What is your pet peeve of the day?

[NW-Bound]

Well, if one cannot rant about his pet peeves, what can he rant about?

And the thread mentioned earlier is this, in case someone missed it: http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/does-your-spouse-annoy-you-in-retirement-79857.html.

 

[EastWest Gal]

I have a new swim spa, installed 8/21/25. I've been swimming regularly since September. Beautiful day today-70 degrees in PA. Got into the spa, goggles, earplugs, ready to go. Turned on the swim jet and it makes a noise but no jet. Pieces of black plastic spew on the bottom of the spa. So DH calls the company to leave a message, and the voice mail he got transferred to states she's done for the SEASON. No way to leave a message. I'm going to the retail store Monday. Aaarghhh!!!


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[John Galt III]

OK, back to pet peeves. How bout commercials finding new and insidious ways to slime you? Peeve 1: I went early to the movie theater today to make sure I got a good seat way in the back away from the slobs who prop their feet up on the chair in front of them (another peeve). I was 15 minutes early before the official start time (the time the trailers start). As I was walking in they already had commercials going, and I could not mute them, of course. These are the same ads you see on TV. Coke, cars, etc. The insidious part is that these commercials are framed in the same format as the *messages* from the theater. You get the big movie reel rolling around, and the wreath of stars rotating towards you, and some title like *Smith Theatre Megaplex welcomes you!* and then instead of getting something even remotely related to the movie, or the movie theater, what do you get? A regular ******* coke ad or a car ad. Just nauseating. Peeve 2 : Commercials inserted into the actual *content* of the program. Steven Colbert does this. He'll make some bit up about some product, hold the product up for all to see, riff on it for at least a minute, maybe more, and it isn't even funny. This must be a reaction from the advertisers to all those folks stripping the real commercials out via some technology.

 

[rdy2go]

We recently opened a new can of coffee that was in what used to be a one pound can. Then they shrunk it to 13 oz., now 11.5 oz. One of these days you'll open a new can of coffee and all that will be in there is the smell. Maybe they'll include a picture.

 

[braumeister]

I have a new swim spa, installed 8/21/25. I've been swimming regularly since September. Beautiful day today-70 degrees in PA. Got into the spa, goggles, earplugs, ready to go. Turned on the swim jet and it makes a noise but no jet.

Hey, it's 90 years old; what do you expect?

 

[kombat]

Thought of a new one yesterday: People who take their junk mail and shove it into the "outgoing" mail slot at community mail boxes. I worry my legitimate outgoing letter will get mistakenly tossed out with the junk mail people shove in there. I understand the urge to "stick it to the man" by rejecting the junk mail in a noticeable way, but you're risking screwing over your own neighbors. Just take it home and throw it in the recycling bin.

 

[pb4uski]

Vendors who put their phone numbers in letters rather than numbers so I have to figure out how to translate them. I appreciate the vendors who do this but also put the translation in parentheses after the alpha version.

 

[chilkoot]

I can't imagine nobody has brought this up already but it happened again today and I need to rant.
I belong to a gym and use the facilities several times a week. One thing I really hate is when I start to use a machine only to have someone run over and say "I was using that". Well no, you weren't. You were across the room doing something else. If you were using it, you would have been here. And no fair leaving a towel or water bottle to save your place either.

There, I feel better now.

 

[Souschef]

I can't imagine nobody has brought this up already but it happened again today and I need to rant.
I belong to a gym and use the facilities several times a week. One thing I really hate is when I start to use a machine only to have someone run over and say "I was using that". Well no, you weren't. You were across the room doing something else. If you were using it, you would have been here. And no fair leaving a towel or water bottle to save your place either.

There, I feel better now.

There is a thread on a site called cruise critic about "chair hogs" who put a towel or something to save a lounge for whenever they want it. Sounds like the same people LOL

 

[NW-Bound]

Can you say "Yes, you were using it, but I am now. Then, when I am done, you will be using it again"?

But if you are like me, you probably want to, but do not say it.

 

[splitwdw]

Chilkoot, I've never had that happen. I have run into the "group" hogging equipment. We have groups (men and women) of 2,3,4 people that are friends and can't seem to work out alone. They stand around 1 or 2 pieces of equipment and talk and s-l-o-w-l-y workout. If you want to use that equipment, too bad. I've moved on to other equipment figuring I'd use it later and a half hour they are still there.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Just smile and say "I won't be on here long" and continue to use it however long you were planning on using it. They won't do it again.

My pet peeve today is going to a store and finding the thing I went for on sale at 25 percent off. Yay. Wander around a little bit, check the price on one of the scanners, and it comes up at full price. Go back to display to find the sale sign has been removed in the five minutes I'd been wandering around. Leave store empty handed.

 

[urn2bfree]

I can't imagine nobody has brought this up already but it happened again today and I need to rant.
I belong to a gym and use the facilities several times a week. One thing I really hate is when I start to use a machine only to have someone run over and say "I was using that". Well no, you weren't. You were across the room doing something else. If you were using it, you would have been here. And no fair leaving a towel or water bottle to save your place either.

There, I feel better now.

At my gym they specifically have signs asking people to vacate the machine during rest periods to let others "work in" which allows everyone the most chance to use the machines. But nope these selfish, "the rules don't apply to me" jackwads just sit there and monopolize the machine even after being asked to allow others to work in.


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[H2ODude]

While on the gym topic, I'm not going today, let DW go alone. I use the Expresso stationary bike (love them, occupy the mind so I don't worry about "how much longer?) and for two days have had two ladies park next to me loudly talking the whole time. I know what they did for holidays, their recipes, what they ate, on and on and on. I'm giving today a bread and will trade in my ear buds for over ear headphones tomorrow.

Conversation at the gym is OK, but not LOUD and not CONTINUOUS. I could tell others were annoyed with it too. Of the maybe 30-40 people on machines, they're the only ones I've seen engage in this for continuous times.

 

[W2R]

Our gym is more expensive than most in the area, but it has really high quality equipment and lots of it. We almost never have to wait. The other patrons are mostly seniors like us, and very polite. I like the atmosphere/culture at our gym a lot.

A lot of the ladies there (and some of the men) like to talk while on the stationary bikes or Nustep or seated elliptical. It helps the time to pass. Nobody seems bothered by it, but then there is so much equipment that nobody really has to choose to sit next to a couple of ladies talking. Those that aren't talking are usually listening to the TV or to music through their earbuds.

My only gym gripe is the one couple that just bathes in perfume. He stinks of it just like she does and we (privately) refer to them as Mr. & Mrs. Stinky. They are so sweet and nice that we would never say that or anything about it at all to them directly, or to others about them behind their backs. This is a very minor gripe, though.

 

[ls99]

Folks who leave the sauna door slightly ajar. Guess they have zippers at home instead of doors.

 

[folivier]

Ha! That reminds me why I don't go to our fitness center anymore. I like the recumbent bike and usually read an ebook while cycling for a half hour or longer. One of our neighbors likes to do the treadmill with the music on too loudly and she just has to talk (more like scream) to me the entire time I'm trying to read. She just doesn't get it, not everybody wants or needs to carry on a loud conversation while exercising.

 

[Philliefan33]

Ha! That reminds me why I don't go to our fitness center anymore. I like the recumbent bike and usually read an ebook while cycling for a half hour or longer. One of our neighbors likes to do the treadmill with the music on too loudly and she just has to talk (more like scream) to me the entire time I'm trying to read. She just doesn't get it, not everybody wants or needs to carry on a loud conversation while exercising.

There is any easy fix to deter talkers when you don't want to talk-- wear earbuds. They don't even have to be plugged into anything, just run the wire into your pocket so it looks like it's attached to something. Then just pretend you can't hear anyone who speaks to you and ignore them. I used to do this thirty years ago to discourage creepy people who sat next to me on the bus, and my teens did this to me.

 

[travelover]

There is any easy fix to deter talkers when you don't want to talk-- wear earbuds. They don't even have to be plugged into anything, just run the wire into your pocket so it looks like it's attached to something. Then just pretend you can't hear anyone who speaks to you and ignore them............

I've tried it but DW caught on right away.

 

[W2R]

There is any easy fix to deter talkers when you don't want to talk-- wear earbuds. They don't even have to be plugged into anything, just run the wire into your pocket so it looks like it's attached to something. Then just pretend you can't hear anyone who speaks to you and ignore them. I used to do this thirty years ago to discourage creepy people who sat next to me on the bus, and my teens did this to me.

I did this at work, to discourage a creepy person from trying to talk to me. She was distracting me from my work with horrible distressing, untrue gossip about others in our workplace. I did not want to hear it. I got over-the-ear headphones, though, so that I could pretend that I didn't even know she was there. I had them all hooked up, but never turned on the music. She didn't know that, though.

 

[HFWR]

Speaking of ear buds, I bought a bluetooth set from Amazon. They are da bomb!

The rec center where I go is fairly quiet, except when school is out, and the NBA wannabes are playing basketball.

Not that I'm an expert, but I see all sorts of "techniques" on the weight machines:

- The super-setters, who only move ten pounds, but they do fifty reps, often using inertia, so more cardio than resistance.

- The multi-setters, who do multiple sets, rather than one long set, but they still sit on the machine between sets.

- Then there are the smartphone junkies, who answer texts, select playlists, and/or update their "status", all while sitting on the machine.

All seem oblivious that others might be waiting to use the machine. Apparently standing by the machine, patting my foot and looking impatient, does not register...

 

[Walt34]

All seem oblivious that others might be waiting to use the machine. Apparently standing by the machine, patting my foot and looking impatient, does not register...

It very rarely happens where I go but I'm not reluctant to ask "Are you going to use that machine?" That gets the message across.

 

[HFWR]

It very rarely happens where I go but I'm not reluctant to ask "Are you going to use that machine?" That gets the message across.

I'm often tempted to rip the sign that says "Be courteous to others, don't sit on the machines between sets" off the wall, and wear it around my neck...

Or, perhaps, beat them over the head with it...

 

[braumeister]

I got over-the-ear headphones, though, so that I could pretend that I didn't even know she was there. I had them all hooked up, but never turned on the music.

This was extremely common at the last place I was employed. Probably three out of five of us wore big headphones when we were at our desks. Some of us actually listened to music once in a while, but mainly it was just to deter the distracting ones who would just walk in and camp out.

 

[W2R]

I'm often tempted to rip the sign that says "Be courteous to others, don't sit on the machines between sets" off the wall, and wear it around my neck...

Or, perhaps, beat them over the head with it...

I wish my gym had that sign up! They have signs on the treadmills that say no more than 30 minutes at a time, but nothing about the weight machines. Often a couple of old guys will drape themselves over a weight machine and talk for half an hour.

Luckily my gym has duplicates of many weight machines, but if not I just do all the rest that I had left to do. Then I go up to the machine with the two guys chatting, and politely say, with a very BIG friendly smile , "Do you have much more to do on this machine?" That usually gives me some results.


I don't think it is malicious; they just didn't think anybody else would ever want to use it.