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

[kristen111]

11 hours ago, theredhead77 said:

I gently disagree with that as a reputable source due to the incredibly small sample size and situational bias. 

Check out deaths on the Long Island Expressway from N.Y.C. to the Hamptons.  A raceway.  Every day.

[kristen111]

41 minutes ago, Caoimhe said:

They're too busy looking at their phones, posting or reading messages.

How about putting on mascara while driving?  Love that one.  We figured out that girls are the worst at taking chances from what we’ve seen.

[EtheltoTillie]

50 minutes ago, Caoimhe said:

They're too busy looking at their phones, posting or reading messages.

I’m afraid I’ve been guilty of this myself. But I never text while driving (moving)!  

Edited August 1, 2022 by EtheltoTillie

[kristen111]

9 hours ago, oliviabenson said:

Devils lettuce is a new one for me. Hehe 

That’s been around a long, long time. Lol.

[theredhead77]

19 minutes ago, kristen111 said:

Check out deaths on the Long Island Expressway from N.Y.C. to the Hamptons.  A raceway.  Every day.

That doesn't mean everyone is smoking weed; that sounds like a bunch of reckless drivers. 

I did Google per your suggestion and could not find what you were looking for. The best thing I found is a blog from a law firm. https://finzfirm.com/blog/why-is-the-long-island-expressway-so-dangerous/

Can you provide a source to your claim that these are mostly caused by drivers under the influence of weed?

Quote

Potholes and structural problems – Areas along the Long Island Expressway have been plagued by pothole issues for years. In fact, when discussing the infrastructure issues on the Highway, Governor Kathy Hochul remarked, “No one has hit more potholes in the state of New York than I have.”

Reckless driving – Unfortunately, careless driving is common on the Expressway. Distracted driving, intoxicated driving, fatigue, speeding, and other behaviors have all led to accidents on Interstate 495. Given the hazardous road conditions, it is more important than ever for motorists to pay attention and remain alert while driving on the Expressway. Many motorists also frequently break the speed limit when driving on this highway, and enforcement has been lacking.

Foot traffic – In some areas of the highway, particularly in Queens, there is heavy pedestrian traffic. While pedestrians are not allowed to cross the Expressway itself, they are allowed to cross streets like Queens Boulevard (which runs under the Expressway), which tends to be a very busy area for foot traffic. Drivers who aren’t looking out for pedestrians can end up causing a devastating collision.

Inclement weather – On Friday December 24, 2021, there were a shocking number of accidents on the Expressway caused by bad weather. Dozens of crashes were reported in the space of a single day because of snowy and icy conditions, with some accidents resulting in injuries.

[oliviabenson]

5 minutes ago, kristen111 said:

That’s been around a long, long time. Lol.

It’s new to me!

[kristen111]

8 minutes ago, theredhead77 said:

That doesn't mean everyone is smoking weed; that sounds like a bunch of reckless drivers. 

I did Google per your suggestion and could not find what you were looking for. The best thing I found is a blog from a law firm. https://finzfirm.com/blog/why-is-the-long-island-expressway-so-dangerous/

Can you provide a source to your claim that these are mostly caused by drivers under the influence of weed?

Never said “everyone” is smoking weed.  

[GeeGolly]

I always figured the slow drivers are the weed smokers and the weavers are the ones who are having races with other drivers because of some imagined slight. Trying to get ahead of them or block them in.

Tailgaters are my driving pet peeve.

[RealHousewife]

3 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

I’m afraid I’ve been guilty of this myself. But I never text while driving (moving)!  

I'm guilty of this too, but I try not to because yes it can make you not see a green as quickly as you should. I've gotten honked at before, and yeah I know I deserved it. I used to think that's what people meant as far as not texting and driving. It's bananas to literally text while the car is moving. It's like drunk driving, extremely dangerous. I read my texts before I start my car, and if I need directions, I get the route ready to go to. You really shouldn't touch your phone while driving. If I must speak with someone, I'll call them, and it's hands-free. I don't believe in holding a phone up while you're driving either. 

I used to feel unsafe with a friend's driving because she'd constantly look at her phone, do her makeup or hair, etc. It took her getting stopped by a cop who chewed her out for texting and going to court over the ticket to get her to finally change her ways. I don't usually wish any confrontations or stress on my fiends, but sometimes it can be life-saving. 

Another driving pet peeve is fast drivers in the parking lot. You know people are going in and out of parking spaces, and there are pedestrians nearby too. It's so much more dangerous than speeding on the highway, or even the streets. Slow the heck down before you hurt someone. 

[ECM1231]

6 hours ago, oliviabenson said:

It’s new to me!

And for me, as well. 

[Angeltoes]

Quote

It's bananas to literally text while the car is moving. 

We had a young girl do this here.  She was known among all her friends for her constant texting.  She was going over an overpass, texting all the while, and bashed into the semi in the next lane.  She ended up going off the top of the overpass, crashed into the road below and went up in flames.  The semi also went up in flames.  Oh, and the trucker's wife was pregnant at the time.  Both the road below and the overpass were shut down for months in order to do repairs and cost over two million dollars.  Such a complete waste of two lives.

[Bastet]

I often find PSAs ham-fisted dreck that rightly become fodder for parody, but I do kind of like some of those which show the last texts of people who sent a message while driving and wound up killing themselves and/or others; it's always something simple, with no time urgency, which brings home the "not worth it" message.

And as for cops claiming anything is a new and prevalent source of danger, nah.  Police departments are all about inducing fear in general (keeps 'em funded), and in this case specifically want back the ability to bust people for recreational pot, even though the criminalization of marijuana use never had anything to do with public safety to begin with (hint: the short answer is racism).

Edited August 1, 2022 by Bastet

[Annber03]

1 hour ago, Bastet said:

I often find PSAs ham-fisted dreck that rightly become fodder for parody, but I do kind of like some of those which show the last texts of people who sent a message while driving and wound up killing themselves and/or others; it's always something simple, with no time urgency, which brings home the "not worth it" message.

I like those, too. I think they really make the point in a simple, direct way. 

I remember there was a rather creepy ad of that sort one time where you just saw the windshield of the car, as though you were the one in the driver's seat. You then started reading various texts that popped up on the screen, asking questions like, "If you have to pick up Chris at 11, and the party ends at 3, and you have 50 miles of gas worth in your tank..."

....and then the last text says, "What are your chances of surviving this crash?"

Cue fade to black. 

[LexieLily]

6 hours ago, Bastet said:

I often find PSAs ham-fisted dreck that rightly become fodder for parody, but I do kind of like some of those which show the last texts of people who sent a message while driving and wound up killing themselves and/or others; it's always something simple, with no time urgency, which brings home the "not worth it" message.

I saw a commercial like that. The last text of the person driving was never completed and it showed on the screen, something like "What do you"

I wish I could find it on YouTube.

[theredhead77]

That campaign was called "It Can Wait" and was launched by AT&T Wireless.

https://about.att.com/csr/itcanwait

[RealHousewife]

A much lighter note pet peeve and first world problem-your favorite eyeliner being out of stock everywhere. lol

[partofme]

2 minutes ago, RealHousewife said:

A much lighter note pet peeve and first world problem-your favorite eyeliner being out of stock everywhere. lol

Even though I hardly ever wear makeup these days I worry about this since Revlon filed for bankruptcy.  

[kristen111]

2 minutes ago, RealHousewife said:

A much lighter note pet peeve and first world problem-your favorite eyeliner being out of stock everywhere. lol

So true.  Get dizzy in Target looking.  Can’t find mine for months.  So many choices, but not mine.  Too many.

2 minutes ago, partofme said:

Even though I hardly ever wear makeup these days I worry about this since Revlon filed for bankruptcy.  

What?  I’ve been using Revlon Lipstick only for years.  I better stock up on Amazon, if they still have.

[partofme]

5 minutes ago, kristen111 said:

What?  I’ve been using Revlon Lipstick only for years.  I better stock up on Amazon, if they still have.

They filed in June.  I’m hoping either someone buys them or bankruptcy saves them and they don’t go out of business.   I love their skinny liquid eyeliner.  I’m not much of a lipstick person but they had a few colors I liked in the 90s

[peacheslatour]

54 minutes ago, partofme said:

They filed in June.  I’m hoping either someone buys them or bankruptcy saves them and they don’t go out of business.   I love their skinny liquid eyeliner.  I’m not much of a lipstick person but they had a few colors I liked in the 90s

Oh damn, I love their nail polish.

[kristen111]

4 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

Oh damn, I love their nail polish.

I’ve been wearing all their products for years.  Love them, especially their lipsticks.💋

[Yeah No]

On 7/31/2022 at 6:26 PM, theredhead77 said:

100%. People who are going to drive impaired don't give a shit about the legality of their drug of choice.

Perhaps, but wrong way driving accidents are up by a LOT in my state (CT) and most involve DUI.  We have had more wrong way accidents this year SO FAR than in all of the past 3 years COMBINED.  And statistics show that drivers in 4 out of 5 of those accidents were impaired by alcohol, marijuana or both.  It's not lost on me and many others in my state that complain bitterly online about the accidents that pot was legalized here this year.  A coincidence?  I'm not going to place bets on that.

From this article:

Quote

Data collected by the institute and the DOT indicates that about 80 percent of the fatal wrong-way crashes that have occurred since 2020 were caused by drivers who were impaired by alcohol, marijuana or a combination of both.

Edited August 3, 2022 by Yeah No

[Yeah No]

On 7/27/2022 at 8:48 AM, SuprSuprElevated said:

There is another side to the ride share coin.

uber-lyft-ride-look-rideshare-safety-statistics

rideshare

insurance/car/ride-share-safety-tips

There may be similar data for taxis, but just wanted to play devil's advocate. 

It's what I do. 😈

My husband is a limo. driver and keeps up on everything to do with Uber and Lyft and the statistics are telling, plus the companies themselves are evil in many ways and in our opinion getting away with murder while doing nothing but collecting money.  They pay crap too, so they aren't even fair to their employees.

What I don't get is how everyone is in love with this concept when in fact it's no different from getting into a car with a complete stranger who hasn't been vetted by anyone.  You might as well hitchhike.  I am a cautious, skeptical New Yorker by nature and I just can't wrap my mind around that.  I wonder how people were sold this idea, meanwhile they act like taxi drivers are worse.  I can't help but think some of that perception is prejudice but that's just my opinion.  Whether you are safer with an Uber driver or a taxi driver depends largely on where you live according to the statistics.

In order to keep his limo. license my husband has to undergo tons of tests, pay high fees and even undergo regular physical exams but ZERO is expected from rideshare drivers.  Even regular taxi drivers have to undergo some of this.  And both are two of the most dangerous jobs out there.  Between the chances of being involved in an accident to being a victim of crime, they are dangerous jobs.  Fortunately my husband now works as the personal driver for a very rich family so he's in a better place now.  Although admittedly he always drove the safest clients like businesspeople. 

[EtheltoTillie]

I'm with you, @Yeah No.  I'd much rather get into a good old NYC yellow cab than an Uber.  I'd had it when on a rainy night an Uber driver started driving downtown instead of uptown in the direction of my apartment.  When I shouted at him to stop and turn around he was furious as he was supposed to follow the GPS.  The GPS was telling him to take an insane route.  Talk about being frightened about getting in a car with a stranger.

A lot of complaints against NYC cab drivers started, IMHO, because of antiimmigrant and racist prejudice, particularly because the industry began to be taken over by Middle Eastern drivers and others from similar backgrounds.  The dese-dems-dose (white) Brooklyn cabdrivers of yore are long gone. 

I never have trouble with yellow cab drivers, and they know where they're going and how to get there.  Unfortunately, since the pandemic, yellow cab drivers have been largely sidelined.  (I won't even go into the terrible economic conditions for those who invested large sums in taxi medallions--ownership of the right to drive the cab, for those out of town.)  My husband goes to work at odd hours in the middle of the night and has to take a cab for a short ride across town from the West Side to the East Side.  For thirty-five years he had no trouble walking outside our apartment and hailing a cab, even at 4 AM.  Since mid 2020, he has had to use Uber for that late shift.  (He can still hail a regular cab to return home at noon.)

I don't like using Uber and do so only when I absolutely cannot get a yellow cab.  I don't like that they don't know the city and don't know how to get places.  They don't understand that you normally give your destination as "86th and Fifth" or whatever street corner.  You have to enter an address even if you don't have one to enter.  They can only follow the GPS or they are apparently required to do so or they get in trouble.

Edited August 3, 2022 by EtheltoTillie

[SuprSuprElevated]

I have never used a rideshare service, so I have no first hand experiences, but I do have some reservations about the concept.

I have been in a lot of cabs in my life, and some of those experiences were really bad, having NOTHING to do with the ethnicity of the driver, but ranging from being picked up by a drunk, to being taken on the classic "tourist route" (aka padding the meter).  Working for an incorporated organization and having to pass tests and be licensed doesn't guarantee a quality experience either.  

Bottom line I guess, is that relying on someone else for this service is taking a bit of a gamble.  One we never used to think much about. 

Edited August 3, 2022 by SuprSuprElevated

[Yeah No]

1 hour ago, EtheltoTillie said:

I'm with you, @Yeah No.  I'd much rather get into a good old NYC yellow cab than an Uber.  I'd had it when on a rainy night an Uber driver started driving downtown instead of uptown in the direction of my apartment.  When I shouted at him to stop and turn around he was furious as he was supposed to follow the GPS.  The GPS was telling him to take an insane route.  Talk about being frightened about getting in a car with a stranger.

A lot of complaints against NYC cab drivers started, IMHO, because of antiimmigrant and racist prejudice, particularly because the industry began to be taken over by Middle Eastern drivers and others from similar backgrounds.  The dese-dems-dose (white) Brooklyn cabdrivers of yore are long gone. 

I never have trouble with yellow cab drivers, and they know where they're going and how to get there.  Unfortunately, since the pandemic, yellow cab drivers have been largely sidelined.  (I won't even go into the terrible economic conditions for those who invested large sums in taxi medallions--ownership of the right to drive the cab, for those out of town.)  My husband goes to work at odd hours in the middle of the night and has to take a cab for a short ride across town from the West Side to the East Side.  For thirty-five years he had no trouble walking outside our apartment and hailing a cab, even at 4 AM.  Since mid 2020, he has had to use Uber for that late shift.  (He can still hail a regular cab to return home at noon.)

I don't like using Uber and do so only when I absolutely cannot get a yellow cab.  I don't like that they don't know the city and don't know how to get places.  They don't understand that you normally give your destination as "86th and Fifth" or whatever street corner.  You have to enter an address even if you don't have one to enter.  They can only follow the GPS or they are apparently required to do so or they get in trouble.

Wow, that must have been a scary experience!  You described exactly what I was referring to about the prejudice.  A lot of cab drivers are (and have been for quite some time) immigrants from the Middle East and come here willing to work hard to provide for families in pursuit of the American Dream.  They endure great hardship to purchase horrifically expensive taxi medallions and pass all the associated tests and such, and yet no one seems to care about how they've been affected by the pandemic plus the rideshare platforms.  It takes so little to be tolerant of a language barrier plus differences in cultural outlook but a lot of Americans recoil at these things and that's why in my humble opinion rideshare became so popular - because more of the time you got an American driver.  But that's no guarantee of better service.  In many cases the list of pros favors the experienced taxi drivers over the relatively inexperienced Uber drivers.  I think the competition and the pandemic has forced some taxi drivers to pay better attention to the quality of their customer service plus the condition of their cabs.  I'm not going to sugarcoat that there wasn't a need for that because there was.  

One of the reasons my husband got the job he has right now is because he's a native NYer and knows the city like the back of his hand including every "escape route" to avoid traffic.  This is the kind of professional driver you need in a big city like NYC, not someone that just follows GPS.  GPS is often wrong or does not give the best route for the traffic conditions.  Most people are not experienced driving in NYC.  I come from a family of fearless NYC drivers who are the rare exceptions to that rule.  It takes a special kind of person to do that work, not just anyone.  Thanks for bringing that out.

[annzeepark914]

Back in the day, when we'd go into "the city", we'd always try to use Yellow cabs. If we couldn't get one we'd use Checker. I remember a few crazy times when we'd get a wild driver and they'd careen around corners, we'd slide from one side of the cab to the other in the big back seat of the Checker cabs. Years later, while living in North Raleigh, my car wouldn't start so I needed a cab to get to work. Of course I called Yellow Cab. After an hour of waiting (& calling, asking where my cab was & not getting a good response), I called another cab company & got to work. Now, living in the suburbs of DC, we use Red Top to get to the airport. I have friends who swear by Uber, but I prefer a reputable cab company. Is Yellow Cab in Manhattan still a good choice?

[EtheltoTillie]

1 hour ago, annzeepark914 said:

Back in the day, when we'd go into "the city", we'd always try to use Yellow cabs. If we couldn't get one we'd use Checker. I remember a few crazy times when we'd get a wild driver and they'd careen around corners, we'd slide from one side of the cab to the other in the big back seat of the Checker cabs. Years later, while living in North Raleigh, my car wouldn't start so I needed a cab to get to work. Of course I called Yellow Cab. After an hour of waiting (& calling, asking where my cab was & not getting a good response), I called another cab company & got to work. Now, living in the suburbs of DC, we use Red Top to get to the airport. I have friends who swear by Uber, but I prefer a reputable cab company. Is Yellow Cab in Manhattan still a good choice?

Yellow Cab is not a company in NYC.  They are simply yellow cabs, and are still a good choice, the official NYC taxi cabs, of any make; they must be colored bright yellow.  These are the ones that you can hail on the street.  Checker cabs were a make of car that were also yellow cabs available for street hail.  So I'm not sure what you mean when you say "if you couldn't get one you'd use Checker."

Checker cars were the large ones with the jump seats in the back (they used them on the show Taxi).   They stopped manufacturing them in the early 80s.   Another popular make was the Ford Crown Vic, a large comfy car.  If you had a large group of people you'd want to hail a Checker as they had those extra seats. 

Edited August 3, 2022 by EtheltoTillie

[kristen111]

Our kids bought us two GPS things.  We still get lost.  They say “use your phone”, but I still use my maps from AAA when we go up North.

[kristen111]

2 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

Back in the day, when we'd go into "the city", we'd always try to use Yellow cabs. If we couldn't get one we'd use Checker. I remember a few crazy times when we'd get a wild driver and they'd careen around corners, we'd slide from one side of the cab to the other in the big back seat of the Checker cabs. Years later, while living in North Raleigh, my car wouldn't start so I needed a cab to get to work. Of course I called Yellow Cab. After an hour of waiting (& calling, asking where my cab was & not getting a good response), I called another cab company & got to work. Now, living in the suburbs of DC, we use Red Top to get to the airport. I have friends who swear by Uber, but I prefer a reputable cab company. Is Yellow Cab in Manhattan still a good choice?

Yeah, New York City.  We used to go in either by car or the railroad once a month.  Haven’t been in over two years for many reasons.  Mostly afraid.  Things aren’t like they used to be unfortunately.

[Lady Whistleup]

At least in NYC most of the uber cab drivers are immigrants too. I take uber often because I've found many times yellow cab drivers are reluctant to take you to the boroughs (I live in Queens).

[kristen111]

9 minutes ago, Lady Whistleup said:

At least in NYC most of the uber cab drivers are immigrants too. I take uber often because I've found many times yellow cab drivers are reluctant to take you to the boroughs (I live in Queens).

Born and raised in Queens.  Anywhere near Forest Park?

[EtheltoTillie]

3 minutes ago, kristen111 said:

Born and raised in Queens.  Anywhere near Forest Park?

I went to Jamaica High School.  The graduation was held in Forest Park.

[Lady Whistleup]

3 minutes ago, kristen111 said:

Born and raised in Queens.  Anywhere near Forest Park?

Woodside currently, but moving soon (hopefully) to Jackson Heights. Trying to close on a coop.

[kristen111]

4 minutes ago, Lady Whistleup said:

Woodside currently, but moving soon (hopefully) to Jackson Heights. Trying to close on a coop.

Nice.  Good Luck.  Used to shop on Queens Blvd.  Macy’s, etc.  and Jamaica in the day .. long, long ago.

[annzeepark914]

1 hour ago, EtheltoTillie said:

Yellow Cab is not a company in NYC.  They are simply yellow cabs, and are still a good choice, the official NYC taxi cabs, of any make; they must be colored bright yellow.  These are the ones that you can hail on the street.  Checker cabs were a make of car that were also yellow cabs available for street hail.  So I'm not sure what you mean when you say "if you couldn't get one you'd use Checker."

Checker cars were the large ones with the jump seats in the back (they used them on the show Taxi).   They stopped manufacturing them in the early 80s.   Another popular make was the Ford Crown Vic, a large comfy car.  If you had a large group of people you'd want to hail a Checker as they had those extra seats. 

Yellow cabs were the ones my parents preferred. No idea why but as a kid, I got the impression Checker cabs were 2nd choice. My mother was a NYC gal & yellow cabs were the ones she trusted. But yeah...the Checker cabs were enormous inside & never failed to provide a wild ride for us kids, sliding on the big back seat, bouncing up to the roof when the cab hit a pot hole (a NYC specialty!)  Manhattan was so beautiful then, with all the old art deco bldgs and lovely dept stores (B.Altman, Bonwit Teller, Lord & Taylor, Peck & Peck, + a few more whose names I can't remember...Franklin Simon?).

[Yeah No]

14 hours ago, Lady Whistleup said:

At least in NYC most of the uber cab drivers are immigrants too. 

That's because thanks to the rideshare companies coming on the scene a decade ago, taxi medallions aren't worth anywhere near what they were worth due to the competition making them less valuable, so increasingly many new immigrants transitioned to working rideshare.  Many medallion owners have had to default on their loans due to lack of business and with the lower value of medallions they aren't attractive for new drivers to buy anymore.  For a long time the medallion system was a very good way for immigrants to find a pathway to the middle class, but not anymore.  And I very much doubt they're making anywhere near as much money doing rideshare.  I know there was some talk about bailing out the financially ruined taxi drivers who are still paying off medallions that aren't worth crap anymore but I don't know if that's still a thing or not.

14 hours ago, Lady Whistleup said:

I take uber often because I've found many times yellow cab drivers are reluctant to take you to the boroughs (I live in Queens).

That's because it isn't worth it for them to go out to a borough where not many passengers hail cabs, and will waste time empty going back to Manhattan where they can get passengers.  And gone are the days of all the taxi stands in front of the subways, etc.  But that might change now due to a new deal between the yellow cab companies and the rideshare platforms to include yellow cabs as an option on their apps.  So presumably those people needing a ride in the boroughs that prefer to use the apps might chose a yellow cab some of the time.  Hopefully, anyway.

[ECM1231]

6 hours ago, Yeah No said:

Many medallion owners have had to default on their loans due to lack of business and with the lower value of medallions...

I feel so badly for them. Not to mention for their families, as I have read about quite a few who have been so disconsolate that they have taken their own life. 😞

We have taken Uber or Lyft ( can't remember which) returning from our son's home in Austin, back to the airport. I would not feel safe using a ride share service alone, as there's absolutely no vetting. It amazes me how many young women have no qualms about using Uber late at night. 

[supposebly]

48 minutes ago, ECM1231 said:

It amazes me how many young women have no qualms about using Uber late at night. 

Not a young woman here but in my city, I feel much more safe in an Uber car than in a taxi. I've had taxi drivers drive me around the bend, argue about where I live, imply I am taking away jobs because I moved there, all kinds of icky behaviour. None of that with Uber drivers. I do think it depends on the city on how things are done. In my city, we had 2 taxi companies that shared the place and took advantage of their drivers when it came to shifts, car payments, etc. With Uber here, they merged, so it's one company now that has the monopoly except for Uber. Their taxi drivers have no place to go if they don't agree with how things are done. And they've been beholden to them forever until the car payments are done. Which can take quite a long time.

While I don't agree with Uber's pratices, I certainly don't agree with the taxi company's here either. And as to safety, with Uber, there is always a track record where I am. With taxis, the only person who knows where I am is the taxi driver unless I let someone know. And a lot of them have been quite shady. Not once have I had issues with an Uber driver. And I have complained about some of the taxi drivers here. Not once were they taken off the road. Instead, I was asked if I was sure I wasn't mistaken as to their behaviour. Once I had to ride with the taxi drivers big dog! Another time, I lost an earring that was my late grandmother's confirmation gift. Did they try to find it? Did they try to contact the driver? Not a chance.

I agree, there is a problem and taxi companies and their drivers have a right to be pissed, but as to my city, I'm just happy there is a decent alternative.

[Lady Whistleup]

I also feel safer with a rideshare late at night. I've had cab drivers purposely turn off their meter and "charge" me an exorbitant amount. Again, this isn't the majority experience but I do feel that sometimes yellow cab drivers can be very icky. 

[peacheslatour]

1 minute ago, Lady Whistleup said:

I also feel safer with a rideshare late at night. I've had cab drivers purposely turn off their meter and "charge" me an exorbitant amount. Again, this isn't the majority experience but I do feel that sometimes yellow cab drivers can be very icky. 

I hate to admit this but I had a little scam I used to pull on cab drivers when I was around 20-21. Knowing I couldn't pay, I would call a cab and then in some halfway place, I'd get really upset and "Oh no! Let me out here! I don't have enough money!" The kind hearted cabbies would then take me to my destination free of charge. I'm lucky I'm not dead ten times over.

[annzeepark914]

@peacheslatour: oh no! I'm retroactively worrying about your 20 year old self 🙀

[peacheslatour]

Just now, annzeepark914 said:

@peacheslatour: oh no! I'm retroactively worrying about your 20 year old self 🙀

I was insanely fearless. Hitchhiking, going off to Alaska by myself, all sorts of adventures. Like Blanche DuBois, I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.

[Yeah No]

44 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

I was insanely fearless. Hitchhiking, going off to Alaska by myself, all sorts of adventures. Like Blanche DuBois, I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.

Haha, I have to admit this reminds me of myself when I was young.  Although I didn't hitchhike, I had no problem driving in the South Bronx, taking the subway through bad neighborhoods in the bad old '70s and '80s, bike riding in Manhattan, jumping in any old cab, medallion or no medallion.  In the '90s I would often hop on a plane all by myself bound for some strange Midwest or Western town to meet (gasp)🤯 "internet people" I never met before.  Granted, they were all psych. nerds like me interested in personality type theory so they were harmless and benign, but when I think of the chances I took back then I almost don't recognize myself.

[peacheslatour]

27 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

Haha, I have to admit this reminds me of myself when I was young.  Although I didn't hitchhike, I had no problem driving in the South Bronx, taking the subway through bad neighborhoods in the bad old '70s and '80s, bike riding in Manhattan, jumping in any old cab, medallion or no medallion.  In the '90s I would often hop on a plane all by myself bound for some strange Midwest or Western town to meet (gasp)🤯 "internet people" I never met before.  Granted, they were all psych. nerds like me interested in personality type theory so they were harmless and benign, but when I think of the chances I took back then I almost don't recognize myself.

Same. Once when I was in Alaska, I was with this guy I had known for all of two days and he wanted to go to his friend's. His friend turned out to live on a barge way out in Ketchikan Harbor. It was a Gothic, cavernous place, miles from anywhere and I thought "Nobody knows I'm here. They could literally kill me and throw me in the harbor and no one would be the wiser. I got a little bit smarter after that.

[kristen111]

When I was a teen, I usd to hang out at a candy store about ten blocks from my house.  To get home, I had to go down this very dark factory block with one entrance and one exit and one light.  They used to park big trucks in there overnight.  I used to run fast all the way. Sometimes one of the guys walked me home, but mostly I went by myself.  Was I stupid or what?  Now that I think of it.  Could have been raped or killed.  We all used to go “on the hook” once in awhile and spend the day in some kids house whose mother worked all day.  On the hook means hookey. Lol.  Good times.  Then, there were the house parties in someone’s basement where the boys snuck in beer and everyone made out, as in kissing.  I was 14/15 at the time, and had a boyfriend four years older, my first love for five years.  Was going with him, then met my husband on the job and was going out with both at the same time.  Came time to choose and picked my husband as he was more stable, plus hit it off from day one.  The other one married and divorced after one year.  He calls me now and then, but husband doesn’t know.  Is that bad?

[annzeepark914]

A lot of us "girls" took stupid chances back in the day. Too scary to think about those risks we took. If we did the same things in today's world ~shudder~don't wanna think about it 😣 

Edited August 6, 2022 by annzeepark914

[Cloud9Shopper]

Pet peeve: Summer. In general. 

It’s always been my least favorite season for some reason and I’d rather be inside in the AC than outside because “it’s so nice out!” I hate bugs, heat and humidity, camping…pretty much anything associated with summer except baseball. I don’t have access to a pool (unless I can pay $40+ a month to join the Y) which probably doesn’t help.

I suppose I’m just cranky because the relentless heat of the last few weeks has been getting to me. I woke up nauseous and dizzy yesterday morning and promptly threw up, then needed animal crackers and soda for “breakfast.” I wanted to throw something through the TV when the meteorologist was fascinated that we tied a record high of 98 degrees on Thursday. Where I live we have four days left of high temps and humidity until we get a cooldown. Fall cannot come fast enough. 

[SoMuchTV]

2 hours ago, Cloud9Shopper said:

I suppose I’m just cranky because the relentless heat of the last few weeks has been getting to me. I woke up nauseous and dizzy yesterday morning and promptly threw up, then needed animal crackers and soda for “breakfast.” I wanted to throw something through the TV when the meteorologist was fascinated that we tied a record high of 98 degrees on Thursday. Where I live we have four days left of high temps and humidity until we get a cooldown. Fall cannot come fast enough. 

Good thing you're not on TV.  You'd find out you're pregnant, then hijinks would ensue (or drama, depending on the type of show).

[Cloud9Shopper]

11 minutes ago, SoMuchTV said:

Good thing you're not on TV.  You'd find out you're pregnant, then hijinks would ensue (or drama, depending on the type of show).

Oh God. I don’t want kids, but also on TV, because I’d be a female character I’d have to eventually discover that motherhood and pregnancy are beautiful and my life would be incomplete without a baby. Even if I never before mentioned wanting children or otherwise seemed put off by the idea. No thanks! 😂