What is your pet peeve of the day? -- 2021

[folivier]

But I'm talking about them parking directly behind me when there are many other spots all around me with no one parked there and many closer to the store. And it was a Toyota truck at a grocery store.

 

[CardsFan]

One possible reason would be that they had to load their groceries into the back of their vehicle. That is kind of hard to do with another cars bumper right up against your tailgate.

But, then why not one closer to the door?

I know I told this here before, but here goes:

I had a case where I parked my car in a virtually empty lot to visit a beach on the lake near Evanston, IL.

When we came back to the car, there was someone next to us (passenger side), so close DW could not get in the car. I had to pull the car forward so she could get in. There were literally DOZENS of spots more convenient for that person, not matter where they were going.

I am convinced some people are just A-holes, and like doing things like that.

 

[Chuckanut]

Various newspapers, websites, TV stations, etc. who give supposedly useful tips on how to make preparing the Thanksgiving feast better and easier, but wait until the Wednesday before Thanksgiving or sometime on Thanksgiving morning itself to publish their ideas. That is far to late.

 

[athena53]

I may have mentioned this upthread but it hasn't changed much: user interfaces that collect information (either on-line or phone system) and when you get toa human they ask for what you've already provided.

This morning I filled in an on-line form requesting an estimate on some bathroom work I want done. They called me, I swear, less than a minute later. The woman had my name and asked what my phone number was. Ummmm... you called me back and you don't know my phone number? I also had to repeat my address although I suppose it was good to confirm what I'd typed on-line.

And you can't blame the human- they're working with a system that doesn't give them all the information you've already provided.

 

[Koolau]

But, then why not one closer to the door?

I know I told this here before, but here goes:

I had a case where I parked my car in a virtually empty lot to visit a beach on the lake near Evanston, IL.

When we came back to the car, there was someone next to us (passenger side), so close DW could not get in the car. I had to pull the car forward so she could get in. There were literally DOZENS of spots more convenient for that person, not matter where they were going.

I am convinced some people are just A-holes, and like doing things like that.

I used to see this at w*rk. Someone would buy a nice, shiny new car and park it in the outer area of the parking lot. Invariably, one other person would park next to them. What's up with that?


By the way, I was never either of those people.

 

[Chuckanut]

I used to see this at w*rk. Someone would buy a nice, shiny new car and park it in the outer area of the parking lot. Invariably, one other person would park next to them. What's up with that?

It's a hot sunny day and the only tree near the parking lot is shading those two adjacent spaces.

 

[jollystomper]

It's a hot sunny day and the only tree near the parking lot is shading those two adjacent spaces.

Very possible. At one of the Megacorp offices I worked at, the back row of the parking lot was against a field with tall trees and was shaded in the summer. That row would be full while many spaces would be available much closer to the entrance.

 

[Texas Proud]

At a grocery store this morning, back was hurting so sat in the car while DW went inside to grab a few items. I typically park away from other people and there weren’t many cars there yet. So a car pulls up and parks right behind me. I had pulled through so I could drive out without backing up which I typically do. There are over a hundred parking spaces with many closer to the store. Why would someone pull up to park right behind me and then have to back up to leave? I just don’t get some people.

Maybe safety in numbers? Or they worked there and was parking away from the store?

 

[MichaelB]

I always try to avoid parking next to a car that is very dirty, scratched or damaged in any way. If I have to park next to another car I look for one that is clean and free of dents. It shows a careful owner, less likely to ding mine.

In Florida a shady parking space guarantees the car will be covered with bird droppings. Not worth it.

 

[Koolau]

It's a hot sunny day and the only tree near the parking lot is shading those two adjacent spaces.

I actually remember ca 1972?? when they cut down all the shade trees in the parking lot. It was a sad day. It was announced that it was NOT to add parking spaces but because all those trees, planted several years before I joined Megacorp, were now diseased.

 

[Koolau]

I always try to avoid parking next to a car that is very dirty, scratched or damaged in any way. If I have to park next to another car I look for one that is clean and free of dents. It shows a careful owner, less likely to ding mine.

In Florida a shady parking space guarantees the car will be covered with bird droppings. Not worth it.

Heh, heh, then you would not park close to me. I seem to be a magnet for unfortunate "incidents" - some of which I have never found out what happened. I have dings and gouges and scrapes all around my car. Not one happened as an "accident" while I was actually in the car. We have a very high incidence here in the Islands of "hit and run." VERY HIGH!

Since I'm planning to "use up" my car before I die (or maybe use it up and leave a running vehicle) I don't worry too much about how it looks. The added advantage is that careful folks like MichaelB don't want to park near my car. Of course, in the Islands, there are NO extra parking places - ever, so someone will always park next to me. Usually, it's another car that looks "well used" just like mine.

 

[Sue J]

DH went to the grocery store this afternoon. He went to the deli counter for our favorite roast beef. He asked for the "H" brand, 1/2 lb. We love this one, very "real" for being a deli meat. And a lot less salty than many other roast beefs.

When we were putting things away I saw he bought "K" brand. This one is like a salt bomb, and the texture is weird."Were they out of "H"? "No, I asked for "H". Darn, they gave me the wrong stuff."

So I offered to take it back. I got a refund on the wrong stuff and went to the deli counter in the back. I asked the deli lady for 1/2 lb of "H" roast beef. She reached under the display for the bag and starts slicing. She puts it on the scale and goes to put the price sticker on it and the readout facing me on the scale says brand "K".

"Is that "K" or "H", I asked for "H".

"No, this is the "K", it's on sale."

"I asked for the "H". My husband was here an hour ago, asked for "H" and was given "K" and I just returned it. Please, a 1/2 lb of "H."

It turns out the deli lady doesn't like to slice that one because it leaves the slicer machine bloody. Yeah, it's a genuine rare roast beef! So she just decides for you what you'll be buying.

Finally got what I wanted. On the way out I looked around for a manager of some sort. Nope, it was all cashiers and stockers. I let it go.....

 

[YakGrl]

Car battery went dead and I had to call AAA to get a new one installed. All the bells and whistles on the car warning you on everything and there is no advance notice of a bad battery. Why?

 

[easysurfer]

Car battery went dead and I had to call AAA to get a new one installed. All the bells and whistles on the car warning you on everything and there is no advance notice of a bad battery. Why?

I'll add one. Why can't car manufacturers make the containers for things like washer fluid, antifreeze, brake fluid transparent? You'd think by now shouldn't be a struggle when checking antifreeze levels.

 

[ls99]

I'll add one. Why can't car manufacturers make the containers for things like washer fluid, antifreeze, brake fluid transparent? You'd think by now shouldn't be a struggle when checking antifreeze levels.

But, but ,but then you would know!

 

[Momcpa]

Don't know if this goes here as a pet peeve but.........Got groceries today at a big box store. Went to the self-check-lane as we find we don't like waiting in a long line for someone else to check us out. I'm okay with that. But as soon as I pulled my cart along side the check-out station, a clerk came right up to me and asked if I knew about the "five star rating" system. It's this: when you scan everything and select your payment method, then 5 stars pop up on the screen. She instructed me to pick the highest rating of 5 so that the store gets credit for a level 5 of service (?), AND she gets credit for the same 5 level. She was rushing up to every customer, hovering over them to make sure they picked the 'magic 5' level of rating the store.

I thought to myself......hey, I picked self-serve because I'm okay with that, but then why would I be giving her a high rating for a service she didn't lift a finger to perform. I skipped that screen on the scanning machine, paid, and left. Afterwards, I thought maybe I should have entered a One or a Two for her being so up-in-my-face. But nevermind.....

 

[38Chevy454]

Car battery went dead and I had to call AAA to get a new one installed. All the bells and whistles on the car warning you on everything and there is no advance notice of a bad battery. Why?

A car battery can have an instant catastrophic failure. It's not always a slow decline. Sometimes a piece inside breaks loose and the battery has complete failure. Can't be predicted or monitored in advance.

 

[38Chevy454]

My pet peeve is drivers that do not dim the high beams. With back to standard time, the days get dark earlier. So more driving at night time this past week. I live in the country with two lane roads and no street lights. So using high beam is common with no opposing traffic. Seems a lot of people forget they have high beam on or just don't care or are just A-holes. Either way it's bad enough with the low beams on the new cars, using high beam with a car coming just makes it worse.

 

[jollystomper]

I'll add one. Why can't car manufacturers make the containers for things like washer fluid, antifreeze, brake fluid transparent? You'd think by now shouldn't be a struggle when checking antifreeze levels.

They are on our Kia (at least, translucent enough to that you can see the fluid, and levels are marked on the container), and I think on our Toyota (I have not had to look recently so cannot recall off the top of my head).

 

[folivier]

I hate black pepper. IMO it adds nothing to the taste of food and is an irritant. And please don't think that black pepper makes a food cajun. We never and still don't have black pepper in our house. Their are many other spices that add to the flavor.
If someone wants to add black pepper to their food after it's cooked and on their plate go for it. But PLEASE don't put it on my food!

 

[braumeister]

My pet peeve is drivers that do not dim the high beams.

This is the biggest single reason I avoid driving at night whenever possible. They do it even in the city where streetlights are ubiquitous.

 

[REWahoo]

My pet peeve is drivers that do not dim the high beams.

This is the biggest single reason I avoid driving at night whenever possible.

I also try to avoid night driving for that same reason.

If I do have to drive after dark, I've learned that focusing my eyes on the right shoulder of the road will help when meeting a vehicle with uncomfortably bright headlights.

If that doesn't work, I just close my eyes and don't open them again until I count to five or my wife screams, whichever occurs first.

 

[Time2]

Car battery went dead and I had to call AAA to get a new one installed. All the bells and whistles on the car warning you on everything and there is no advance notice of a bad battery. Why?

I have friend that took his Older Toyota to the dealer because he had a $15 oil change coupon. That is all he wanted. He got a report back with over $2200 of repairs they thought the car needed. That included a battery test and the Battery tested very Good, high cranking amps printout. Less than a week later, the car wouldn't start and the battery has a bad cell.
The surprise is that battery was 5 years old. That is a long life in the Florida Heat.

 

[athena53]

She instructed me to pick the highest rating of 5 so that the store gets credit for a level 5 of service (?), AND she gets credit for the same 5 level. She was rushing up to every customer, hovering over them to make sure they picked the 'magic 5' level of rating the store.

When I'm TOLD that people/businesses will be judged inadequate for a less-than-stellar rating I frequently don't fill out whatever survey I get even if they did a good job since it's rigged. I once was told that by the guys who delivered a new stove- the only time a Costco purchase was not seamless. The order had said they couldn't install it if it was hard-wired and/or it was 120V. How would I know either? Of course they couldn't install it. They gave me that song and dance about the survey and I figured they did what they were supposed to do even though I was not happy (and had to pay someone an exorbitant amount to do the connection and installation).

 

[ls99]

Long Rant


Falsely labeled college course and inept professor.
I am auditing what was labeled as French language and culture class at a local college.
Weeell, the last two classes, 1 1/2 hour each, have been taken up by video segments of wait for it.........Hamilton musical. I fail to see the relevance of it to anything French, language or culture.
The worst part of it is the newly minted Phd doing the presentation. When he stops the video, he proceeds to explain the Rap part, most of which I can't understand, nor do I care to, while talking to the projection screen at the front of the class, in a barely audible voice, or head down behind his video monitor reading the stuff, never speaks facing the class. Eye contact with students? what is that?
As for the French language bit, there was maybe a total of one hour spent on actual Language, so far this semster, mostly some random words. Not one complete sentence was provided.

The sad part is the kids' parents are paying in the neighborhood $3000.-, the list price with fees and whatnot, is close to $4000.- for the 3 credit course. Good thing the kids don't understand that they are customers of instruction, which is in theory relevant to the classe's description.

Me? Am paying $5.- as one who is auditing. I pay more for parking permit $65.-
If I was paying full fare, long ago I would have had a serious discussion with the academic dean, mostly about dumping the prof, or money back. Or both.

If the school asks me for course evaluation at end of smester, I'll recommend they can the inept profesor.


The Upside: On the way home, poking around in the CD shelf, in goodwill I found a set of 5 French language CDs. On them, there are both male and female speakers. It has a feature to record my practice words, sentences to compare to the native speaker. The price: $2.50.
My past experince is that one should learn a foreign language from the same gender speaker as I.