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

[Blergh]

Here's an update on the fail of Company A re my furnace fail in the wee hours of Friday, December 23rd( the day of the MAJOR Polar Blast hitting most of the US).

Not only did all calls pleading with them to fix the furnace ASAP due to my 90-something mother go straight to the 'emergency message center' but they never returned them. Do you all read me? They NEVER returned any of the calls.

Luckily Company B DID respond to my pleading  and fixed it later that morning.

OK, so Mama finally got a live human being today at Company A and said human replied that they were sorry but they only had a single service person on-call for Friday. ARGGH!!

Look, I've had to work short staffed in my career so I'm not totally ignorant of having to juggle zillions of chain saws while doing my best to prioritize what's urgent, what can needs notification and what can wait.

HOWEVER, why ,when this major weather event had been forecast to happen for nearly a week in advance, did it not occur to Company A to have more than one service person be at the ready for customers? And at the very least, if there WAS only a single service person, WHY didn't this person attempt to call us BACK to let us know that they couldn't make it so we'd need to try to find some other company to fix the furnace?

I'm thankful that we found someone to come out (from Company B) and it got fixed and everything worked out for Mama (and feel sorry for so many who had elders suffer major health set backs and even DIE due to power and/or utility losses during this storm). However I still don't get why they wouldn't have tried to notify us at the time or(failing that) call to apologize themselves for having failed to notify us of not being able to service our furnace!

 BOOO!!!!!

[Lady Whistleup]

I've got a pet peeve: I really hate it when women brag "my husband spoils me rotten." I don't find husbands spoiling wives rotten a bad thing. In fact I think it's wonderful. But the way a certain type of women will say this, it almost always seems like a flex to their friends or relatives who: 

a) don't have husbands

or 

b) have husbands, but whose husbands don't "spoil them rotten" either because they don't have the money or for other reasons

In other words, it's the type of brag that almost always is (IMO) rather mean-spirit ed. 

[TattleTeeny]

5 hours ago, Elizabeth Anne said:

I don't have a problem with them saying alleged in reference to the people who've been arrested and charged it's saying "alleged murder" especially since they've been charged with first degree murder.  The charge isn't alleged.  Maybe I am wrong but saying alleged murder, to me, makes it sound like maybe he's dead, maybe he isn't.  

Oh, maybe it’s “alleged murder” because there’s always the chance that it was manslaughter or felony murder or a complete accident? They could always say just “the killing of” though and leave out the “alleged” and the “murder” until they have more info. 

[SuprSuprElevated]

This from a Southwest pilot.  His take on what went wrong.

Not to disparage the financial people completely as of course they are a vital part of the equation, but yeah, I can see this being the root of the problem. Financial folks tend to have tunnel vision, and there has to be balance. 

https://www.facebook.com/larry.lonero

The text - 

What happened to Southwest Airlines?

I’ve been a pilot for Southwest Airlines for over 35 years. I’ve given my heart and soul to Southwest Airlines during those years. And quite honestly Southwest Airlines has given its heart and soul to me and my family.

Many of you have asked what caused this epic meltdown. Unfortunately, the frontline employees have been watching this meltdown coming like a slow motion train wreck for sometime. And we’ve been begging our leadership to make much needed changes in order to avoid it. What happened yesterday started two decades ago.

Herb Kelleher was the brilliant CEO of SWA until 2004. He was a very operationally oriented leader. Herb spent lots of time on the front line. He always had his pulse on the day to day operation and the people who ran it. That philosophy flowed down through the ranks of leadership to the front line managers. We were a tight operation from top to bottom. We had tools, leadership and employee buy in. Everything that was needed to run a first class operation. When Herb retired in 2004 Gary Kelly became the new CEO.

Gary was an accountant by education and his style leading Southwest Airlines became more focused on finances and less on operations. He did not spend much time on the front lines. He didn’t engage front line employees much. When the CEO doesn’t get out in the trenches the neither do the lower levels of leadership.

Gary named another accountant to be Chief Operating Officer (the person responsible for day to day operations). The new COO had little or no operational background. This trickled down through the lower levels of leadership, as well.

They all disengaged the operation, disengaged the employees and focused more on Return on Investment, stock buybacks and Wall Street. This approach worked for Gary’s first 8 years because we were still riding the strong wave that Herb had built.

But as time went on the operation began to deteriorate. There was little investment in upgrading technology (after all, how do you measure the return on investing in infrastructure?) or the tools we needed to operate efficiently and consistently. As the frontline employees began to see the deterioration in our operation we began to warn our leadership. We educated them, we informed them and we made suggestions to them. But to no avail. The focus was on finances not operations. As we saw more and more deterioration in our operation our asks turned to pleas. Our pleas turned to dire warnings. But they went unheeded. After all, the stock price was up so what could be wrong?

We were a motivated, willing and proud employee group wanting to serve our customers and uphold the tradition of our beloved airline, the airline we built and the airline that the traveling public grew to cheer for and luv. But we were watching in frustration and disbelief as our once amazing airline was becoming a house of cards.

A half dozen small scale meltdowns occurred during the mid to late 2010’s. With each mini meltdown Leadership continued to ignore the pleas and warnings of the employees in the trenches. We were still operating with 1990’s technology. We didn’t have the tools we needed on the line to operate the sophisticated and large airline we had become. We could see that the wheels were about ready to fall off the bus. But no one in leadership would heed our pleas.

When COVID happened SWA scaled back considerably (as did all of the airlines) for about two years. This helped conceal the serious problems in technology, infrastructure and staffing that were occurring and being ignored. But as we ramped back up the lack of attention to the operation was waiting to show its ugly head.

Gary Kelly retired as CEO in early 2022. Bob Jordan was named CEO. He was a more operationally oriented leader. He replaced our Chief Operating Officer with a very smart man and they announced their priority would be to upgrade our airline’s technology and provide the frontline employees the operational tools we needed to care for our customers and employees. Finally, someone acknowledged the elephant in the room.

But two decades of neglect takes several years to overcome. And, unfortunately to our horror, our house of cards came tumbling down this week as a routine winter storm broke our 1990’s operating system.

The frontline employees were ready and on station. We were properly staffed. We were at the airports. Hell, we were ON the airplanes. But our antiquated software systems failed coupled with a decades old system of having to manage 20,000 frontline employees by phone calls. No automation had been developed to run this sophisticated machine.

We had a routine winter storm across the Midwest last Thursday. A larger than normal number flights were cancelled as a result. But what should have been one minor inconvenient day of travel turned into this nightmare. After all, American, United, Delta and the other airlines operated with only minor flight disruptions.

The two decades of neglect by SWA leadership caused the airline to lose track of all its crews. ALL of us. We were there. With our customers. At the jet. Ready to go. But there was no way to assign us. To confirm us. To release us to fly the flight. And we watched as our customers got stranded without their luggage missing their Christmas holiday.

I believe that our new CEO Bob Jordan inherited a MESS. This meltdown was not his failure but the failure of those before him. I believe he has the right priorities. But it will take time to right this ship. A few years at a minimum. Old leaders need to be replaced. Operationally oriented managers need to be brought in. I hope and pray Bob can execute on his promises to fix our once proud airline. Time will tell.

It’s been a punch in the gut for us frontline employees. We care for the traveling public. We have spent our entire careers serving you. Safely. Efficiently. With luv and pride. We are horrified. We are sorry. We are sorry for the chaos, inconvenience and frustration our airline caused you. We are angry. We are embarrassed. We are sad. Like you, the traveling public, we have been let down by our own leaders.

Herb once said the the biggest threat to Southwest Airlines will come from within. Not from other airlines. What a visionary he was. I miss Herb now more than ever.

 

[Cloud9Shopper]

My downstairs neighbors just started blaring their music and singing loud. I’m trying to do resumes and look for jobs and their music is so loud it’s distracting. It’s not even 10 am here.

No one has common courtesy anymore. I have always hated this apartment but it used to be quiet around here during the day when most everyone went to work. Now it feels like everyone is home all the time and has relatives or friends over too. Worst part is because of being laid off and having to put off my move, I’m stuck here for at least another month or two. 

[Bastet]

The New York Times did a good piece on how Southwest's policies meant weather woes were just the beginning, and Mother Jones a good one on how they couldn't have pulled this "sorry, no reimbursement" shit in Canada or the EU.

I've flown Southwest twice, once to Oakland and once to Vegas, trips I normally make by car but which under the circumstances necessitated a flight and, not caring there's no first class for such a short hop, I thought why not go with the crazy low fare.  (After hating it the first time, I thought, well, I'll try it once more.)  No thank you, and I cannot imagine relying on them for a transcontinental journey (complete with stopping off in, as one comedian said, the backyards of seven different people along the way).  The open seating is enough to put me off, and that's just the beginning of the chaos.  The flight attendants were cool, though, and I liked that their uniforms looked comfortable.  (I started flying as a kid in the '70s, when you still dressed up to fly as a passenger, nevermind the shit the overhwelmingly female flight attendants ["stewardesses"] had to wear.)

[theredhead77]

I used to fly Southwest from ATL to LAX because it was the cheapest non-stop option. I had no issue with their customer service and didn't mind their no assigned seating because I would check in early enough to get an aisle seat. But once Delta launched a non-stop from ATL to SNA it was Delta all the way even though it was more expensive. Avoiding LAX is pretty close to priceless for me.

I learned about their no reciprocity agreements after spending 8 hours in the ATL airport trying to go to Nashville. Weather from the origin airports kept planes grounded. No biggie and there was finally a plane in the air that had to turn around and land. Finally a plane showed up, the power went out at our gate (not their fault) then the power went out at the new gate, and it was at that point I realized I was not destined to go to Nashville that night. They booked me on the first flight out in the AM.

But after seeing this, I don't think I'd risk flying them again until they can prove they are back on track. And only then would I fly them for short flights, like LAS to LGB or SNA.

[TattleTeeny]

The term “coed” — come on. OK, if someone is saying it in footage from 40 years ago? Annoying, but fine, whatever. From now though? Really?!

Edited December 31, 2022 by TattleTeeny

[PRgal]

5 hours ago, TattleTeeny said:

The term “coed” — come on. OK, if someone is saying it in footage from 40 years ago? Annoying, but fine, whatever. From now though? Really?!

Well, there are still single-sex institutions.  I went to one.  Unless you mean one should say “all-gender.”  At least one private school here uses that.  The rest still call themselves “co-ed” unless they’re single-sex.  So no, I don’t have a problem with it.  

Edited December 31, 2022 by PRgal

[ABay]

I may be wrong, but I think @TattleTeenyis referring to the way previous generations used the phrase to denote "female college students", not that an institution has gone from male or female only to one where individuals of both (or even all) sexes are admitted. If you didn't know that, then maybe that use of the phrase has finally met a long-overdue, much-deserved death.

Edited December 31, 2022 by ABay

[Bethany]

3 hours ago, PRgal said:

 The rest still call themselves “co-ed” unless they’re single-sex.  So no, I don’t have a problem with it.  

I agree that calling an institution co-ed may make sense (although for the most part it's not really necessary) but it's calling female students co-eds that strikes me as being an antiquated term nowadays.

Edited: or exactly what @ABaysaid!

Edited December 31, 2022 by Elizabeth Anne

[TattleTeeny]

Specifically, I mean when it is used as a synonym for "girl who goes to college." But there is really no need for the term at all, regardless of what combination of genders attends a school.

Edited December 31, 2022 by TattleTeeny

[PRgal]

2 hours ago, TattleTeeny said:

Specifically, I mean when it is used as a synonym for "girl who goes to college." But there is really no need for the term at all, regardless of what combination of genders attends a school.

I didn’t even know it was still being used to refer to female students.  I only use “co-ed” when talking about dorms or schools.  Or Greek Letter Organizations.  

[DrSpaceman73]

Outside of titles for porn movies or videos I haven't heard co-Ed used in that way in decades. 

[TattleTeeny]

Outside of older shows/movies/books/etc, I hear/read it in true crime stuff sometimes. I think it's likely found its way into some iteration of Law & Order too, I bet!

[peacheslatour]

7 minutes ago, TattleTeeny said:

Outside of older shows/movies/books/etc, I hear/read it in true crime stuff sometimes. I think it's likely found its way into some iteration of Law & Order too, I bet!

Hudson University! *drink*

[TattleTeeny]

I saw a T-shirt once that said "Friends Don't Let Friends Go to Hudson University." I need to find that again and buy it.

[ABay]

"We are Hudson, where the bad guys go to school"

Sing to the tune of the Farmers Ins jingle.

[TattleTeeny]

Ooh, my peeve today is my rotary cutter -- specifically, the replacement blades! I fear I have been ripped off (no pun intended? Is there a pun in there, sort of?) -- I feel like they're becoming dull really really fast. Annoying.

[Leeds]

Pet Peeve?  The way the "Page up Arrow" covers the "Quote post" box at the bottom of the post.

 

[SuprSuprElevated]

48 minutes ago, TattleTeeny said:

Ooh, my peeve today is my rotary cutter -- specifically, the replacement blades! I fear I have been ripped off (no pun intended? Is there a pun in there, sort of?) -- I feel like they're becoming dull really really fast. Annoying.

Mostly unrelated, but reminded me of a decades-long peeve; nail clippers.  Why the hell do fingernail clippers go dull so quickly? I mean, I don't use them as tin snips ffs.  They're cutting organic stuff like skin, an occasional chin goat hair, and (gasp!) fingernails.  I have even upped the budget and purchased examples that were stupid expensive thinking that they would last.  Maybe twice as long, but 1/4 of what they should have imo.

Related peeve - why do I keep the ones I've deemed to be dull and useless in the junk drawer from hell?  😄

Edited December 31, 2022 by SuprSuprElevated

[oliviabenson]

Dull men. My lord why most I match with are boring? Ahhhh this gal likes funny men.

[SuprSuprElevated]

2 minutes ago, oliviabenson said:

Dull men. My lord why most I match with are boring? Ahhhh this gal likes funny men.

Finding the right mate is like finding the right job or the right home; it'll happen when it's supposed to happen, and the universe isn't giving up just when that might be.  😉

[oliviabenson]

Dull knives lol. I’m going to buy an electric knife sharpener asap.

[Bastet]

3 minutes ago, oliviabenson said:

Dull knives lol. I’m going to buy an electric knife sharpener asap.

America's Test Kitchen recommended the Chef's Choice Trizor XV model, so I got one for my parents and I to share a few years ago (we both had manual ones, but with my mom's arthritis in her hands I've started getting her electronic replacements for various things), and we love it.

 

[SuprSuprElevated]

My pal Jacques Pepin wants you to know the basic fundamentals of keeping a knife sharp:

 

[TattleTeeny]

2 hours ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

Mostly unrelated, but reminded me of a decades-long peeve; nail clippers.  Why the hell do fingernail clippers go dull so quickly? I mean, I don't use them as tin snips ffs.  They're cutting organic stuff like skin, an occasional chin goat hair, and (gasp!) fingernails.  I have even upped the budget and purchased examples that were stupid expensive thinking that they would last.  Maybe twice as long, but 1/4 of what they should have imo.

Related peeve - why do I keep the ones I've deemed to be dull and useless in the junk drawer from hell?  😄

I always wondered why some nail clippers have that concave/curve shape — sometimes when you’re trying to clip something really closely, one of the pointy ends also clips your skin! Maybe they should be straight. Or better yet, slightly rounded in the other direction.

EDIT: No, OK, rounded the other way would NOT work for NAIL clipping. But would maybe help for HANGNAIL clipping, which is what I was thinking about above.

Edited January 1, 2023 by TattleTeeny

[stewedsquash]

5 hours ago, Leeds said:

Pet Peeve?  The way the "Page up Arrow" covers the "Quote post" box at the bottom of the post.

 

I think there is a backlog of issues being worked on but I reported that issue (also the bottom ad bar hinders notifications) in the Open Update thread. That and reported so many of those nasty ads. Since the update has made the IPS default theme obsolete I am seriously considering an ad blocker. The ads here really diminish the quality of this site.

Edited January 1, 2023 by stewedsquash

[HissyFit]

Pet peeve right now: Fireworks! Fireworks!! Fireworks!!!  I just hope the inconsiderate idiots blow up all their money tonight so there will be no repeats tomorrow ... and the next day ... and the next.

[roseha]

2 hours ago, stewedsquash said:

I think there is a backlog of issues being worked on but I reported that issue (also the bottom ad bar hinders notifications) in the Open Update thread. That and reported so many of those nasty ads. Since the update has made the IPS default theme obsolete I am seriously considering an ad blocker. The ads here really diminish the quality of this site.

After a few days of this "redesign" I'm convinced that it was made to create more space for ads.  The column for the actual posts definitely looks to me that it is smaller and narrower.   I've gone to the dark theme to try to minimize the effect but the overall look is definitely annoying.

[EtheltoTillie]

14 hours ago, TattleTeeny said:

Ooh, my peeve today is my rotary cutter -- specifically, the replacement blades! I fear I have been ripped off (no pun intended? Is there a pun in there, sort of?) -- I feel like they're becoming dull really really fast. Annoying.

I’m terrified of rotary cutters. Won’t use them. I’m sure I would slice off a finger.  

[emma675]

9 hours ago, HissyFit said:

Pet peeve right now: Fireworks! Fireworks!! Fireworks!!!  I just hope the inconsiderate idiots blow up all their money tonight so there will be no repeats tomorrow ... and the next day ... and the next.

I got no sleep last night because of the idiots setting off fireworks until 3:00 am. It's in the 70s here with no rain so I fully expect it to happen again tonight. It sounded like bombs or gunshots al night long.

[TattleTeeny]

3 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

I’m terrified of rotary cutters. Won’t use them. I’m sure I would slice off a finger.  

If you can believe it, I have actually cut myself more with the regular scissors -- you know, the thing I basically learned to use as a toddler -- than I have with the rotary cutter! I do not know what this says about me.

[EtheltoTillie]

@TattleTeeny, do you use the rotary cutters for quilting?  I don't quilt, but if I did, I'd be more tempted to use them for the type of bulk repetitive straight cutting that's needed.  But when I see people cutting out a dress pattern with curves using a rotary cutter I cringe.  You can protect yourself better with the big plastic ruler while making the straight cuts, but not for the curved cuts.  I just stick with the Gingher tailoring shears.

[TattleTeeny]

I use it mainly for straight lines; I haven't really tried with anything curved, but I believe there are really little ones that may be better for that. 

[RealHousewife]

TSA pat-downs. I know we have all these protocols to keep us safe, but the last one I had was more invasive than usual, just one of many pet peeves of my trip. 

[annzeepark914]

51 minutes ago, RealHousewife said:

TSA pat-downs. I know we have all these protocols to keep us safe, but the last one I had was more invasive than usual, just one of many pet peeves of my trip. 

Pat-down? Is this becoming more usual? I've never had one & hope to heck I never do cause it will be my last time flying. 

[theredhead77]

12 minutes ago, annzeepark914 said:

Pat-down? Is this becoming more usual? I've never had one & hope to heck I never do cause it will be my last time flying. 

I wouldn't worry about it. I don't think full body pats downs are becoming more frequent than it was before the pandemic. Maybe it seems more frequent because we're back to pre-pandemic traveling numbers. Those who can't go through traditional scanners are pat down in a private room but those are the outliers, not the norm.

[stewedsquash]

I am both peeved and thankful that I live too far away to indulge in Beaver Nuggets more than I already do.  I don't try to understand what they are, how they are made, how bad they would be as a regular snack, don't ask anyone if they like them or listen to them say yah or nah if anyone else asks, I don't care I just eat the one small bag I get until it is gone, however long that takes. I just accept them for what they are, perfection. 

 

[EtheltoTillie]

20 hours ago, stewedsquash said:

I am both peeved and thankful that I live too far away to indulge in Beaver Nuggets more than I already do.  I don't try to understand what they are, how they are made, how bad they would be as a regular snack, don't ask anyone if they like them or listen to them say yah or nah if anyone else asks, I don't care I just eat the one small bag I get until it is gone, however long that takes. I just accept them for what they are, perfection. 

 

I had no idea what Beaver Nuggets were until just now--or even that they existed.  And now I feel I must order some! 

ETA:  done!  I guess they will be like Cracker Jacks or some other version of caramel corn?

Edited January 3, 2023 by EtheltoTillie

[SuprSuprElevated]

I had no idea what Beaver Nuggets were (and was uncomfortable with my imagination), so I DDG'd it and found this, which I thought I would share:

recipes/copycat-beaver-nuggets

 

[stewedsquash]

I never knew what Beaver Nuggets were either until I made the mistake of going in Buc-ee’s over the summer. Florence is a half-ish mark in a 4 or so hour one way trip between where I live and where my brother is in Lexington. So we meet there when my mother goes down and over to visit him. I have only been there three times since early summer and allow myself one bag. 
@EtheltoTillie no they are nothing like a popcorn version. And also, I do not believe that recipe above can replicate the crack aspect that makes it beyond delicious. I hope you like them. One more thing, was it you who mentioned NC bbq/your husband looking like Sol? I was interested in where you had bbq if it was.
 

[EtheltoTillie]

12 minutes ago, stewedsquash said:

I never knew what Beaver Nuggets were either until I made the mistake of going in Buc-ee’s over the summer. Florence is a half-ish mark in a 4 or so hour one way trip between where I live and where my brother is in Lexington. So we meet there when my mother goes down and over to visit him. I have only been there three times since early summer and allow myself one bag. 
@EtheltoTillie no they are nothing like a popcorn version. And also, I do not believe that recipe above can replicate the crack aspect that makes it beyond delicious. I hope you like them. One more thing, was it you who mentioned NC bbq/your husband looking like Sol? I was interested in where you had bbq if it was.
 

Yes, I was the one who mentioned NC barbecue.  I was visiting my cousins in the Raleigh/Durham area a couple of years ago.  This cousin branch relocated from Staten Island to NC!  They're total Tarheels now, but they still talk with New Yawk accents.  The brisket I had was to die for.  It was a small chain restaurant.  I can't remember the name, and I would have to ask my cousin.  It was really outstanding. 

 

I will report back on the nuggets.

Edited January 3, 2023 by EtheltoTillie

[EtheltoTillie]

31 minutes ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

I had no idea what Beaver Nuggets were (and was uncomfortable with my imagination), so I DDG'd it and found this, which I thought I would share:

recipes/copycat-beaver-nuggets

 

Well, now I see there is something called puff corn, which is apparently different from popcorn.  I await further discoveries. I have never seen this sold in the NY area.

Edited January 3, 2023 by EtheltoTillie

[stewedsquash]

Hmmm, I go to the Raleigh and surrounding areas quite frequently so I hope you find out. I am thinking City BBQ since you mentioned brisket/chain. They are delicious. Their nanner pudding is good and not the usual southern style ( they add a brown sugar crunch to it). I have only been to the Garner location up that way.

 

[SuprSuprElevated]

5 minutes ago, EtheltoTillie said:

Well, now I see there is something called puff corn, which is apparently different from popcorn.  I await further discoveries. I have never seen this sold in the NY area.

Yes, it's much like a puffed Cheeto, but without the orange powdered faux cheese. Our local grocery carries 2-3 iterations. 

[HissyFit]

I was coming here to post a pet peeve, but now that I've read all the latest posts, I'm hungry!

Back to my peeve: For the third night, some inconsiderate fartbrains in my neighborhood are dangerously and illegally spending the evening setting off fireworks. Or maybe bombs. I dunno. Booms and bangs too loud to sleep through. My sleep-deprived self is beyond stabby. 

[Lady Whistleup]

This is super petty, but I really hate it when people with obvious veneers brag about how great their teeth look. Like dude, you paid for those teeth.

[EtheltoTillie]

1 hour ago, stewedsquash said:

Hmmm, I go to the Raleigh and surrounding areas quite frequently so I hope you find out. I am thinking City BBQ since you mentioned brisket/chain. They are delicious. Their nanner pudding is good and not the usual southern style ( they add a brown sugar crunch to it). I have only been to the Garner location up that way.

 

Yes it was City barbecue!  People were excited about the pulled pork but I was all about the brisket. 

[stewedsquash]

30 minutes ago, EtheltoTillie said:

Yes it was City barbecue!  People were excited about the pulled pork but I was all about the brisket. 

Lol I love all their foods but my favorites are the slices of smoked turkey and their sausages.

If your cousins want some really good bbq? They should get invited to a pig pickin. If they overhear someone mentioning “I am going to a pig pickin” just have them pop up and say “hey mind if I join you?”