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

[janestclair]

I always want to do a pastel color and then it just looks weird because I'm super pale or something.  Right now, my nails are painted a funky bluish purpley color and I love it.  The crappy part is working with acetone or some other chemical at work and then there goes my nail polish because I'm dumb and didn't think about it beforehand.  D'oh.  I've yet to figure out how to get nail polish to stick around looking decent for more than 2 days.  

[TattleTeeny]

My toes can stay nice for a long time but my fingers...no way. Pisses me off because I have a "picking" habit with my thumbs' nails and cuticles; I've gouged the hell out of them over the years and they look like garbage and probably always will (doesn't help that I never wear gloves when I'm cleaning my house or at the animal shelter, and I am a frequent handwasher). But when I have polish on them, I manage to keep myself in check. Unfortunately, the minute there's a chip--i.e., 12 hours after I paint them, if that--all bets are off and I am back to looking like I just dug myself out of my own grave. 

Edited May 18, 2016 by TattleTeeny

[DeLurker]

I got a manicure and pedicure last week - long overdue.  When I came home, my cat kept licking my finger nails (even after I had washed my hands).

Pedicures typically work out ok for me since I wear socks or house sleepers if I don't actually have shoes on, but manicures typically get messed up pretty quick.  Plus, something in the nail polish turns my fingernails yellow and weak.  Typically I take off the polish after a couple of days (on my fingernails).  My toenails don't react that way though - they stay the same.

[ZaldamoWilder]

17 hours ago, TattleTeeny said:

and I am back to looking like I just dug myself out of my own grave. 

LMAO!!!

How do you guys do with gels?  Like @backformore, I use a Sally Hansen but it's a gel polish with the special seal it in forever topcoat and I can go like 2-3 weeks.  Tattle you might just be a peeler (me too) I kind of love when it all comes off in one clean piece lol.  But, I won't help it out by picking.  Them things are expensive girl, keep your look until the bitter end!  :D

[TattleTeeny]

I was getting them for a while and LOVED it! I left it on for so long--I didn't even care about the blank space at the bottom when my nails grew; it was actually like a badge of achievement! I know that there are downsides to gel but because my nails are such a mess anyway (at least the thumbs), I thought it was kind of like breaking even. On the other hand (haha, no pun intended there), I am bad at making appointments and my manicure lady is not in a convenient location, which makes going there feel like just one more chore on the to-do list.

Edited May 18, 2016 by TattleTeeny

[BooksRule]

I hate it when people look at me like I have two heads just because I have no huge urge to get a smartphone (yet).  My old clunker of a phone (really, really old--not even at flip-phone level) finally died several weeks ago, and I was reminded today when I had potential car trouble on the road that I needed to get a new phone.  I want a phone that I can use to make and receive the occasional phone call and possibly the occasional text.  I have no desire to talk to friends or relatives as I walk through the grocery store or (worse!) while I'm driving (I watch one of my co-workers every morning try to maneuver her car between the two lines of the parking space, sometimes having to back out and try two or three times, just because she is holding a phone to her ear and is using one hand to drive--and isn't paying much attention to what she is doing). It might be nice to check FB or e-mail whenever I want to, but I haven't really missed it.  I have access to phone and internet at home and work.  If I'm away on business, I always have a work-issued laptop (or tablet) and can get wi-fi.  If I'm traveling, I have GPS in my car.  I'm going to go to the cell phone place on Friday (or next Tuesday if the predicted heavy rains come in on Friday--I'll want to stay home if they do) and I dread it.  I know they'll try to talk me into something 'better', and although I plan to stand my ground, I know I won't be in the mood to fight.  Maybe they won't--I'll try to be optimistic.  

I'll probably get a smartphone eventually, but I don't want one yet.  

[Bastet]

I was expecting to be faced with that attitude when I went into the AT&T store last year to get a new flip phone when mine croaked, but it wound up being a thoroughly pleasant experience.  The sales rep not only refrained from trying to sell me anything else, she expressed easy and complete agreement that it was silly to get more than you need.  She just showed me my options, answered my questions, checked compatibility with my existing smart card, and sold me a phone that cost a whopping $15 or something.  So, I wish the same for you.

My peeve of the day:

"I seen it."

No, you saw it.  Go away.  I'm more tolerant of non-standard regional dialect than the average grammar purist, but this is too much.

Edited May 21, 2016 by Bastet

[BooksRule]

Thanks for letting me know how phone-shopping went for you, Bastet.  I hope it goes as well for me, too!

Quote

"I seen it."

I would rank "I done it" a close second behind what you said.

[bilgistic]

My parents got iPhones at the county fair. Yes, really. I guess their carrier had a booth set up or something; they got free phones. I have since (seven months) listened to my mother complain every time we're together about the phone and how she doesn't need a phone that does all the things phones do now. (We aren't together that often, but the topic always comes up.) My sister and I say to her, "Why did you get an iPhone, then? Why not just get a flip phone?" Mom says, "They were free."

Were they though, really? Because I've been paying for them, having to hear about them for seven months. I'm guessing my dad has, too. I love you, Mom!

[Wings]

2 minutes ago, bilgistic said:

My parents got iPhones at the county fair. Yes, really. I guess their carrier had a booth set up or something; they got free phones. I have since (seven months) listened to my mother complain every time we're together about the phone and how she doesn't need a phone that does all the things phones do now. (We aren't together that often, but the topic always comes up.) My sister and I say to her, "Why did you get an iPhone, then? Why not just get a flip phone?" Mom says, "They were free."

Were they though, really? Because I've been paying for them, having to hear about them for seven months. I'm guessing my dad has, too. I love you, Mom!

Hand me my rifle. 

[Qoass]

I do miss being able to access my e-mail via phone but now Yahoo requires that I use a smart phone to do so.  I went into the store on Monday ready to buy one but nobody could tell me whether I would have to upgrade my flip phone plan because I was upgrading my phone.  I sent an e-mail to my service provider asking the same and have not heard back two days later.

I hate phones.

[TattleTeeny]

I was kind of in the same mindset for a long time too, and would get so annoyed at my friends who acted like I was a Luddite! I mean, they would seriously sit and talk about who had what phone! That is actually almost as boring as being in the cell phone store! I don't know why they gave a fuck, as they all know I am terrible with a cell phone; once I am at home, with a land line (need one for the door buzzer, plus I am a lax cell-phone charger--need to have a "real" phone!), I tend to leave the cell in my bag for the most part and pay it no mind unless I am in a back-and-forth text conversation while I'm sitting around watching TV or using the phone to listen to music while I clean. I also try to remember to keep it in hearing distance on weekend nights (my BF is a musician and  likes to check in by text from gigs when it's too loud in a bar to call). My friends know this! And it's really irritating to be out with a group, and four out of six people are staring at phones!

That said, I did update to an iPhone when my last phone crapped out. There was just no middle ground between super-old or smart phone, so I went with the latter. While I am proud to say I don't have it in my hand at all times, I have kind of embraced it for the things I mentioned above (plus Google maps/navigation because I am a dumb idiot at directions!). Further, if I go to one of my BF's gigs without a friend or two to hang out with while he's onstage, I can at least read here or text someone or whatever. That's good for me because I have a weird social anxiety about sitting alone in a bar (yikes, I am full of neuroses)!

Edited May 19, 2016 by TattleTeeny

[JTMacc99]

I had a work issue semi-smart phone for 10 years. Semi smart meaning that it texts fine, but the texts could be monitored by work. It contacts the internet, but social media apps and most games were banned.  It had maps and work approved note taking applications. If I was bored senseless at a scout meeting or some other event I had to wait around with a bunch of people I didn't want to talk to while I waited for my child to be done, I could use the phone to amuse myself well enough.

And then a few months ago, I started to develop a friendship with a coworker and realized that I was NOT going to want those conversations monitored.

So when I caved in, I bought the biggest, most powerful iPhone they had. If I'm going to have a toy, I might as well embrace it.  I'm glad I did. 

[DeLurker]

When I needed new cellphones (both my son's and mine crapped out within a week of each other), I was initially looking for the basics - talk and text.  There was a huge gap between flip phones and smart phones.  The flips felt flimsy and cheap - I suspect quality has dropped wildly with them - but they were still (in my view) pretty pricey given what low quality they were.  For $50 more, I ended up getting 2 iPhone 4S(s) for my kids because that model was ancient by then and an iPhone 6 for myself.  I was pretty resistant to the idea of change and the only thing I was looking forward to was the iPhone's camera (which is pretty awesome), but I am happy I made the change too. 

Prior to getting my daughter the iPhone, she had a Net10 phone I got at a grocery store for $20 - it was a blackberry style phone.  I figured for her first phone, I did not want to get her something that I was going to freakout over if she lost it or broke it.  It actually felt more substantial than the flips available with plans.

Anyway...you might want to check out this article from PC Magazine on Cheap Cell Phone Plans.  Might help a bit.

[backformore]

I saw something online the other day about how phones were changing the way people experience life.  The example they gave was someone meeting the Pope, and taking a selfie.  The point was made that he was excited about meeting the pope, had about 5 seconds for an interaction, and spent it  looking AWAY from the person he was so excited to meet, instead facing the phone to get the shot.  Another example was someone seeing the original Mona Lisa painting, and pausing for just a moment to take a PHOTO of the painting, not even stopping to take in the experience.  People are living life through their phones, and missing out on genuine experiences.

[Bastet]

Yes, so many people are too busy documenting their lives to actually experience them. 

[bilgistic]

I refuse to appear in photos. If anyone tries to take a picture of me, which basically never happens (except that my dumb boss forced me to have my picture in our proposals--I NEVER meet clients!!!), I say that I don't want my soul captured. I absolutely do not put my image online. My cats have been shameless exhibitionists, though.

[Petunia13]

which company was the one that gave you parents free iPhones? 

[bilgistic]

I think their carrier is Verizon, so I guess that's who it was...?

Whatever it was, it had to do with getting the phones at the fair. The fair in my hometown is a Big Deal, so they got a big deal. Heh.

In re: that article above, I have Page Plus for $30/month and it's pretty great. I bought my Android smartphone on a separate secondhand/refurb site and had one of Page Plus's "authorized agents" in a nondescript strip mall set it up, which took literally two hours for some reason, but otherwise, smooth sailing (knock wood). That was two years ago when I upgraded phones; I went to Page Plus maybe a year before that. The same guys set it up on an earlier phone I'd bought.

I haven't been with one of the "big four" carriers in probably 10 years.

[TattleTeeny]

I have often heard from techie types that refurb can really be the way to go as far as ensuring that your "new" gadget is as solid as it can be.

[stillhere1900]

On 5/15/2016 at 10:05 PM, corinne said:

All the people gleeful about the recent show cancellations. Hundreds, probably more, or people are dependent on the paychecks those shows provide. Being gleeful about their cancellations is in poor taste, I think.

I totally agree with you Corinne. If you're watching a TV show that you don't like. USE YOUR REMOTE!!!!

[Petunia13]

Yes but new shows replace those and give people jobs. Also people fired from shows or let go due cancellations many x go onto bigger and better. Many of the recent firings from a daytime soap I watch landed prime time gigs immediately. (On Shonda Rhimes shows at that)

Theres another soap actor who has been on contract, fired due to story, rehired, fired due to story, and he -in the off times does construction - and still makes good money. I wouldn't worry about tv stars or producers, I know they aren't worrying about me. 

[annzeepark914]

I guess my pet peeve isn't all that important BUT, for the love of God, will some store please start selling black linen sheaths (and not with plunging necklines)? Back in the day, I could always find something to wear to a wedding, anniversary party, special occasion, etc.  The past few years?  Nada!  I could find sheaths when I was in my 20's & 30's but after that?  They disappeared it seems.  Or, their sleeveless-ness is so extreme (to show off my "guns" I suppose?  I don't have "guns"...they're ok arms but not like Michelle Obama's).

Re: cellphones?  I've had a smartphone for 1.5 years and love it.  I don't walk down the street staring at it, don't even take it out when I'm out & about.  But it's nice to have by the bed to check the news, messages, facebook before I go to sleep or when I wake up (or, if I wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep?  It's something to do...I even play solitaire on it)

[auntlada]

I'd be OK with a smartphone, I guess, if it were small enough to fit in my pocket. I would have to carry the ones I see now in my hand because they are too big for my pocket, and I don't carry my phone in my purse. I don't carry a purse if I don't have to.

[stillhere1900]

3 hours ago, Petunia13 said:

Yes but new shows replace those and give people jobs. Also people fired from shows or let go due cancellations many x go onto bigger and better. Many of the recent firings from a daytime soap I watch landed prime time gigs immediately. (On Shonda Rhimes shows at that)

Theres another soap actor who has been on contract, fired due to story, rehired, fired due to story, and he -in the off times does construction - and still makes good money. I wouldn't worry about tv stars or producers, I know they aren't worrying about me. 

I'm guessing they aren't wishing that your job/work would close so you lose your job.

[Maharincess]

I'm catching up on all of the posts here so please pardon me for responding to old posts. 

I've never had a manicure or pedicure in my life.  Back in my late teens, early 20s I thought I wanted to be a nail tech so I went through all of the schooling then decided I'd rather work with dogs than humans. Dogs are so much nicer.  I have always done my own nails.  My almost 8 year old granddaughter loves to give me pedicures so she does my toes now but I do my own nails.  I just have this weird thing about being touched by people I don't know.  I could just never justify spending the money on something I could do just as good myself. 

What I'm looking for is a place that will do pedicures in a private area of the salon,  I just had my 27th (happily unmarried) anniversary and wanted to get a pedicure for my honey for our anniversary.  He loves having his feet done but he would be too embarrassed to do it out in the open in front of everybody.   

Regarding cancelled TV shows, what I hate is when people write something like "this show needs to be cancelled immediately, I need these people off my TV screen".  Uh, some people would just turn the damn channel. 

Edited May 20, 2016 by Maharincess

[Petunia13]

That I agree with @Maharincess.

I hope I was clear, what I was bringing up was when i personally felt sad when a show was cancelled or actor was x-ed out of series, and they ended up thriving or finding a lateral role. Like Kristen Bell, or the soap actors i mentioned, or Tony Hale, Ryan Gosling, ect. 

Also I don't know about me but some of my coworkers are from places my employer bought out and before I worked there i was sad those stores closed and worried about them, so it was a strange and happy coincidence to see them land and thrive. 

But I see the point again that you and @Maharincess make about shadenfreude and the absurdity of it all. 

[TattleTeeny]

Quote

I guess my pet peeve isn't all that important BUT, for the love of God, will some store please start selling black linen sheaths (and not with plunging necklines)? Back in the day, I could always find something to wear to a wedding, anniversary party, special occasion, etc.  The past few years?  Nada!  I could find sheaths when I was in my 20's & 30's but after that?  They disappeared it seems.  Or, their sleeveless-ness is so extreme (to show off my "guns" I suppose?  I don't have "guns"...they're ok arms but not like Michelle Obama's).

I find that anytime I am looking for something specific, no matter how common/classic/basic/standard it is, I will not find it when I need it! Plain black cardigan? Nope, at least not when that's my goal. Plain black tights? That's the day that every store has run out! Boring sleeveless white blouse (I hate that word) with a collar (so I can wear it under a sweater without feeling so constricted)? Forget it! And I've posted about this before but where are the god damn slips that are not squeezy tight shapewear that creeps up to one's waist if you dare to walk more than a few steps!

Quote

I'd be OK with a smartphone, I guess, if it were small enough to fit in my pocket. I would have to carry the ones I see now in my hand because they are too big for my pocket, and I don't carry my phone in my purse. I don't carry a purse if I don't have to.

My iPhone 6 can easily go into a back pocket of jeans or in a jacket pocket. I have the smaller one; I believe there are two sizes. When the iPhone lady asked which I wanted, I actually snort-laughed, like, "Are you nuts? The one that doesn't look like my damn Kindle, thank you!" Seriously, I don't even get this big-phone thing! Have you ever seen how stupid and cumbersome it looks when someone is trying to talk into one, haha--they're, like, palming the thing while trying to balance it against their heads! And, I seem to recall not that long ago, a giant cell phone was viewed as outdated! There was a whole big thing about getting the phones as small as possible (remember that little tiny Motorola flippy number?). 

Related: sometimes the pure number of gadgets I have both amazes me and stresses me right out! Typing now on a Mac laptop (which makes me old-fashioned, haha!)...over there on the counter is an iPhone and an iPod, the latter that I rarely use (and that does everything an iPhone does except make calls/texts). Then there's a Kindle--which also has internet capabilities--that I bought for a fabulous price on that Amazon sale day even though I have a Nook that is still readable despite some damage to its screen. To my left is Apple TV (not that I can put that in my purse and take it out of the house--well, I could, but it wouldn't do anything). And in a drawer, a tiny old iPod that didn't hold much music (also, my old broken MacBook that I don't know quite how to dispose of safely and my work Mac!). And that's not counting the BF's stuff: iPhone, laptop, old-school iPod (no internet and also probably the one that works best), and iPad, which he takes with him everywhere (and which you will never convince me is more comfortable to use than a laptop! I kind of hate iPads, actually).

It's just so much! For the record, I do prefer actual books to Nooks/Kindles, but I cannot argue with the convenience of the latter!

[auntlada]

16 minutes ago, TattleTeeny said:

My iPhone 6 can easily go into a back pocket of jeans or in a jacket pocket.

I have to carry my phone in my front pocket. One, so I don't butt-dial anyone. I have enough problems with accidentally dialing people with a touchscreen phone. I used to lock the phone so I wouldn't do that, but then I found out the hard way that it will still dial 911 when it is locked. I dialed it a number of times accidentally, once in the middle of the night and once in another state.

The second reason I can't carry a phone in my back pocket is that my work pants don't have big enough back pockets because designers and manufacturers apparently don't believe women need pockets in their pants. This is another huge pet peeve of mine. I want pockets, and I want them big enough to at least put some money and a driver's license in without worrying about them falling out.

[TattleTeeny]

Aww, I'm sorry! Honestly, I can't comfortably leave mine in a back pocket of jeans either--most of mine are pretty fitted (if beat-up and soft), and I am That Dope who better always keep the phone in one or two set places or I'll lose it (yes, probably even in a pocket! With the exception of once, all my phone upgrades have been because I lost it).

I used to tell my ex that he looked super-awesome in cargo pants when we went out. I mean, he looked fine, basically the same as he looked in anything else...but I had a reason: I wanted to leave my purse at home, haha! He figured it out pretty quickly.

Edited May 21, 2016 by TattleTeeny

[glowlights]

18 hours ago, Maharincess said:

What I'm looking for is a place that will do pedicures in a private area of the salon,  I just had my 27th (happily unmarried) anniversary and wanted to get a pedicure for my honey for our anniversary.  He loves having his feet done but he would be too embarrassed to do it out in the open in front of everybody.   

Have you considered a mobile spa? They'll come to you and give a mani/pedi in your own home (or hotel room). My husband won't go into the salon, either. Even salons that have other men getting pedis.

Speaking of pedis, my pet peeve for the day is people who insist on being loud attention-getters when there are other people trying to enjoy a service. A while ago a woman came in and proceeded to LOUDLY talk about Jesus to the nail tech, who is Buddhist thankyouverymuch and looked so embarrassed. The woman tried to tell me that Jesus loves me, too, but I pointedly stared at my iPhone. When she didn't get anywhere with the Jesus crap she LOUDLY Facetimed with her family. So rude. I like some peace with my pedis.

Edited May 21, 2016 by glowlights

[Quof]

Quote

"Are you nuts? The one that doesn't look like my damn Kindle, thank you!" Seriously, I don't even get this big-phone thing!

The iPhone 6+ is bigger than a Poptart.  Really.  How do you get your hand around that?

It's finally a lovely, sunny Saturday, so I washed my sheets and hung them on the clothesline while I went on to run some errands.  I came home to find them on my neighbour's lawn.  So I'm washing them again, then they'll go on the dryer. So much for the smell I was looking forward to.

[TattleTeeny]

Update on my office AC situation:

The Good (The Awesome, actually--I love it!): Moved my desk, and was actually wearing short sleeves! And in the event that it does kick in, it is not blowing directly into my face and is only the standard level of "office cold"; a sweater will do, or the space heater (which, at my last desk, would basically warm only the side of my right calf). The move wasn't easy, as I had to--you won't believe this--get permission from the I.T. department manager because...

he had equipment on the desk that I moved to. I am a person, yet office machines' feelings were taken into consideration first. Anyway...

The Bad: I am on my third round of antibiotics--topical and oral--for an infection under my nose that developed after my skin broke open, quite possibly (sure...I say most definitely) as a result of freezing wind from the AC, leaving it vulnerable to [trumpet flourish]...

staph. I have sensitive face skin to begin with, and allergy/sinus issues, so it's my body that held the "poison," but the AC that let it in there! My derm says that this could be an ongoing issue. Bah.

[bilgistic]

6 hours ago, Quof said:

The iPhone 6+ is bigger than a Poptart.

This made me laugh out loud!

8 hours ago, TattleTeeny said:

Related: sometimes the pure number of gadgets I have both amazes me and stresses me right out! Typing now on a Mac laptop (which makes me old-fashioned, haha!)...over there on the counter is an iPhone and an iPod, the latter that I rarely use (and that does everything an iPhone does except make calls/texts). Then there's a Kindle--which also has internet capabilities--that I bought for a fabulous price on that Amazon sale day even though I have a Nook that is still readable despite some damage to its screen. To my left is Apple TV (not that I can put that in my purse and take it out of the house--well, I could, but it wouldn't do anything). And in a drawer, a tiny old iPod that didn't hold much music (also, my old broken MacBook that I don't know quite how to dispose of safely and my work Mac!). And that's not counting the BF's stuff: iPhone, laptop, old-school iPod (no internet and also probably the one that works best), and iPad, which he takes with him everywhere (and which you will never convince me is more comfortable to use than a laptop! I kind of hate iPads, actually).

It's just so much!

You can sell your old gadgets to Amazon for credit. You won't get much, but they will at least be 1) reused or recycled, and 2) out of your home. Says me, who has an old phone I need to sell.

Edited May 21, 2016 by bilgistic
Typing is hard with a migraine.

[Sandman87]

You can keep your tiny little phones. I want one that I can see without having to hold it against my nose when I'm not wearing my glasses. As long as it's smaller than airport luggage and doesn't need wheels so I can drag it around, I'm good.

[DeLurker]

10 hours ago, TattleTeeny said:

And, I seem to recall not that long ago, a giant cell phone was viewed as outdated! There was a whole big thing about getting the phones as small as possible (remember that little tiny Motorola flippy number?).

Kinda like radios - first there were the transistor radios, then boomboxes, then iPods, ...I am probably skipping a couple of sizes in the music evolution.

But I still love the Nokia 8210...I probably would give up all the stuff my iPhone could do if I could make my old one work.

[backformore]

I love having a place to express my pet peeves.

Here's one for this week -  Sensory Overload.   At the gym, a lot of people have their earphones and are either listening to their own music or watching a TV show on the machine -  I do that often.  BUT -  why does the gym also have to blast pop music?  AND - the large TV screens, usually with sports, ALSO blasting?  If  want to get on the elliptical or treadmill and watch a TV show while I exercise, I don't want to have to tune out music and sports so I can hear my show.  Or what if I want to have a conversation with my gym friend, we have to converse at a high volume to be heard over the din.

And restaurants!   Unless you go to a super-fancy place - every family restaurant, burger place, ANY restaurant, has BOTH a soundtrack of music playing AND multiple TV's, mounted high on the walls, so that every table has a view.   I'm sure I'm not the only woman who experiences a phenomenon where, a man in a restaurant will focus on a TV screen, regardless of his interest in the show.   Tonight at dinner, every time there was a lull in the conversation, my husband's gaze wandered over to the TV -  HIgh school soccer!  He has no interest in it, would never watch it at home,  but if the TV is visible, his eyes go there.  Yes, HE is part of my pet peeve, that he always has to watch a TV screen - but a big part of it is that going out, it's hard to escape the assault on my senses.  It used to be just sports bars - and I get that.  a major sports event, being shown at a bar, yes, I get the appeal.   But now, any place that serves beer, feels the need to have TV's.  All turned to sports, even when no local games, or games of any importance, are on.  Just filling a void. 

Am I just getting old and cranky?   I like, sometimes, to have silence, to be alone with my thoughts.  Other times, I want EITHER TV, or music, or conversation - I don't want it all at the same time! 

[Maharincess]

8 hours ago, Sandman87 said:

You can keep your tiny little phones. I want one that I can see without having to hold it against my nose when I'm not wearing my glasses. As long as it's smaller than airport luggage and doesn't need wheels so I can drag it around, I'm good.

I have a bigger phone too.  I'm not much of a phone talker so unless I'm calling the vet or my Dr, I always text. Making phone calls is actually what I do least on my phone so I don't mind a bigger one.  Plus I'm blind as a bat so I like that aspect as well. 

I told my daughter the other day that if somebody had told me 30 years ago that I would one day say the sentence "I want to take a picture, let me grab my phone", I'd have thought they were nuts.   I tell my kids about my childhood, non cordless phone that was attached to the kitchen wall.  I remember it was a big day in my house when my mom bought a cord that was long enough to reach the couch.  We thought it was the coolest thing in the world to be able to sit on the couch and talk on the phone instead of standing in the kitchen. 

Oh, pet peeve...I hate people that walk around with their phones constantly in their hands like they may miss an important call.     Unless you're a heart surgeon waiting on a donor heart,  you aren't that damn important. 

[Blergh]

15 hours ago, backformore said:

I love having a place to express my pet peeves.

Here's one for this week -  Sensory Overload.   At the gym, a lot of people have their earphones and are either listening to their own music or watching a TV show on the machine -  I do that often.  BUT -  why does the gym also have to blast pop music?  AND - the large TV screens, usually with sports, ALSO blasting?  If  want to get on the elliptical or treadmill and watch a TV show while I exercise, I don't want to have to tune out music and sports so I can hear my show.  Or what if I want to have a conversation with my gym friend, we have to converse at a high volume to be heard over the din.

And restaurants!   Unless you go to a super-fancy place - every family restaurant, burger place, ANY restaurant, has BOTH a soundtrack of music playing AND multiple TV's, mounted high on the walls, so that every table has a view.   I'm sure I'm not the only woman who experiences a phenomenon where, a man in a restaurant will focus on a TV screen, regardless of his interest in the show.   Tonight at dinner, every time there was a lull in the conversation, my husband's gaze wandered over to the TV -  HIgh school soccer!  He has no interest in it, would never watch it at home,  but if the TV is visible, his eyes go there.  Yes, HE is part of my pet peeve, that he always has to watch a TV screen - but a big part of it is that going out, it's hard to escape the assault on my senses.  It used to be just sports bars - and I get that.  a major sports event, being shown at a bar, yes, I get the appeal.   But now, any place that serves beer, feels the need to have TV's.  All turned to sports, even when no local games, or games of any importance, are on.  Just filling a void. 

Am I just getting old and cranky?   I like, sometimes, to have silence, to be alone with my thoughts.  Other times, I want EITHER TV, or music, or conversation - I don't want it all at the same time! 

  I agree re the gym. I don't mind good, jazzy background music with a regular beat (which helps pacing) but it seems more often than not, my gym seems to prefer 'morning  radio shows' which either play nothing but whiny, moody emo stuff OR have lame DJs that weren't remotely funny or clever way back in junior high.

    As for restaurants? Yeah, I've seen those with as many as a dozen big screens that run about five different sporting events. Don't get the point of that and I also dislike it when they blast music too loud to even shout over. Nah, I don't think I'm getting old and cranky. I was this way 'back in the day' then, too.

[Wiendish Fitch]

I must be a mean ol' killjoy, because I hate it when people insist on singing along at the tippy-top of their lungs to their iPods at the gym. Dammit, I'm trying to concentrate on my own workout (and my own crappy music), I didn't ask for a serenade!

Also, if you can help it, refrain from grunting at the weights. I get it, you're workin' your 'ceps, good for you, no need to share it with the class.

[ParadoxLost]

I don't understand people who get nearly to the end of checking out at the grocery store, realize they forgot something and then transverse the entire store to go get it.  Finish your transaction and then go get it instead of holding up everyone in line behind you.  There is self check out and fast check out lanes that are short enough that you can inconvenience yourself instead of everyone else.

Also, smokers should go through the lane next to the cigarettes if they are buying cigarettes.  Because inevitably, both shopper and cashier end up heading over to that lane anyways to make sure the brand is exactly right.

Related to both, if you are apologizing for doing something in your control as you are doing it, then you should know better than to do it in the first place.

[bilgistic]

50 minutes ago, Blergh said:

As for restaurants? Yeah, I've seen those with as many as a dozen big screens that run about five different sporting events. Don't get the point of that and I also dislike it when they blast music too loud to even shout over. Nah, I don't think I'm getting old and cranky. I was this way 'back in the day' then, too.

There's a new restaurant near my workplace (in downtown) that boasts having over 100 TVs. What is the point of that?? How can you focus on even one? I went there exactly once with coworkers, and it set my anxiety on fire. I'm overwhelmed in bar and grills with the standard amount of TVs.

[Sandman87]

Agreement on everyone who expressed a dislike for various noisy public places. I've always had sensitive hearing, which makes for a miserable time in loud restaurants, stores, etc. I keep a set of foam earplugs on me at all times when I go out for exactly that reason.
 

1 hour ago, bilgistic said:

There's a new restaurant near my workplace (in downtown) that boasts having over 100 TVs. What is the point of that?? How can you focus on even one? I went there exactly once with coworkers, and it set my anxiety on fire. I'm overwhelmed in bar and grills with the standard amount of TVs.

Reminds me of a diner that I used to live near which had a little coin operated TV on the wall in every booth. Oddly enough, I can't recall anyone ever turning up the volume on one of them to the point where it became annoying to me.

[bilgistic]

There is a pack of young-ish kids that get squirrelly and run through my building every now and then, and it makes me just about homicidal. They did it today. They ring my doorbell (which scares the shit out of my cat) and run because my door is the first on the hall and I'm a grouchy old lady who yells at them. They don't live in my building, because all the units here are one-bedroom. They've been talked to numerous times by the management, and I KNOW that if I jerked one of them out by the ear and took them to their parent(s), *I'd* get sued. Or the complex ownership will get sued when one of them falls and breaks a bone when running through the building.

I hate kids so much.

Edited May 24, 2016 by bilgistic

[stillhere1900]

It's called *Ding Dong Ditch*

[ganesh]

Can you shoot them?

[shapeshifter]

3 hours ago, bilgistic said:

There is a pack of young-ish kids that get squirrelly and run through my building every now and then, and it makes me just about homicidal. They did it today. They ring my doorbell (which scares the shit out of my cat) and run because my door is the first on the hall and I'm a grouchy old lady who yells at them. They don't live in my building, because all the units here are one-bedroom. They've been talked to numerous times by the management, and I KNOW that if I jerked one of them out by the ear and took them to their parent(s), *I'd* get sued. Or the complex ownership will get sued when one of them falls and breaks a bone when running through the building.

I hate kids so much.

Can you get someone to rewire your doorbell so it stays silent but delivers a small shock to the person pressing it? On second thought, the kids would probably love it. 
Anyway, if you just disconnect the doorbell ringer from the wire that makes it ring, they might actually stop. Or they may take up knocking.

[Sun-Bun]

10 hours ago, bilgistic said:

There is a pack of young-ish kids that get squirrelly and run through my building every now and then, and it makes me just about homicidal. They did it today. They ring my doorbell (which scares the shit out of my cat) and run because my door is the first on the hall and I'm a grouchy old lady who yells at them. They don't live in my building, because all the units here are one-bedroom. They've been talked to numerous times by the management, and I KNOW that if I jerked one of them out by the ear and took them to their parent(s), *I'd* get sued. Or the complex ownership will get sued when one of them falls and breaks a bone when running through the building.

I hate kids so much.

The older I get, the less tolerant I get for children, MOST ESPECIALLY their parents(and I say this as a 39-year-old special education teacher!)....I realize kids are going to be kids and you can only control so much as a parent, but the fact that some parents find it perfectly acceptable to let their nasty little kids run around and scream/be public nuisances at some of my favorite restaurants and sportsbars really ticks me off.

Then there's the way they act in stores and on planes, and oh lord, I want to ask *any* mother why she'd even dare attempt to ride planes with an infant/toddler in tow if she didn't have to, if only to spare the rest of the plane's flyers some peace and quiet. I didn't ride a plane until I was 9 or 10, and I never felt like I was "missing out"---I learned how to be mature and appreciative when I finally did board a plane. Seriously, when will airlines start offering baby/child-free flights? Because I'd gladly pay more for that and I know other frequent fliers who feel the same way. Like the last flight I took, I sat right behind some squawking toddler who kept kicking my seat, cried for two hours non-stop, and I swear he shrieked like a demon...and I just about lost it when his binky somehow flew over my seat and into my lap. Ugh, sorry but I'd be mortified if that crotch goblin had sprung from my body!!!

Then there's the *one* loud kid in my loft building who lives right next to me, whose hippie parents actually let him ride his scooter through the hallway repeatedly one rainy Saturday afternoon. I took one for the team when I finally threw open my front door and told him to stay inside and try reading a book if he's that bored, but kindly stop the hallway scooter-riding insanity---I think I heard my neighbor across the hallway applaud after that, and we haven't heard another hallway run since then. I just wish he and his hippie parents would just move to the burbs where they belong.

Now get off my lawn.

[Quof]

Love ya, Sun-Bun.

[bilgistic]

I must add that these are the same children who are such special snowflakes that they can't stand at the bus stop by themselves in the morning.