What is your pet peeve of the day?

[meierlde]

"Automatic" devices that make life worse. 3 examples:
1) The lights in my car. In the "old days," if you wanted the lights on or off, (headlights, dome lights, etc) you just hit the switch. I liked it just fine that way. Now, when my dome light is on I don't know if it is because I turned it on (and must turn it off, or it will stay on and kill the battery) or it is on due to turning off the ignition at night, or because a door/hatch isn't entirely shut, etc.

2) "Smart" car door locks: That lock the doors when the car starts moving, won't let me unlock them if the car is in drive, etc. How about if the doors just do what I ask when I hit the switch?

3) Copy machines that won't. At least not until you verify that you've chosen the right paper tray, the correct zoom level, the correct paper orientation, etc. How about this: When I press the green button, just make a copy using the default settings? Maybe the orientation, size, or paper will be wrong, but 95% of the time it will be just fine.

All the automatic locks I have seen (at least on GM cars) provide if you pull the door opener twice in quick succession the door opens. If you think about it it is a safety feature, because assume the electrical system completly failed and this backup was not there folks would be trapped in the car.

 

[TromboneAl]

"Automatic" devices that make life worse. 3 examples:
1) The lights in my car. In the "old days," if you wanted the lights on or off, (headlights, dome lights, etc) you just hit the switch. I liked it just fine that way.

Driving on I70 the other night in my daughter's car, the dome light came on. There was no physical switch to turn it off. "Some problem with the sensor." That was a real safety issue.

 

[easysurfer]

Pet peeve of the day is with Facebook taking away a feature that works well. In particular the variable snooze (not see posts from) feature. I was able to snooze either 24hrs, 7 days or 30 days. Now the only choice is 30 days which is too long I think.

 

[TromboneAl]

Minor, first-world peeves:

CBS news always starts the broadcast with "This is the Western edition of our broadcast." Why waste our time saying that? If it's important, add the text to the screen.

In the NEWSFEED section, they make the actual video screen smaller, using graphics on the rest of the screen. Then they add music behind the narration. Why make this news harder to see and hear?

 

[doneat54]

More and more lately: Internet News sites that force you to watch a 30 second advertisement (that you can't even pause) before you can see the news video. Some other video (non new sources) let you watch 10 seconds of video, then it stops and you have to watch an advert. I get advertising revenue, but at some point, I am leaving that site.

I'd be interested to know what folks best news source on the net is. Mine used to be CNN but not any more. And of course net neutrality gone I'm sure will make thing better.....

 

[brett]

none whatsoever.

 

[aja8888]

I'd be interested to know what folks best news source on the net is. Mine used to be CNN but not any more. And of course net neutrality gone I'm sure will make thing better.....

No best news source. That's why I use that "news watching" time more wisely.

 

[CoolRich59]

My pet peeve of this (and many days) is red light cameras.

I just got my second in less than a year, and my wife got one recently too.

In her case, I just paid it right away because there was no question she did not stop.

In my case, the first one I fought and won because I clearly stopped before turning. I looked at the video for the ticket I received today and, while I may not have come to a full stop, it was a pretty good "pause".

And that's what frosts me about these things. Supposedly, they are there to discourage people running red lights, not coming to a full stop before turning, etc. But, it really seems they are just a way for towns to generate revenue.

These towns know that many (most?) people are not willing to take the time (even if retired) to go fight these tickets. Which is why I suspect they crank them out so liberally. The majority of folks will grit their teeth and pay up rather than take the time to challenge them.

I still have not decided if I'm going to fight this ticket, but it sure is my #1 pet peeve!

 

[Koogie]

More and more lately: Internet News sites that force you to watch a 30 second advertisement (that you can't even pause) before you can see the news video. Some other video (non new sources) let you watch 10 seconds of video, then it stops and you have to watch an advert. I get advertising revenue, but at some point, I am leaving that site.

I'd be interested to know what folks best news source on the net is. Mine used to be CNN but not any more. And of course net neutrality gone I'm sure will make thing better.....

Adblock is your friend.

 

[Walt34]

More and more lately: Internet News sites that force you to watch a 30 second advertisement (that you can't even pause) before you can see the news video.

When I see something like that I just move on. There is no shortage of news web sites and if it's important I'll be able to see the fireball out the window.

I also run an adblocker and some sites, like forbes.com, won't let you see the article without disabling the adblocker. Ha, like that is gonna happen! So I just move on.

 

[TromboneAl]

I'd be interested to know what folks best news source on the net is. Mine used to be CNN but not any more. And of course net neutrality gone I'm sure will make thing better.....

On Android: SmartNews and News360.

 

[redduck]

My pet peeve of the day (er, yesterday)...I've been getting these wonderful ads on my computer from Victoria's Secret. But yesterday, the Victoria Secret ads stopped and I started getting ads for walking canes. (I think this is connected to an ER Forum thread). Now, I don't even want to use my computer anymore. Maybe I should return the computer to Costco explaining I no longer have any use for it.

 

[athena53]

Problems with telephone menus and waiting on hold.

Related to this: waiting on hold to talk to a human and being told over and over by a robo-voice that "you can do anything on our Web Sit at ------.com". No, I can't. I've already tried. That's why I'm on the phone. Most recently, I'd earned a free night with Marriott through a promotion and wanted to redeem it. I couldn't find any way to do it on the site. That's because, the nice human eventually informed me, it can't be done on-line. I now have my free night reserved.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

I think this is a re-run, but the old retired people angel at the gym seem to have no concept of getting into anybody else's way. Three abreast on the 2-lane indoor track walking about 1 step every 2 seconds (rules say slow lane on the inside, passing on the outside). I think it's great that folks with limited ability get out and exercise, but these morons seem to be amazed and annoyed each and every time someone is trying to get around them! Then there are the ones who cross the track right in front of you without warning. I nearly took out a man this morning and he didn't have a clue he almost got steamrolled.

 

[Nemo2]

(rules say slow lane on the inside, passing on the outside).

Perhaps that's causing the confusion? Surely "Inside Track" should be for the faster people, with the slowpokes being in the outer lane(s)?

 

[GalaxyBoy]

Perhaps that's causing the confusion? Surely "Inside Track" should be for the faster people, with the slowpokes being in the outer lane(s)?

That would make more sense as I've been clipped by runners cutting the corners as they pass me. But more likely is that these folks have no clue there are rule signs in multiple places. Must be the invisible ink they use.

 

[John Galt III]

I think this is a re-run, but the old retired people angel at the gym seem to have no concept of getting into anybody else's way. Three abreast on the 2-lane indoor track walking about 1 step every 2 seconds (rules say slow lane on the inside, passing on the outside). I think it's great that folks with limited ability get out and exercise, but these morons seem to be amazed and annoyed each and every time someone is trying to get around them! Then there are the ones who cross the track right in front of you without warning. I nearly took out a man this morning and he didn't have a clue he almost got steamrolled.

Ah, the 'I am lost in my own very important world, no one else matters, don't bother me' syndrome.

 

[redduck]

I think this is a re-run, but the old retired people angel at the gym seem to have no concept of getting into anybody else's way. Three abreast on the 2-lane indoor track walking about 1 step every 2 seconds (rules say slow lane on the inside, passing on the outside). I think it's great that folks with limited ability get out and exercise, but these morons seem to be amazed and annoyed each and every time someone is trying to get around them! Then there are the ones who cross the track right in front of you without warning. I nearly took out a man this morning and he didn't have a clue he almost got steamrolled.

Youngish non-retired people wearing funny bright clothes who ride their bikes on the street seem to have no concept of getting into anybody's way (actually they do, but they don't care). Three abreast on a 2-lane road. These morons (being generous here) seem to be amazed and annoyed each and every time someone is trying to get around them in their car. Then there are the ones who cross over lanes right in front of you without warning. I could have easily taken her out. Good thing the old guy--me was paying close attention. So, I maybe saved her from injury and then got flipped off--guess it was her way of saying, "Thank you."

 

[skipro33]

Youngish non-retired people wearing funny bright clothes who ride their bikes on the street seem to have no concept of getting into anybody's way (actually they do, but they don't care). Three abreast on a 2-lane road. These morons (being generous here) seem to be amazed and annoyed each and every time someone is trying to get around them in their car. Then there are the ones who cross over lanes right in front of you without warning. I could have easily taken her out. Good thing the old guy--me was paying close attention. So, I maybe saved her from injury and then got flipped off--guess it was her way of saying, "Thank you."

Here in California, a new law states drivers must give bike riders 3 feet clearance no matter how wide the shoulder or the lane. To which I've upgraded my truck's horn substantially. What used to be a pet peeve is now the highlight of my day.

 

[W2R]

In our neighborhood, people walk in the center of the street. This annoyed me at first, until I tried walking on the sidewalks. Our sidewalks are very uneven and it would be easy to trip if walking on them. The sidewalk in front of MY house is nice and smooth and not uneven, since I had the concrete re-done. But that is not the case for the rest of the sidewalks on our block.

So, I just try to be patient and look out for walkers when driving.

 

[TromboneAl]

With the LEAF (ours is named Leif Ericson), the distracted walkers are shocked when we come up behind them in, say, a parking lot. The EV makes a noise to warn pedestrians, but apparently it's not loud enough.

Good thing I'm too mature to do this:

And note the innate response that most have: their shoulders and arms come up. Even more apparent here:

 

[CoolRich59]

Good thing I'm too mature to do this:

I used to be very patient with other drivers. The light might turn green, and I would wait ... wait ... wait until gently tapping the horn to let them know.

Now, so many drivers sit at lights glued to their phones that I [-]wait[/-] lay on the horn after about 2 seconds.

 

[Walt34]

Good thing I'm too mature to do this:

I'm not. I've given it serious consideration. Lots of RR tracks around here too so that would make it even better.

 

[aja8888]

I put a set of train horns on my friend's RV this summer. Wow!

 

[TromboneAl]

It doesn't quite rise to the level of a peeve, but there's been a recent change in headlines that doesn't really make sense. Old style headline:

Report: Turkish President Doesn't Like Spaghetti

That makes sense. It's shorthand for "According to a report, the Turkish president ..." or "There's a report, and here's what it says."

New style:

Turkish President Doesn't Like Spaghetti: Report

A colon is: "a punctuation mark used to precede a list of items, a quotation, or an expansion or explanation."