiting and ordered and not missing a beat said and her coffee. What a nice gesture.

And then that faith in humanity comes crashing down again when the person in line in front of you at the grocery store doesn't have enough money and starts putting things back.

My husband and I paid the $112.00 she was short so she didn't have to put food back(she had 3 kids with her, we felt bad for them). Then she turns around and leaves with the groceries you just paid for without even a nod in thanks.

People like that make me not want to help out anybody. But I still do it when I can.

[magicdog]

Even though cities vie to host the games because of the tourist revenue they anticipate, has any city even broken even? Must look that up.

 

More often than not, they end up a losing proposition.  Toronto raised money to build its stadium and Olympic village via bonds and taxes.  That was 1976.  They only recently caught up with the cost!  Some cities hope for a tourism boost the Olympics normally would bring but for a host of reasons, many stadiums end up being half empty.   The only reason I can think of trying to bring it to one's city is because someone's brother in law stands to profit from building the Olympic Village or is a vendor selling food or souvenirs.

 

My husband and I paid the $112.00 she was short so she didn't have to put food back(she had 3 kids with her, we felt bad for them). Then she turns around and leaves with the groceries you just paid for without even a nod in thanks.

People like that make me not want to help out anybody. But I still do it when I can.

 

 

You and your husband are great!  I'm sorry you had such an ungrateful wretch before you.   Call me cynical, but I can't help but wonder if she didn't do that on purpose.  Lots of people have been known to pick up the difference on a grocery balance out of kindness and maybe she thought you'd oblige.   I remember having to deal with a welfare case in a grocery line once who bought about $50.00 worth of groceries and handed her EBT card to the cashier.  It was a zero balance so the woman just up and left the groceries  behind without a second thought.    No whining or pleading, just up and left because she knew the card would be replenished soon enough.  Not for nothing but she didn't look like she was missing any meals either.

[Maharincess]

It happened about 10 years ago. Apparently I still haven't gotten over it.

[applecrisp]

Maharincess, that would be hard to forget.