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

[bilgistic]

3 hours ago, DeLurker said:

I usually find them at Trader Joe's.  I just buy blank cards with a picture I like or I think the recipient would like, scribble Happy Father's/Mother's/Birth Day in side and I am done.  Think they cost $0.99.  Theoretically, other stores will also have blank cards, but they cost more.

I get packs of eight blank greeting cards at Dollar Tree. I've found very cute/pretty/quirkily designed cards there, and I use them for every occasion.

[TattleTeeny]

Oh, the hugging thing is tricky for me! I would not call myself a "hugger" but I would also not call myself the opposite either; it depends who it is! I spend a fair amount of time in bars (my BF is a working musician) and I see people I know in them. Some I do hug, and some I only know a little bit and do not. The worst thing is when these people are in teh same vicinity! Do I hug one and just say, "Oh, hey" to the other? It's weird!

[DeLurker]

I wouldn't worry about it - only hug the people you are inclined to because you feel close enough to them.  Anyone else, just a verbal greeting, maybe a wave.

[Malia110]

12 hours ago, auntlada said:

I always hated the lists of what to get your dad or mom for Father's Day or Mother's Day. My dad did not build things. He did not fix things if he could help it. He did not want electronics. He usually got a shirt from me because I knew he regularly cleaned out his closet and could always use new shirts.

My mom, on the other hand, wanted things like cordless drills and didn't need more perfume or jewelry, although she would be happy with anything. She always told us she wanted socks and a hairbrush so we wouldn't spend too much money on her.

Yes!!!  None of the men in my life fit into the check box category either...and my mom is the drill mom!

[TaraS1]

My pet peeve for a while now has been all these GoFundMe (or similar site) accounts that are created for completely frivolous things like vacations, new gaming equipment, etc., or especially for paying off debts (and I'm not talking about stuff like medical expenses that pop up when a child suddenly becomes ill or something along those lines).  It's just so far beyond me that I can't comprehend the balls it takes to get online and say to people, "Hey, I racked up all this debt and if you're a nice person, you'll take your money and pay it off for me so I can continue sailing along through life without taking any personal responsibility for anything."  I've even seen some where the people say they are asking for money because they don't want to have to use their savings.  WTF?Maybe I'm getting old and grumpy or it's just because of how I was raised, but I find it shameful because it seems like nothing more than online panhandling.

[DeLurker]

Agreed, but I imagine someone is contributing.  Why is beyond me, although if I actively go seeking for causes to contribute to and choose one of these of my own freewill I clearly have too much time on my hands, too much money and not enough common sense. 

[TaraS1]

I admit that it does bring my cold heart great joy when I see someone asking for money to go to Disneyworld or some fan convention, and no one has donated lol

Of course, for purposes of full disclosure, I must admit that I once donated a very small amount to one.  It was one of those situations where I didn't want to, but it was someone I was friends with at the time and I kind of felt obligated.  I felt like a dope for doing it.  Still do.

[ZaldamoWilder]

On 5/25/2016 at 11:49 AM, bilgistic said:

This is exactly it. I'm positive that anything I do is not going to make a damned bit of difference because the parents (and I'm thinking it's single mothers and/or grandmothers who are raising the children, based upon what I'm seeing at the bus stop) are going to be defensive and tell me that their kids wouldn't do whatever I'm saying they're doing. The likelihood is probably high that the kids are home alone while the adults are working more than one job. The complex is one of very modest income levels (otherwise I couldn't have afforded it when I had to move, but my city's average lease rate is bonkers), and while the crime rate is very low, that means I'm dealing with lots and lots of children. The pool is absolutely insane all summer, not that I go to it.

It's a huge systemic problem, so while I sympathize with these kids and their caregivers/parents/guardians, teaching them how to act is free, and my mother worked two jobs for years and left us three girls alone all the while. I knew not to treat adults like these kids are doing to us that live in my building, and I suspect many others. You play OUTSIDE, and you don't mess with people, cars or other property. And you beat up on your siblings only!

Not to belittle the rest of your post, but I've been laughing at it being okay to pound your siblings for pages.

4 hours ago, TaraS1 said:

My pet peeve for a while now has been all these GoFundMe (or similar site) accounts that are created for completely frivolous things like vacations, new gaming equipment, etc., or especially for paying off debts (and I'm not talking about stuff like medical expenses that pop up when a child suddenly becomes ill or something along those lines).  It's just so far beyond me that I can't comprehend the balls it takes to get online and say to people, "Hey, I racked up all this debt and if you're a nice person, you'll take your money and pay it off for me so I can continue sailing along through life without taking any personal responsibility for anything."  I've even seen some where the people say they are asking for money because they don't want to have to use their savings.  WTF?Maybe I'm getting old and grumpy or it's just because of how I was raised, but I find it shameful because it seems like nothing more than online panhandling.

Girl.  Prince died on April 21.  On April 22 I saw a GoFundMe for a lady begging for the cash to get to his funeral.  The goal was $5K and this chick lives in America.  I stalked that page waiting for the comments that people posted a few days later:

• Ya'll can stop contributing (she'd gotten up to $900), he was a Jehovah's Witness and will be cremated
• How the hell are you planning to get to Minnesota that you need five thousand dollars?
• Are you giving the money back?

I swear some days I love the internet.
 

[TaraS1]

7 minutes ago, ZaldamoWilder said:

Girl.  Prince died on April 21.  On April 22 I saw a GoFundMe for a lady begging for the cash to get to his funeral.  The goal was $5K and this chick lives in America.  I stalked that page waiting for the comments that people posted a few days later:

• Ya'll can stop contributing (she'd gotten up to $900), he was a Jehovah's Witness and will be cremated
• How the hell are you planning to get to Minnesota that you need five thousand dollars?
• Are you giving the money back?

I swear some days I love the internet.
 

Right??!  I am fascinated by crazy stuff like that!  And I have frequently wished I could figure out a way to anonymously comment on some of the ones I see, just so I could ask questions just like the ones you mentioned.  I remember the one I donated to, the person was like, "And if we raise more than the goal, we will donate the rest to..."  You'll what?  No, you'll give me my fucking ten bucks back lol

I hate tumblr, but I still go on there and search the GoFundMe tag because the craziest, most rage-worthy ones always seem to be posted there.

[Guest]

There is a point where hotels get too upscale and then decide to nickel and dime you for everything.

Free wireless.  Nope, now that your room price is twice your typical hotel, you need to add $15 a night for internet.

Vending machines?  So declassee.  You need to find the spa/boutique and send them behind the locked door so you can buy a two dollar, 12 oz Coke.

The room service menus.  So pretentious, and yet the chicken, overcooked.

[auntlada]

Yeah, cheaper hotels paradoxically seem to have better amenities.

[Moose135]

3 hours ago, ParadoxLost said:

There is a point where hotels get too upscale and then decide to nickel and dime you for everything.

Free wireless.  Nope, now that your room price is twice your typical hotel, you need to add $15 a night for internet.

Vending machines?  So declassee.  You need to find the spa/boutique and send them behind the locked door so you can buy a two dollar, 12 oz Coke.

The room service menus.  So pretentious, and yet the chicken, overcooked.

I have a theory on that - many upscale hotels cater to business clients, who need things like wireless for business reasons, and often just put it on their expenses for the trip.  After all, if you're already spending a couple of hundred a night, what's another $10 or $15 for internet. Lower end hotels are competing for the more budget-minded traveler, often families with children, and when they are choosing between Red Roof Inn and Motel 6, amenities like free internet or breakfast are a draw.

Edited June 11, 2016 by Moose135

[Quof]

Hotels don't give you anything for free, it's all factored into the room price - wifi, breakfast, parking.  I see many people on travel boards say they will only consider hotels with free wifi.  Why?   It's just math.  A room rate of $190 plus $15 for wifi is still cheaper than a room for $225 with "free" wifi.   I like a la carte pricing, particularly for airfare.  I can pay for only those amenities that I want. 

[auntlada]

I've found that the hotels with cheaper room rates are more likely to have free wifi, though.

[Guest]

It still makes no sense to me. 

The argument for airlines is that they fee you to death instead of just putting it in the ticket price because the travelers are shopping for the lowest rate.

Budget minded travelers would do the same thing, so why aren't those hotels keeping amenities out of the ticket price and charging ala cart?

Business travels look much less broadly.  They just look at the nearest hotels to where they are going and select one using whatever corporate criteria they are supposed to use.  Its location, location, location.  Generally you are picking from three budget hotels or three upscale hotels based on the business purpose /office location.  A range of hotel types aren't in competition with each other so why irritate your guests with fees for everything?

Maybe I'm odd, but it doesn't matter if its on the company dime.  I don't pay for this stuff unless its completely unavoidable.  If I pay for the internet, I feel like I have to be working (no PTV).  I drink tap water instead of the $5 water bottle (unless I'm in a country that is so polluted that I'll become violently ill) because I can't bring myself to put on my expense report that I spent $5 on a bottle of water.  

[DeLurker]

But don't most people traveling on an expense account have a maximum amount set by company policy?  I did - $ x.00 for meals and $ y.00 for hotel.

The per diem limits were pretty modest - not bottom of the barrel, but you certainly couldn't book rooms in the a la carte hotels.

[Guest]

I've never had per diem.  They expect common sense because your boss has to sign your itemized report.  Only strict rules are around airfare.

I go to lot of places where there are only ala carte hotels.  This is typical of downtown in major cities and the more costly hotels are still cheaper than a rental and parking because you are staying at a hotel far enough out to be cheaper. 

Edited June 12, 2016 by ParadoxLost

[Bastet]

I've never had a per diem limit, either; how does that work when the cost of a day's activities varies so much from destination to destination -- the companies just set different limits for different locations, I guess, but how to account for the fact on one trip you should be doing a fair amount of "entertaining" on the company's behalf and on another anyone you're treating is personal rather than professional?

As a civil rights lawyer, I work in the non-profit world now.  I have to upgrade myself to first class if I need to fly, and I'm in three-star hotels, but once I get there I have no set limit for what I spend.  It's basically an honor system that I'm not going to go hog-wild, and if I did do that more than once I'm sure I'd no longer be employed.  I have no inclination to abuse that system, and I've yet to work with anyone who does.

When I worked in the music industry, I was supposed to fly business based on my job title, and I did offer to upgrade myself/pay the difference, but the label's in-house travel department just went ahead and booked it through and the company never asked me to reimburse.  I generally only traveled twice a year, so I doubt it really registered on anyone's radar (this was back when record labels were much more profitable).  Nicer hotels, but still no written limit for food and expenses, just within reason so the CFO would sign off on my expense report -- and within reason was defined more generously for a record label than a non-profit, obviously.

For personal travel, I like when things are a la carte.  Free breakfast isn't actually a benefit for me, since they usually stop serving it before I'm up and at 'em.  Same with free wi-fi; I do very little online while I'm on holiday, so I'd rather just pay for what I use.  

Edited June 12, 2016 by Bastet

[krimimimi]

Errgh. Why is it that the companies who insist on spamming me to death are also the most likely to have technical errors just at the very second I go to unsubscribe? Or strange pop-ups that make it impossible to click on the button from phone or tablet somehow? What makes a company think I want to hear from them daily? More than once daily?? Are you nuts??? That coupon once a month can't be worth a completely overflowing inbox.

I was ill, I was recovering. My damn inbox got up to over 18000 (yes, three zeros) pieces of unread mail. Took me a month to get that whittled down to a couple of thousand. (And let's be real, that's a ridiculous number, too. If I didn't have a white list sending mail from people I know to my phone, I'd be unreachable that way. God help you if you get a new address, though.)

I am so thankful that some companies offer a "spam me less" option. Seriously, people. Get a grip and a better sense of your own importance. I'm a hair's breadth away from unsubscribing to the world. ugh. /end grump. get orfa my lawn! *snarl*

[BooksRule]

Quote

I've never had per diem.  They expect common sense because your boss has to sign your itemized report.  Only strict rules are around airfare.

As a state employee, we have certain rules about travel, but they aren't too strict.  I know that I usually have a maximum travel amount for the fiscal year and if I go over it, it comes out of my pocket.  I have to submit receipts for hotel, car rental, gas, airfare, parking and any conference registration fees.  I get a certain amount for food and don't have to submit a receipt unless I'm required to take others out to dinner for a business-related reason.  I miss the days when vendors at conferences used to hold receptions in their hospitality rooms at the various hotels.  I used to get some really good food (and drink) for 'free' (I just had to mix and mingle a little with the reps.  And, sometimes I actually got some good business information out of it).  In the weeks before a conference, I used to get invitations in the mail (or through e-mail) inviting me to events.  One could make the rounds every evening and have canapes, delicious desserts, seafood, etc.  Alas, I don't have the travel budget to go to the 'big' conferences any more and I'm not sure if vendors still hold those events.  By attending these receptions, I would have enough in my food budget to splurge on a good dinner once or twice during the conference.

Which I guess leads me to a peeve:  I need to attend a certain number of conferences each year (and present at them if possible) in order to maintain good or excellent annual reviews, but shrinking budgets mean that I have to pay out of pocket for much of the travel now.  If we're required to attend, then they should find money somewhere (this also applies to the professional organizations we expected to belong to, but the budget doesn't cover our membership fees--which can be hundreds of dollars per year).

[zxy556575]

2 hours ago, BooksRule said:

Which I guess leads me to a peeve:  I need to attend a certain number of conferences each year (and present at them if possible) in order to maintain good or excellent annual reviews, but shrinking budgets mean that I have to pay out of pocket for much of the travel now.  If we're required to attend, then they should find money somewhere (this also applies to the professional organizations we expected to belong to, but the budget doesn't cover our membership fees--which can be hundreds of dollars per year).

I used to work in a health field that required a certain number of continuing ed units per year in order to maintain my license. You'd think the hospital that employed me would pay for me to attend those workshops, but no. Had to use my own money and vacation time.

[StatisticalOutlier]

On 5/31/2016 at 0:33 AM, stewedsquash said:

You are making it too complicated. Get some Sensodyne toothpaste, a good toothbrush, some Walgreen's brand mouth rinse [not mouth wash] in the blue bottle, some of those floss pic thingys and you will be good to go.

And be sure to just throw the used floss pic thingys on the ground when you're done.  Everybody else does, to judge from how many I see in parking lots.  What is the deal with that??  Is everybody flossing their teeth while walking around?  I just don't get it.

Same with hair elastics.  I don't think I've ever been in a parking lot where I didn't see at least one lying on the ground.  How do they get there?  People's ponytails just fall apart and they don't notice and keep on walking?

Being a ground-watcher is hell.

 

On 6/1/2016 at 6:42 PM, bilgistic said:

I have some of these clips. The ones I have my mom gave me from one of those next-generation not-Tupperware schemes, but these are exactly the same in design and principle. They work on all kinds of food bags.

Check out these things for closing bags.  Clip-n-Seal  They're expensive but will never break, they come in different diameters, and you can cut them if you want them shorter.  I've been using them for probably 10 years now and every single time I close a bag, I thank the organizer gods for them.
 

[BooksRule]

Quote

Had to use my own money and vacation time.

At least I don't have to use vacation time for conferences, meetings, etc.  Just some of my own money.

[JTMacc99]

On 6/11/2016 at 6:53 PM, Quof said:

Hotels don't give you anything for free, it's all factored into the room price - wifi, breakfast, parking.  I see many people on travel boards say they will only consider hotels with free wifi.  Why?   It's just math.  A room rate of $190 plus $15 for wifi is still cheaper than a room for $225 with "free" wifi.   I like a la carte pricing, particularly for airfare.  I can pay for only those amenities that I want. 

I love "It's just math".

At the moment, the government is dabbling in regulating some of my industry's pricing and products. Politicians know that people love to hear them go off on a "We hate paying for that!" rant.

But the bottom line is, I have a bottom line.  And if they say I can't charge for something the way I do today, there is absolutely no chance that I won't simply change the way things work to get back to the same exact bottom line.  I can't change my cost structure. It's not like I'm intentionally over paying for things because I am comfortable just over charging my customers.  

[BookWoman56]

I would not object to paying a separate fee for wifi, etc., if the hotels bothered to state in their info that there is in fact a separate charge. So if I am looking at hotels using one of those travel sites and I see 3 hotels on the same block, with more or less identical room descriptions, all of them stating they have wifi, parking, and so forth, and one of them is $10 cheaper a night, I will be pissed off to discover that although they do "have" those things, they charge extra for them, and by the time they add $5 for wifi, $10 for parking, etc, I will in fact have paid more than I would have at the two other hotels next door. From my perspective, they can charge whatever the hell they want to, but they need to be upfront about what's included in the room rate and what is an extra charge.

I somewhat understand the attitude of not wanting to pay extra for wifi, because it has come to be something that most people expect to have available in a hotel. In the same way, I wouldn't expect to book a hotel room and then discover upon checking in that if I want the TV to work, I will have to pay a separate fee. I am somewhat annoyed on the whole wifi issue right now because I was traveling this past week, and for one night of the trip I had selected a hotel that stated it had wifi, because I needed wifi. Checked in, desk clerk did not say anything about needing to pay extra for wifi, then after getting to my room, discovered that the wifi did not work without a code. Called the front desk, who then said it was a separate charge and I would have to come back to the lobby, pay the charge, and get the access code. So my annoyance is less that they charged me a token amount for the wifi and more that they were not upfront about it on their website and didn't bother to tell me about it when I checked in, necessitating another trip back to the lobby.

Call me cynical, but I cannot help but feel some of the hotels are relying on the supposedly lower rate to attract customers who then end up paying the same amount or higher than they would have at another hotel for equivalent accommodations and services. So a hotel that advertises $175 a night and that it has wifi and parking but then adds $20 a day for parking and $15 a day for wifi is in fact more expensive, if you require those items, than a hotel that charges $200 a night but does not charge extra for those same services. For me it's more of a truth in advertising issue. If the hotel lists the various separate charges and other hotels list that those services are included as part of their room rate, I could make an informed decision about which is the better option depending on which services I need.

[Quof]

I regularly book through such sites as Expedia, Hotels, Booking, etc. and it has always been perfectly clear whether the wifi was "free."   Hotels know that posting the lowest possible room rate will attract customers, the same way that low cost airlines do.   It's up to the consumer to check what is included in that rate - wifi/breakfast/parking, or checked luggage/meal/advance seat selection.  But the additional costs have always been perfectly clear on any website I have used. I would take issue with a merchant hiding these fees, but I have never, ever encountered it.  

[DeLurker]

I get annoyed when I read a post that adds excessive details that aren't relevant to the topic or even their reply.

I don't need to know that X is a former gas station attendant "discovered" by a big muckety muck camping in British Columbia on his 2nd child's 6th birthday (from his 3rd wife but 7th child overall and the 3rd boy)  nor an exhaustive list of awards & roles.

Excuse me - cranky and sour.

[abstractstuff]

People that feel the need to insert how they are an Atheist into every.fucking.thing they say. You are much more annoying with your attitude than that person who just offered a simple prayer. 

[ratgirlagogo]

16 hours ago, abstractstuff said:

 

People that feel the need to insert how they are an Atheist into every.fucking.thing they say.

 

I have a dear friend (a Sufi) who always refers to this as Muscular Atheism (a joke making fun of Muscular Christianity)  and that has become  my favorite term for it.  I am a pagan and have no problem at all with atheists (any more than I have with any kind of believers or non-belivers) - I just think some need to pick their battles a little more carefully.

Edited June 16, 2016 by ratgirlagogo

[Guest]

On ‎6‎/‎15‎/‎2016 at 0:14 AM, DeLurker said:

I get annoyed when I read a post that adds excessive details that aren't relevant to the topic or even their reply.

I get annoyed that whenever I abandon posting something because its not that interesting or relevant and the forum (since the upgrade) retains the post and I have to clean it up before posting again in a thread even weeks later.

I can not tell you (because I don't know) how much drivel is out there waiting for me to return to a thread and delete it.

[krimimimi]

You can also put it on your customized Home screen, if you prefer finding stuff that way...

 

So. Peeve. Dentist's. Root canal. In what I am assured was a freak and seriously improbable occurrence, the tip of the drill thingie wedged itself in my tooth and broke off. (I buy the improbability, btw, because that tool actually adjusts speed according to likelihood of just that happening, thereby (generally) preventing it from doing so. Guess I'm just special that way.) Have now had my third session, with a fourth scheduled for next week, to try to excavate said tool tip. Somewhere around the hour and a half mark today, I found myself beginning to wonder if pulling it wouldn't be a better option, which says everything necessary about the discomfort.

Damn thing is throbbing now. 

Which is also probably an indication that the actual root canal work isn't entirely done either, I fear. Not sure how much more I can take. "Is it safe?" Yes! No! Maybe?

But on the upside, insurance has me covered.

[ratgirlagogo]

7 minutes ago, krimimimi said:

, the tip of the drill thingie wedged itself in my tooth and broke off

OMG I'm going to have nightmares over this.  All my sympathies obviously.  Yikes!

[krimimimi]

It gets even better: I'm also allergic to the damn gloves. The corners of my mouth, my chin and poor nose are fairly strawberry colored at this point. I can be fairly certain the rash will follow. (I'm hating the world a bit atm tbh.)

[bilgistic]

OMG OMG OMG!!! Tell them to use non-latex gloves, and also, holy shit, my insides are shriveling for you. I will forever think of this when I go to the dentist. I think they owe you a vacation home.

[Guest]

9 hours ago, krimimimi said:

Have now had my third session, with a fourth scheduled for next week, to try to excavate said tool tip. Somewhere around the hour and a half mark today, I found myself beginning to wonder if pulling it wouldn't be a better option, which says everything necessary about the discomfort.

Damn thing is throbbing now. 

Which is also probably an indication that the actual root canal work isn't entirely done either, I fear. Not sure how much more I can take. "Is it safe?" Yes! No! Maybe?

But on the upside, insurance has me covered.

OMG.  That sounds horrible.

But it leads me to another pet peeve.  A company/person provides a service to a customer.  Does it wrong repeatedly.  In my case, landscaper taking one year and counting to do four days of work.  And then acts like commitment to keep fixing the stuff they mess up on is all that needs to happen.  Like its generous of them to keep coming out without charging more to do the stuff they were paid to do the first time and fix the stuff they broke.  Its one step up from not fixing it at all, I guess.  But its like the time I waste dealing with them has no meaning.

There should be someone that steps in and says doing the same thing over and over again is crazy.  Four visits to a dentist and they send you to a specialist (or someone with a better rep than them), don't charge your insurance, and give you something for pain and suffering (not just a prescription).

I personally think my landscaper (major company, not random yahoo) should refund the portion of the bill that was for labor done by the incompetent in charge.  And free plants for life with no requirement that they install them; because never again.

Edited June 17, 2016 by ParadoxLost

[Quof]

Quote

There should be someone that steps in and says doing the same thing over and over again is crazy

A wise man said "Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity."  Dr. Phil likes to quote it, but he wasn't the wise originator of the expression.

I hired an arborist to cut down a couple of trees. They cut one of the correct ones, and one incorrect one.  They replaced the tree, and didn't charge me for cutting the ones I had hired them to do.  I wasn't terribly fond of the one they inadvertently cut anyway, but it was a mature, healthy tree that provided shade. So now I have a smaller, healthy tree I like, and I didn't pay for any of it.

[Guest]

39 minutes ago, Quof said:

I hired an arborist to cut down a couple of trees. They cut one of the correct ones, and one incorrect one.  They replaced the tree, and didn't charge me for cutting the ones I had hired them to do.  I wasn't terribly fond of the one they inadvertently cut anyway, but it was a mature, healthy tree that provided shade. So now I have a smaller, healthy tree I like, and I didn't pay for any of it.

That is how mistakes are supposed to be handled.  I had an arborist that cut down a tree he wasn't supposed to and the one he was, after showing up and doing it without notifying me after I told them that I had to get HOA approval for the one that was supposed to be cut down.  Nothing was free.  He couldn't replant where the one was cut.

Now that I think about it.  Anyone that works in my yard has been a pain in my rear. I should have really taken the hint from the universe when a plane crash cancelled my appointment for the initial landscaping consultation on this latest go around. But the HOA was on my case.

[Quof]

15 minutes ago, ParadoxLost said:

That is how mistakes are supposed to be handled.

I pulled into my driveway while they were working and thought "that doesn't look right."    I got my estimate that very clearly stated which ones were to be cut, then told the worker he had made a mistake. He looked panicked, then looked like he might cry.   I calmly said "Please call your boss", and the boss arrived within 30 minutes, and we decided on a course of action.   The worker kept apologizing, and I remained calm.  I said "Yelling at you isn't going to change things, so we'll figure out what we're going to do next."  He said "I'd feel better if you yelled at me."

[NutMeg]

My pet peeve today: discontinued supplies for products that work perfectly well. And, more generally, the phasing out of products I like to use.

I've had a (black ink only) printer for close to 10 years. It prints nicely, fast (which is a plus as I often have lengthy reports to print) and doesn't cost much in ink (the toner cartridge is huge and lasts almost a year, even though I print daily, and keeps on lasting even when on its tethers if I shake it a bit).

Now, yesterday I had a huge file to work on that needed printing, went to the usual store, and... couldn't find my toner! Went to a second store, a third, nothing. (Ended up having to order it and will have it tomorrow)

But what really irks me is this mentality of, if it's been there awhile, it's old news, and we won't cater to it anymore, or at least it won't be a priority. In this specific case, I have no intention of opting for a color laser printer, I don't need it and it's a hassle to replace all the different color cartridges (I know, I was gifted a color printer/copier/scanner/fax that was useless when one color ink was low, which seemed to be always). But my peeve is broader than that. I had the same problem when I needed to replace my multiple-CD player (no, I don't want a crappy one, yes, I want more than one CD at a time, no, MP3 won't do, I have a huge CD collection and I like the CD sound better than MP3...), and before that when my fantastic analog camera needed repairs (never got to do it, besides there are no decent picture development shops around where I live, I got a bitter experience when one screwed up a film of really good pictures).

So yeah, maybe this is what getting old feels like, but I hate the increasing obsolescence of things that I hold dear, that I use a lot or that bring me joy, just for the sake of moving on to the next shiny object that I don't want, really.

[DisneyBoy]

People who lip-smack. Open-mouth chewers.

[Quof]

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discontinued supplies for products that work perfectly well. And, more generally, the phasing out of products I like to use.

The worst?  When you finally find the perfect bra, and they stop making it.

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People who lip-smack. Open-mouth chewers.

Gum chewers.  I want to hold a mirror up to their faces. Surely they don't realize what they look like? Not to mention the sound.

[Blergh]

I think most folks would agree that gum chewing is more appealing than tobacco chewing, though.  I'm thankful that the latter habit seems to be done far less now than it was 20 years ago- even less prevalent than cigarette smoking.

[ABay]

People who make loud noises while yawning. Cover your mouth and be quiet, for god's sake. 

[zxy556575]

I'm always torn about technical repairs, when the techs come to my house but can't fix the problem any more than I could. There have been two recently -- one charged by the hour and I finally told him enough was enough after 90 minutes, and the other admitted defeat. I mean ... they did make a trip and did try, but a part of me feels like I shouldn't have to pay for no results.

3 hours ago, Quof said:

The worker kept apologizing, and I remained calm. I said "Yelling at you isn't going to change things, so we'll figure out what we're going to do next."

The yelling part reminds me of a parking ticket I once got. I had a quick errand and when I came out, the meter person was finishing writing the ticket. He blanched when he saw me and started backing away with his hands up like he thought I was going to strike him, or at the very least shout. I was like, "It's fine, dude. Go with God." I knew it was a no-parking zone and took my chances. I can't imagine what that guy's work life must have been like to elicit that reaction.

[Bastet]

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The yelling part reminds me of a parking ticket I once got. I had a quick errand and when I came out, the meter person was finishing writing the ticket. He blanched when he saw me and started backing away with his hands up like he thought I was going to strike him, or at the very least shout. I was like, "It's fine, dude. Go with God." I knew it was a no-parking zone and took my chances. I can't imagine what that guy's work life must have been like to elicit that reaction.

I was recently going around the dial in the middle of the night, unable to get back to sleep, and came across some show about the people who ticket, clamp, tow, etc.  (Google tells me it's called Parking Wars.) Oh my.  I didn't watch very much before the next half hour came around and something better was on, but based on that, I'm not surprised by what you saw.

[Quof]

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I knew it was a no-parking zone and took my chances.

I was going into a 5 Guys in Manhattan, when a man pulled up in a very nice car, wearing a nice suit, and just parked in a clearly marked No Parking zone.  He followed me into 5 Guys, and ordered.  For some reason, it was really slow that night, so it was at least 20 minutes before I got my food, while he waited for his. I kept thinking "Dude, you are seriously pushing your luck with the parking patrol." Apparently he thought the burger was worth running the risk of a ticket.

[Moose135]

31 minutes ago, Quof said:

I kept thinking "Dude, you are seriously pushing your luck with the parking patrol." Apparently he thought the burger was worth running the risk of a ticket.

Did he have Diplomatic plates? Maybe he didn't care about the ticket.

[backformore]

I went to college in the city with a girl who, when she didn't find street parking right in front of the building she was going to, parked at a meter.  She'd pay the meter, but since she was in school much of the day she'd end up with a ticket.  Her attitude was that her parents would pay for the tickets - and they did.  And if she ever came out as the cop was writing the ticket, she would give him holy hell for it.  I remember trying to explain that the reason for hour-long meters on the street was for the small businesses who relied on customers being able to park there, but she looked at me like I had three heads.  For some people, the possibility of getting a ticket doesn't register as important.

[backformore]

OK new pet peeve, and it just happened to me AGAIN today:

If you and I have never texted before, if I just gave you my number, or you got it from a mutual friend - and this is the FIRST TIME you are texting me -  PUT YOUR NAME IN THE TEXT!   My caller ID shows your number - that's it.  Because I haven't yet told my phone who you are.  SO -  When I get a text saying "it was great running into you the other day, how about lunch next week" -  SIGN IT.  Don't make me guess.

[auntlada]

4 hours ago, Quof said:

The worst?  When you finally find the perfect bra, and they stop making it.

Every dadgum time. And if I find another kind in the store that will work, there is one and only one in my size.