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

[Qs Laptop]

Actually, that is not anywhere near as safe as you think it is. Studies have been done (I'll try to find one later - this has been discussed on this forum before) that show that hands free phone use is just not the same as talking to a passenger.

This one seems solid:
https://www.zurichna.com/knowledge/articles/2023/09/dangers-of-using-hands-free-devices-while-driving

Sorry, article loses credibility with these nuggets:

In a 2022 survey, over 20% or respondents admitted using at least one smartphone-based distraction (including video calls, watching videos and using social media) while driving. [I'm not holding my phone, I'm not watching videos]

A 2013 article in Inc. cited a 2010 study by French neuroscientists that supports the NSC statement, showing not only that the human brain wasn’t designed to multitask, but that multitasking can actually have harmful effects on brain function. [kind of vague, isn't it?]

Unfortunately, the cited reference for showing that using Android Auto and Apple Car Play "causes serious, life-threatening dangers" is not available on the internet. This is the cited reference:

National Safety Council. “Understanding driver distraction: How banning use of cell phones and interactive in-vehicle technology while driving can save lives.” 2020.

I can not find that anywhere.

 

[pb4uski]

Here's my pet peeve of the day. Ace Hardware is 15 minutes from my home. I needed 4 house keys so I go there and buy 4 duplicate keys.

I get home and they don't work. So I drive back. She "adjusts" the 4 keys. Given that they didn't work, I tell her that I'm concerned they still might not work and I'm not willing to may another trip if they don't, so I propose either 1) if they don't work I would call them and they would credit my credit card over the phone or 2) give me a credit now and if they do work then I'll call and you can process a charge to my credit card for the 4 keys.

She says that she can't do either of those. I tell her that I have often done credit card transactions over the phone. No can do... company policy. So then I ask so your telling me that nobody at the store has the authority to do either of what I propose. Nope.

So I then say, ok just give me a refund and I'll go elsewhere.

I drive another 10 minutes to Home Depot and they have a neat machine that you insert the key and it scans it and makes a du[licate. Cost me another $1 per key, but the keys worked perfectly.

I won't be patrionizing that Ace Hardware for a while.

 

[Winemaker]

When I was a teenager in high school and a 20 something in college, I made keys manually daily for 6+ years. You have to be a complete a$$hole to not correctly cut a key. they are are computer driven now and I can't even imagine that. One could always send a customer to the high margin gift shop while cutting a key. as well as getting a phone number from a hot looking key replacement customer. This world is going to $hit.

 

[Koolau]

I was quoted $488 for routine service on my Outback. Ran the credit card and they gave me a 3% surcharge for credit card usage. How many people walk around with $500 in the wallet...not me. I think it's a give me that a CC will be the means of payment in 2025. What a sneaky way to inflation cost.

Next time, bring them pennies.

 

[CO-guy]

I text and talk on the phone when I'm driving quite frequently. It's very easy with Android Auto. A text comes in and I get a voice alert over my vehicle's speakers, "New text message from John Doe. Do you want to hear it?"

I can answer back, "Yes" or "No." If I answer "yes", the text message is read to me over the vehicle's speakers. After the message is read I am asked, "Do you want to respond?" Again, I can answer yes or no. If I answer yes, I am prompted to "say your response now." After I say it Android Auto will repeat it back to me verbatim, then ask, "Do you want to send this text?" whereupon I can answer yes or no.

I never have to look at my phone, I never have to take my eyes off the road, I never take my hands off the steering wheel. Honestly, if you can talk to a passenger in your vehicle safely, you can receive and compose texts safely with Android Auto. (I presume Apple Car Play works similarly.)

I gave this description because I think there are plenty of people that have no idea how safe texting and driving can work.

Your personal experience contradicts a mountain of research that even talking on your phone, using a hands free device while driving, causes a level of impairment roughly equivalent to chugging a beer before getting behind the wheel. It isn't about where your hands are and it isn't about where your eyes are. It's that your brain is still thinking about that text message or that person on the other end of the line rather than the traffic in front of you.

Literally dozens of studies on this topic just by Dr. David Strayer at U. of Utah. His research, and similar studies, is why I put my phone on either "airplane mode" or "do not disturb" anytime I'm behind the wheel. Answer the phone behind the wheel and you're as impaired as someone who is legally drunk. Worse, people don't even realize they're impaired.

Recent summary of his research:

Even Hands-Free Devices are Dangerously Distracting

Using a hands-free to device to update Facebook or make a call while driving may not seem so dangerous. After all, your eyes are on the road and your hands are on the wheel.But a …

www.psychologicalscience.org

Some of his original work:

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-8721.2007.00489.x

Drinking and driving compared to talking on the phone with your spouse:

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1518/001872006777724471

 

[ponyboy]

Here's my pet peeve of the day. Ace Hardware is 15 minutes from my home. I needed 4 house keys so I go there and buy 4 duplicate keys.

I get home and they don't work. So I drive back. She "adjusts" the 4 keys. Given that they didn't work, I tell her that I'm concerned they still might not work and I'm not willing to may another trip if they don't, so I propose either 1) if they don't work I would call them and they would credit my credit card over the phone or 2) give me a credit now and if they do work then I'll call and you can process a charge to my credit card for the 4 keys.

She says that she can't do either of those. I tell her that I have often done credit card transactions over the phone. No can do... company policy. So then I ask so your telling me that nobody at the store has the authority to do either of what I propose. Nope.

So I then say, ok just give me a refund and I'll go elsewhere.

I drive another 10 minutes to Home Depot and they have a neat machine that you insert the key and it scans it and makes a du[licate. Cost me another $1 per key, but the keys worked perfectly.

I won't be patrionizing that Ace Hardware for a while.

Yeah, always use the key machines. They work so much better. We used to have a minutekey at Walmart but they got rid of it. Lowe's still has an automatic key making machine though.

 

[ponyboy]

Your personal experience contradicts a mountain of research that even talking on your phone, using a hands free device while driving, causes a level of impairment roughly equivalent to chugging a beer before getting behind the wheel. It isn't about where your hands are and it isn't about where your eyes are. It's that your brain is still thinking about that text message or that person on the other end of the line rather than the traffic in front of you.

Literally dozens of studies on this topic just by Dr. David Strayer at U. of Utah. His research, and similar studies, is why I put my phone on either "airplane mode" or "do not disturb" anytime I'm behind the wheel. Answer the phone behind the wheel and you're as impaired as someone who is legally drunk. Worse, people don't even realize they're impaired.

Recent summary of his research:

Even Hands-Free Devices are Dangerously Distracting

Using a hands-free to device to update Facebook or make a call while driving may not seem so dangerous. After all, your eyes are on the road and your hands are on the wheel.But a …

www.psychologicalscience.org

Some of his original work:

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-8721.2007.00489.x

Drinking and driving compared to talking on the phone with your spouse:

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1518/001872006777724471

Still better than me driving on a highway for 10 minutes until I snap out of it and wonder how I even got to where I was going. Highway hypnosis is a real thing.

I know a few people who drive with a beer in their hand. They call it a road soda.

Speaking of drinking and driving, there's an old YouTube video where people were interviewed about banning drinking and driving. Used to be legal. The responses are gold.

People are so pilled up these days, texting, talking, being high, drinking, it makes no difference. Most people are basically off the rails as is.

 

[athena53]

Yeah, always use the key machines. They work so much better. We used to have a minutekey at Walmart but they got rid of it. Lowe's still has an automatic key making machine though.

While I've successfully used key machines, it's eliminated a few more jobs and an important service. A dear friend who's more mechanically-skilled than I helped install new 2-sided locks on all my exterior doors, purchased at Home Depot. He took the important step of having the people at the service counter adjust them so that they all took the same key. Wow. I had no idea. When I sell this place I won't have to give the new owner a ton of keys with labels on each.

 

[Texas Proud]

Next time, bring them pennies.

Remember, they do not have to take pennies...

 

[Koolau]

Remember, they do not have to take pennies...

Okay, dollar bills, then.

 

[TickTock]

Remember, they do not have to take pennies...

"I'm here, willing to pay the bill. You are refusing my payment attempt. We're done."

 

[Texas Proud]

"I'm here, willing to pay the bill. You are refusing my payment attempt. We're done."

Nope... at least here... heck, they do not even has to take cash.. that is for public debt... you are still on the hook.. and I would bet that most states have a law about paying with coins...

 

[folivier]

Kwikset has a set of door locks that can be rekeyed easily by yourself. I did that when we bought our cabin. Changed the locks to these and set them so the keys are the same as our condo.

 

[Hyper]

We've used wood heat for primary or only heat for many years. Up until 4 yrs ago I had had only Husqvarna chainsaws that served us extremely well. Never an issue but supposedly echo bought them out and quality fell off the cliff??
So I let a salesman talk me into a Stihl 4 yrs ago. I've despised this saw since day one. Hard as hatis to start, always finicky as heck having to constantly adjust carb for any change in seasons. Honestly, how it didn't end up under the truck tire has amazed me!
Few days ago, id had it and overheated the saw BAD. Thought for sure I melted it down but nope, next day dang thing started.
So finally started looking on utube about these saws and seen an exhaust mod claiming huge benefits so tried it and the darn thing has never ran even half as good as it did with the exhaust mod.
Who would ever had thought allowing the dang thing to breather would make such a diff. Ugggggg!
My guess is that Stihl has always known due to regulations the saws barely run and deliberately leaked the mod
Frustrating as heck!! Total BS!!
Well see if it survives not ending up under the truck tire yet??

 

[Koolau]

We've used wood heat for primary or only heat for many years. Up until 4 yrs ago I had had only Husqvarna chainsaws that served us extremely well. Never an issue but supposedly echo bought them out and quality fell off the cliff??
So I let a salesman talk me into a Stihl 4 yrs ago. I've despised this saw since day one. Hard as hatis to start, always finicky as heck having to constantly adjust carb for any change in seasons. Honestly, how it didn't end up under the truck tire has amazed me!
Few days ago, id had it and overheated the saw BAD. Thought for sure I melted it down but nope, next day dang thing started.
So finally started looking on utube about these saws and seen an exhaust mod claiming huge benefits so tried it and the darn thing has never ran even half as good as it did with the exhaust mod.
Who would ever had thought allowing the dang thing to breather would make such a diff. Ugggggg!
My guess is that Stihl has always known due to regulations the saws barely run and deliberately leaked the mod
Frustrating as heck!! Total BS!!
Well see if it survives not ending up under the truck tire yet??

Glad it's w*rking for you. I gave up my chain saw when it tried to kill me, but that's a whole other story.

 

[Pointby2]

We hike a lot. We were out today, DW and our 3.5lb dog on the trails near our house. We see a young gal coming towards us with a dog that outweighs her. As we approach her, the dog gets aggressive, tugging at the leash and she is totally struggling to keep her balance. She asks us if we can leave the trail and take a trail off to one side while she passes. We go off on the side trail a few feet and her dog lunges at us and she is barely able to keep this huge dog from potentially mauling us and/or killing our little dog.

Why oh why would you have a dog like that, that out weighs you, you can't control and not take them to obedience school? It's not even expensive. It can't be fun to have an out of control dog, especially some huge monster.

 

[Hyper]

We hike a lot. We were out today, DW and our 3.5lb dog on the trails near our house. We see a young gal coming towards us with a dog that outweighs her. As we approach her, the dog gets aggressive, tugging at the leash and she is totally struggling to keep her balance. She asks us if we can leave the trail and take a trail off to one side while she passes. We go off on the side trail a few feet and her dog lunges at us and she is barely able to keep this huge dog from potentially mauling us and/or killing our little dog.

Why oh why would you have a dog like that, that out weighs you, you can't control and not take them to obedience school? It's not even expensive. It can't be fun to have an out of control dog, especially some huge monster.

We've had a lot of issues over the years. I'm always carrying if things get too bad and would not hesitate in the slightest.
My biggest issues was when riding colts back in the mountains with those ppl that could never control pets.
Id take every opportunity to chase the dog down if the colt could handle it.
Tried that once on a cane Corso that didn't have any fear and stood right there starring us down.
Deciding trying to chase him down wouldn't end well for me. Thought for sure his days were coming to an end but thankfully ended peacefully!

 

[imjustawarrior]

We hike a lot. We were out today, DW and our 3.5lb dog on the trails near our house. We see a young gal coming towards us with a dog that outweighs her. As we approach her, the dog gets aggressive, tugging at the leash and she is totally struggling to keep her balance. She asks us if we can leave the trail and take a trail off to one side while she passes. We go off on the side trail a few feet and her dog lunges at us and she is barely able to keep this huge dog from potentially mauling us and/or killing our little dog.

Why oh why would you have a dog like that, that out weighs you, you can't control and not take them to obedience school? It's not even expensive. It can't be fun to have an out of control dog, especially some huge monster.

I'm all for being nice to others, but that is a bit much to ask someone to leave the trail. Hopefully, that experience will be the catalyst for her to get her dog under control and/or stay off the trails.

At least her dog was on a leash.

 

[Chuckanut]

I'm all for being nice to others, but that is a bit much to ask someone to leave the trail. Hopefully, that experience will be the catalyst for her to get her dog under control and/or stay off the trails.

At least her dog was on a leash.

This reminds of what happened to me a few years ago when I was on a trail with my then 6 year old grandchild. A very aggressive unleashed dog ran up the trail to us and was barking furiously in a hostile way.

Finally, the owner caught up with the dog. Her excuse for this poor behavior was that the dog only behaved that way to strangers. !!!!! Did she expect to only run across friends of her dog on this public trail? And did she not read the NO PETS sign at the trailhead? I'm thankful I did not have to hurt the animal.

 

[COcheesehead]

Serious question: Do folks HERE ever use their phone while driving? I never do. If my phone rings, I won't answer it. I won't look to see who is calling. If I want to text, I wait until I'm not driving. I'm no "goodie-two-shoes" but driving/phone operation just seems like adding way too much risk for so little benefit. Sorry if I'm being "judgy."

I have Apple Auto so it’s really easy to answer or call while keeping two hands on the wheel. Even listening or doing voice texts. I think the technology makes it pretty safe. I go nuts when I see someone holding a phone up to their mouth while driving or the folks that wear headphones in the car.

 

[Koolau]

I have Apple Auto so it’s really easy to answer or call while keeping two hands on the wheel. Even listening or doing voice texts. I think the technology makes it pretty safe. I go nuts when I see someone holding a phone up to their mouth while driving or the folks that wear headphones in the car.

I try not to even talk to passengers when driving - maybe light chit-chat, but certainly no planning the future or philosophical conversations - even with DW.

I never really believed in multi-tasking, but I suppose some people can do it. Good on those who can.

 

[braumeister]

Why is it that when a smoke detector starts chirping due to a low battery, it's always in the wee hours of the morning?

 

[pacergal]

Why is it that when a smoke detector starts chirping due to a low battery, it's always in the wee hours of the morning?

And why don't they have a little light up "this one"! to let you know which one it is?
When we remodeled our kitchen years ago, inspector had us add one to every single room in the house. The bedrooms and hallway ones are so dang close to each other(old ranch style home), it is hard to tell which one is chirping. We often simply change out each battery every time.

At 2 am, not something I like to do--lol

 

[mf15]

Have to replace sump pump,at 76 getting too old,or wait for sons to do it tomorrow. Good thing
installed emergency water driven pump years ago. This on lasted 10 or so years.

 

[braumeister]

When we remodeled our kitchen years ago, inspector had us add one to every single room in the house.

That seems excessive.
But where I live the code requires two for every bedroom -- one on each side of the doorway. Other locations are encouraged but not required.