What is your pet peeve of the day?

[Chuckanut]

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Originally Posted by robnplunder This is one reason why I favor red light traffic camera. One car turning, I can overlook. 2nd & 3rd car turning after light has completely turned RED is stupid. We should have death penalties for that. Well, maybe, that's too harsh but you get my point.

And the bicyclists are even worse. Whole flocks of them will go through red lights to keep up with their group. Note: I ride a bike and enjoy it.

[razztazz]

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So I'll add a pet-peeve - people who get mad at efficient drivers who understand it is best to merge late! -ERD50

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Originally Posted by Car-Guy Then why does it say merge to the right 2 miles before? And why do most people move over early? Maybe you are right and the 70 to 80% are wrong.

There is a reason for this. In the USA when you need to change lanes and actually merge ... nobody will let you over. It's get over early because if you follow the current lane and wait you will trapped. You could try a daring "last chance power drive" with or without blinker and merge. That's when accidents and road rage happen. All the charts and graphs and traffic cones won't matter. What people will do or what they expect people to do is what matters

[Sarah in SC]

I became a late merger after reading Tom Vanderbilt's book, Traffic.
Traffic » Excerpt

I have a merge situation every day on my way home and it is mind boggling how messed up it can get in this one little spot, because the traffic doesn't follow logical patterns.

[springnr]

Merging is low hanging fruit, replace ego with logic, autonomous vehicles for the win.

[aaronc879]

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Originally Posted by HFWR I'd bet they're doing it to get ahead of other drivers, not to be efficient...

Exactly. The word for what ERD50 is describing is not "merge", it's "cut". They are cutting people off who were there first and it's inappropriate.

[ERD50]

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Originally Posted by aaronc879 Exactly. The word for what ERD50 is describing is not "merge", it's "cut". They are cutting people off who were there first and it's inappropriate.

Don't argue with me, argue with the experts. Did you see the link I posted? Traffic experts are saying that the proper way to merge is to do it at the end. It isn't 'cutting in', it is the proper way to do it. If everyone did it, no one would be there 'first', both lanes would arrive at the same time, and take turns merging.

-ERD50

[aaronc879]

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Originally Posted by robnplunder This is one reason why I favor red light traffic camera. One car turning, I can overlook. 2nd & 3rd car turning after light has completely turned RED is stupid. We should have death penalties for that. Well, maybe, that's too harsh but you get my point.

There's already a death penalty for that. Unfortunately, the person dying is too often the one who had the green light not the one who broke the law by going through the red light.

[arky]

The highway merge discussion (I'm in the "use all of the lanes fully" camp) triggers a pet peeve of mine that happens at the airport baggage claim. Everyone crowds up to the very edge of the carousel instead of logically standing a few feet back and waiting until their bag(s) are right in front of them before stepping up and retrieving them. Standing back gives more people a better view and would speed up the whole process.

[robnplunder]

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Originally Posted by youbet Here's my peeve for today..... An old one many have bought up but I witnessed it just this morning and it irked me..... Non-handicapped drivers pull into a handicapped space and wait while their passenger runs into a building. "Oh, I'll just pull out if an actual handicapped persons requests" is their ususal defense.

San Fransisco recently went on a campaign to stop cheaters (ones who are not handicapped but carrying/using handicap slots). They went as far as arresting two family members who faked applications to get their handicap plaques. They were shown on a local TV news as they appeared in a court.

I think SF has 800000 people and about 60k-70k handicap plaques issued. That's almost 1 for every 11 SF residents. Considering many can't drive (too young, too old, take public transportation) and most adult drivers are healthy, there is some cheating going on here. They should take their licenses & cars away from them .

[WhoDaresWins]

The way grocery stores clog their entrance lobbies with all sorts of display pyramids, coin counters, vending machines, carts and scooters, businesses hawking services (banking, newspaper subscription, etc.). It would not be so bad except this same cramped area is further narrowed by customers who stop dead in their tracks as they enter to study their coupons or yak on their cell phones forcing everyone behind them to try to squeeze by saying "excuse me" (and getting a surprised or dirty look) or wait for their majesties to finish what they are doing.

Another peeve: Where have all the mailboxes gone in suburbia? In the area around my house there is only one mailbox within about a 3 mile radius (outside the above mentioned grocery store). When I was working, I mailed letters from the central post office near my office and there were mailboxes all over the city on practically every corner. I don't like to put my outgoing mail in my mailbox for pick up as I have gotten neighbors outgoing mail mysteriously deposited in my box on occasion.

[samclem]

Has this been posted? My peeve is the people who aren't ready to pay at the grocery checkstand. The last can of beans goes over the scanner, the checker looks politely at Mrs Shopper, and then she opens her purse and looks for her checkbook. Is it a surprise that the store is going to want payment for the groceries? Is this her first experience with a grocery checkout?

I get behind the same people at the drive-up ATM. Was there no previous opportunity to get your card out and have it ready? Does it stay "fresher" in your purse?

Quote:

Has this been posted?

People who don't bother to read the thread before posting!

[WhoDaresWins]

I must be feeling peevish today...

What about magazine subscription renewals? I subscribe to three magazines and give gift subscriptions to 2 people to one of them. No sooner than I renew I am badgered within a few months to "extend subscription at a special price" or "renew now and save". Just the other day I got a renewal for a subscription not up until May 2015. They wanted to know if I would renew for my two friends and also myself and add a 3rd friend for "just $5.00". I think I am going to cut the magazines subscriptions out all together they are so annoying.

[aaronc879]

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Originally Posted by robnplunder San Fransisco recently went on a campaign to stop cheaters (ones who are not handicapped but carrying/using handicap slots). They went as far as arresting two family members who faked applications to get their handicap plaques. They were shown on a local TV news as they appeared in a court. I think SF has 800000 people and about 60k-70k handicap plaques issued. That's almost 1 for every 11 SF residents. Considering many can't drive (too young, too old, take public transportation) and most adult drivers are healthy, there is some cheating going on here. They should take their licenses & cars away from them .

I agree that penalties should be high for those who park where they don't belong. However, don't be quick to judge someone who parks in a handicapped space and doesn't appear handicapped. My Mom is a good example. She's been partially handicapped for over 20 years and has a plaque that she uses regularly. If you only see her for a few second walking from car to store you probably wouldn't think she'd disabled but she is. Every step she takes is painful and that will always be the case for her. She doesn't need a wheelchair, walker, or cane but deserves that parking spot as much as anyone else with a disability.

[HFWR]

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Originally Posted by ERD50 If everyone did it... -ERD50

The catch...

[Meadbh]

My pet peeve of the day is customer service phone lines where you are left hanging with nothing but muzak and "please stay on the line. Your call will be answered at the first available opportunity". I have just hung up on one of these after 23.5 minutes. Incredible!

[travelover]

Customer service - yes! My pet peeve is customer service where there is a single phone number for all representatives, so you can never follow up with a single representative and thus that representative has no accountability.

Example : You talk to a rep and they say they will take care of the problem. The problem continues. You call back, get a totally new person and go thorough the whole explanation, this rep says they will fix the problem. The problem continues.....rinse and repeat until you give up or get nasty and demand a supervisor, who promises to fix the problem. ....the problem continues.......

[MichaelB]

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Originally Posted by samclem Has this been posted? My peeve is the people who aren't ready to pay at the grocery checkstand. The last can of beans goes over the scanner, the checker looks politely at Mrs Shopper, and then she opens her purse and looks for her checkbook. Is it a surprise that the store is going to want payment for the groceries? Is this her first experience with a grocery checkout? I get behind the same people at the drive-up ATM. Was there no previous opportunity to get your card out and have it ready? Does it stay "fresher" in your purse?

Add people on their cellphones while the cashier waits - along with everyone else in line.

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Originally Posted by samclem People who don't bother to read the thread before posting!

+1

[easysurfer]

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Originally Posted by easysurfer My pet peeve of the day is folks who are all to ready to give advice on how to do something but when time comes to get things done, they find a reason to throw a wrench in the plans. The details: I've been offering advice to my sister who wants to cut the cord for her TV. So we email back and forth, me telling her what I did (different DVRs to choose from, different antennas to get). On the last email, she writes back saying they don't want to order online and instead is only looking at one antenna from Walmart because if an antenna ordered online doesn't work, her husband doesn't want to have to mail it back. My approach now is .... "Dear sister....keep me posted" instead go going out of my way to help. But I think either when the switch doesn't work, they'll conclude OTA sucks and stick with DirectTV or my sister will finally say, "help me" and not listen to her husband blocking her project.

I emailed my sister who said that the plan with her and her husband is to cancel DirectTV and then get an antenna. Her email said her DH is procrastinating. (Serves her right for listening to him when he said he knows how to approach the project). Neither the cancellation or ota antenna is done. She says it won't surprise her if things get pushed back another month. I won't be surprised if by that time, her DH decides it's too cold to put up an antenna

[ProspectiveBum]

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Originally Posted by aaronc879 I agree that penalties should be high for those who park where they don't belong. However, don't be quick to judge someone who parks in a handicapped space and doesn't appear handicapped. My Mom is a good example. She's been partially handicapped for over 20 years and has a plaque that she uses regularly. If you only see her for a few second walking from car to store you probably wouldn't think she'd disabled but she is. Every step she takes is painful and that will always be the case for her. She doesn't need a wheelchair, walker, or cane but deserves that parking spot as much as anyone else with a disability.

I worked with a guy like this. We were in the same building, but I didn't know him personally. Every day he pulled his Jeep up to a handicapped spot in front of the building and strolled on in. He had no discernible handicap. I was always skeptical, but never said anything.

I was very grateful that I'd kept my mouth shut when I saw him at a company picnic in shorts and a T-shirt. His shorts gave me a great view of his full prosthetic leg.

[ERD50]

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Originally Posted by ProspectiveBum I worked with a guy like this. We were in the same building, but I didn't know him personally. Every day he pulled his Jeep up to a handicapped spot in front of the building and strolled on in. He had no discernible handicap. I was always skeptical, but never said anything. I was very grateful that I'd kept my mouth shut when I saw him at a company picnic in shorts and a T-shirt. His shorts gave me a great view of his full prosthetic leg.

And a good thing - you could have ended up with his foot in your mouth. But your foot would have already been there!

-ERD50