What are some of your social pet peeves?
 

I'll start off this thread with my #1 social pet peeve.

It relates to compliments, and the response that follows their distribution.

As an example, I'll create a fictional scenario where I talk to a friend, who compliments me after a rewarding discussion:

I simply HATE when people reply to a meaningful "thank you" with a glib "no problem." To me, such a reply basically nullifies the meaning of everything they said previously; and furthermore makes me suspect that they really don't give a shit and were just saying what they did because it was expected of them, as if they were filling a role instead of being a true listener.

This is currently my #1 annoyance in regards to social interaction. It is very frustrating to have a seemingly deep and meaningful discussion only to have it all made meaningless by a reply that indicates that the other person didn't mean anything they said, but instead were filling their expected role as positive influence and commentator.

Perhaps I am putting too much emphasis on the two closing words being used, but to me, for someone to say that at the close of a discussion that has been otherwise pretty deep and rewarding leaves a sour taste in my mouth. If they use "your welcome" it can be applied to both my thanks, and also their recognition that I appreciate them being there to talk to. But "no problem" is unacceptable, and it really bothers me to hear it used.

What are some of your social pet peeves?

[QUOTE=Jimellow]

Perhaps I am putting too much emphasis on the two closing words [QUOTE]

Methinks so.

"No problem" is just one way to say "you're welcome" without using the words. I agree wholeheartedly that the person you were talking to should have said "you're welcome" as it seemed most appropriate, but my feeling is that you are getting upset over something that was lost in translation. If it were myself in your position, I would understand what they meant by "no problem"

My social pet peeve is people who worry too much about offending other people. I offend other people on a daily basis. It happens. Some people are just too friggin' sensitive. They need to change, and I'll remain callous and insensitive.

Back when I was younger, I heard this phrase a lot:

"We're always accepting applications."

I want to know if they're hiring, since in the time it took me to fill one ap, I could be filling another for a gig that IS hiring. And if they're not hiring, then say so, and save us the time. Unless they really like a large pile of applications in their office.

This one bugs me: somebody asks you a question about something factual and, as you're maybe halfway through the answer, sees somebody else they know and interrupts you to ask them the _same_ question. Uh, excuse me... my answer didn't measure up? You didn't hear what you wanted to hear? Why did you ask me in the first place?

I plead guilty to being sometimes long-winded, but jeez...

The term "Pet Peeve" annoys the crap outa me.

i'm guilty of this. and to be honest, i never thought about how hearing "no problem" might make the other person feel the conversation was meaningless. i'm also guilty of "any time."

in reality, i'm just feeling uncomfy with your thanks and saying you're welcome is like admitting i've done something that deserves gratitude when i don't feel i have.

a personal social pet peeve? people who get personal before i know them. it drives me nuts. i get this way from little things like calling me by my first name as well as stuff like why i got divorced. if i introduce myself as jane, by all means call me jane. if i introduce myself as jane doe, i'm giving you the option of calling me jane or ms. doe. but if i introduce myself as ms. doe--please, do not call me jane. and whatever you do--don't call me by a pet name. i'm not your sweetie, baby or pumpkin. i just met you. it's none of your business why i'm not married, why i got divorced, why i don't have kids etc.--please don't ask. polite conversation is asking if i'm married, divorced, have kids. it is not polite conversation to be asking why i'm not married, why i got divorced or why i have no children.

Yea, I can relate to that. The other party has to say something in acknowledgement, but "no problem" just seems really glib to me.

Even "your welcome" can come off as "no problem" in that they DO have the same meaning, and are just worded differently. I actually am not sure what response I would like to hear, and utter silence would just be akward.

I guess it is just tough for me to find closure to such meaningful and rewarding discussions. Of course, the way the phrase is said also is important. If the other party says "your welcome" or "no problem" meaningfully, then it is much more likely to "stick" than if they look away and quickly chirp "no problem."

I have a female friend that calls all the guys she knows "honey." At first, this makes the guy feel great, until he hears her calling other guys "honey" also. :)

People I don't know that ask probing questions are annoying to me also. I am not a very open/gossipy person.

Another thing is when I am invited somewhere or to something, and a different friend later invites me somewhere else. I'll say something like, "Sorry, I already have plans." To which they will reply, "Really? What are you doing, and with who?" If I wanted to divulge that information, I would have in my initial reply, and thus there is no follow-up needed. There is also no reason for them to know, aside from being nosy or having gossip material. I think in general people are too nosy and should mind more of their own business, and less of mine.

Random touching from strangers. Say excuse me and I'll move.
Strangers telling me 'smile, it can't be that bad'. How would they know? I actually had a salesman tell me that a week after my brother in law died....

I don't know if these are so much social peeves or just annoying to me, but when someone has to fill an entire stretch of talking with the word "like" I know far too many people that all it is is:

"So I did this thing, and it was like well really like weird, and I like don't know why I like didn't just leave."

That is the worst, second only to when people say:
"Me and my friends" It should always be "My friends and I" You always put them first, and yourself last when talking about yourself and whoever else.
That just bugs the shit out of me, and I will correct them if I hear it. (which probably annoys them also. To that I say tough shit)

I guess it's when people you're having a conversation with start talking to others around you in a different language.

You must have some very meaningful conversations for "no problem" to make one seem meaning-less; most conversations in general seem to be pretty meaningless without needing a glib "no problem" to point that out. Which provides for a great segue to my pet peeve: small talk, and meaningless conversations. "Why do we feel it's necessary to yak about bullshit in order to be comfortable?...That's when you know you've found somebody special. When you can just shut the fuck up for a minute and comfortably enjoy the silence."

Ok, I will admit silence in conversation is awkward to me too. But I seem to be pretty bad at filling it. Why am I the one who has to fill it, anyway, what's the other person doing? Then I'm the one who's not interesting. ;)

I will also admit I'm sometimes guilty of asking followup questions to get the details of what people are doing, though I don't like to do it because I know the other person might not like it. I just don't want to miss out on anything, and sometimes I'm looking for something interesting to do. How better to find it than by asking what interesting things someone else is doing? It's unlikely I'll be offended by the mere fact that they didn't tell me about it in the first place. If it's something personal, I know not to push it any farther and leave them alone.

I hate it when two people start talking to me at the same time. Who do I listen to? The person I find most interesting?!?

I hate it when I'm waiting for the subway train and I'm standing like near the edge of the platform, people for some reason insist on walking in front of me when they could easily fall onto the tracks. Walk behind me you idiot.

I have a few..

1- I think my guy is second cousin to JP's guy. The guy, who disgusted with my slow ambling, races past me in the Wal*Mart aisle. Even though this guy has the entire aisle and several other thousand square feet to cross through, he always takes path with the closest possible contact with me--close enough so that when he brushes by me, I can feel his righteous anger. He's got somewhere to go, he's in a hurry and I just happen to be blocking the most efficient path to the Ding-Dongs.

2- the 'yeah' guy.

"I'm looking for a book..."
"Yeah."
"...but I don't know the name of the author. I was thinking..."
"Yeah?"
"...maybe you could help me..."
"Yeah!"
"...find it."

3- People who don't acknowledge me when I do something nice for them...like hold the door. I get to work early, which means I open the door. As a courtesy, I stand aside and hold the door open for everyone (why you would line up outside a college library at 7:30 is beyond me, but there's always a sizeable crowd). More often than not, I get absolute silence as they file by me. Not even a cursory glance and head nod to say, "Hey, thanks for holding the door for me. Even though I won't verbally express my gratitude, this brief eye-contact and head nod should adequately cover it."

My biggest peeve is people who can always get a better deal.

You know the type - I'll buy an MP3 player, for example, and show it to someone. They look at it and say 'Hey, that's cool'. Then they ask how much it was, and I tell them, and no matter what, it's always 'Oh man you got ripped off' or 'I could've got it for you cheaper' or something like that. I bought a pair of earphones last week for 10 bucks, and my flatmate went on and on about how he knows somewhere I could have bought them for 9.

And a similar thing: last year I bought a car and my brother's friend happened to stop by a few days later and wanted to see the car, so I showed him. The first thing out of his mouth was 'Oh yeah, Mistubishis suck, they always break down, you should've bought a Honda'.

God I hate those people :rolleyes:

Feigned familiarity and friendship drive me nuts. Just because I tolerate your dumbass at work doesn't mean I'm your best friend. Just because we are neighbors doesn't mean I want to socialize weekly. I'm perfectly capable of finding people who's company I enjoy, some of us are perfectly happy being antisocial.

I also don't care to be touched, if we didn't have the same last name somewhere along the line, keep your hands off.

OH GAWD yes!!! I usually say 'You're welcome!!!' as the ignoramuses(ignorami?) go past...yet, I continue to do it, go figure :rolleyes: (maybe it's the self-satisfaction of thinking, yes, I AM nicer than those people)

I couldn't think of a pet peeve until I saw this one. FUCK YES. You know, I bought it already.. its great that you think you could have gotten it cheaper but that doesn't help me one fucking bit right now does it? Did you just want to make me feel like a cheese for paying too much for it? Well fuck YOU!, you're the cheese...

(..and you know what, I don't think they COULD'VE gotten it cheaper, they just want to sound like they're some badass with connections.. and to that.. FUCK YOU!)

Ready? Here goes...

I can't stand it when I'm walking on the sidewalk, and someone is walking towards me (in a group or alone), and they are completely unaware of their surroundings. Usually they are wearing headphones and oblivious of the world around them, and I end up having to move around them to avoid a collision (I end up on the grass for a few steps around them). I've tried being the one who doesn't move, and I end up running into these people because they aren't looking ahead of them to see if they are in someone's way. This PISSES ME OFF, because it's very inconsiderate.

I also feel uncomfortable when someone is talking about personal issues in a very loud voice. One of my closest friends does this, right in the office hallway, and I feel like I'm part of a news broadcast of her life.

On the phone, long silences and/or one-word answers also frustrate me, but I work to get over that since it seems to be a gender thing (guys do it more than girls).

Another thing, I can't stand seeing college-age guys who have no variation in their clothing. I walk to campus every day and I see carbon-copies of college guys: baseball hat (occasionally skewed to one side, which is extremely stupid-looking), polo shirt, long brown shorts, and either flip-flops or New Balance shoes. No individuality at all. Same goes for girls: this season it seems to be very short jeanskirts. I also can't stand the sound of girls shuffling along in flip-flops, as if it's cool to shuffle your feet. PICK UP YOUR FEET.

And of course, the overuse of the word "like"... even my friend getting an MD/PhD at Harvard does this in conversation, and once I get to the saturation point, I stop listening to her. Same goes for people who talk in chunks longer than 5 minutes at a time (without stopping to see if I'm even listening or interested). I like conversation that goes back and forth, not listening to a monologue.

Baby-talk of any kind. Especially to animals. I spent 7 weeks in close quarters this summer (in Zambia) with a fellow student who talked to animals, Africans, and children in this baby-talk voice. It was the most disrespectful and annoying thing I've ever heard and it made me want to throttle her daily.

A messy floor and/or table. Especially my own. It makes me feel claustrophobic and slovenly.

[Funny, a lot of this behavior comes from people that I am very close to... but I still love 'em.]

I hate when people keep talking to you, ignoring the cues that you need to be elsewhere, or would just like the conversation to end. One of the pizza delivery guys from the local place will talk your ear off, even after you start closing the door. He'll tell you how much he loves your porch, or how the owner of the restaurant isn't Italian, he's really Argentinian, etc. And I have another friend who will just talk on and on long after your eyes have started wandering and you've started shifting your weight, and you can't interrupt him - he just keeps talking.

I also hate bad grammar. Like "Can I help who's next?" from the cashier or "How's everything tasting?" from a waiter. And it's like fingernails on a chalkboard to see signs that emphasize things with quotes, like

Have a "nice day"

or

"Please" use other door

I also hate it when people try to cut in front of you in line and make it look like they just didn't realize you were there.

....

And those goddamn wrong-number-dialers!!
(2 points for identifying the source of the quote - ratbastid, you can't play.)

Oh, oh ohhhh... where to begin. Pet peeves... the source of much directionless anger in my life, since I can't actually smack the shit out of these people.

Jumping on the bandwagon of people and personal space - The entire sidewalk is empty. Why do they have to walk past me (I am standing to one side) so close I'm worried they'll knock into me, and sometimes I actually have to dodge them?

Tourists. Sorry, visitors... I know that big tall building is fascinating, but you've just stopped in the middle of a walkway and you're in my fucking way, so MOVE. People in general who just randomly stop and otherwise screw with the flow of traffic. I am guilty of this occasionally.... but still.

Tailgaters/cutters. Clearly, the car in front of me isn't going any faster/the light is still red/etc. Go away. Now. And stop honking.

Motorcyclists. I have no problem with them being a little louder, for safety reasons, Yes, I've heard all that. But @!#$!@%$!#@%, it is not necessary for you to race your piece of shit motorcycle up and down my block at 40 miles an hour (I live in the city) and have it geared so that the muffler is so loud, you literally rattle my dishes and make it impossible to even hear a TV or continue a conversation, you cocksucking fuckheads.

Ahem. Sorry.

And lastly... People who don't know how to do their jobs and continually expect me to do it for them and so call me every 10 minutes all damned day. Grow up or get a different job if you're that fucking incapable.

Aahhhhh.....
That's better. Thanks!

Edit: I know, this is supposed to be about social pet peeves... for me, these are all things that polite people do not do.

I needn't say more.

When I am in the middle of a conversation with someone or a group of people and someone interrupts with something that has absolutely nothing to do with the topic at hand or they jump in without listening to what everyone else is saying. Sometimes I am embarrassed for them.

My #1 pet peeve in public: People walking down the street with their heads down. Whatever happened to standing up straight? This was an even bigger problem on campus. It felt like lots off individuals who didn't want to talk to anyone.

Answering an unimportant cell call while talking to someone in person. I can understand if it's work or the SO, but if it's just your friend and you aren't expecting a call? Come on.

That's it for now.

On the other side of that, I hate when people try to tell me how to do my job. I work with mutuel tellers at a dog track, and if I have to fix their machine, they should just back up and let me do my job. I've been at it for 6 years now, so the teller that started last month should just shut his mouth about what he thinks would work better.

Also, echoing farther above, I tend to hold the door for people most of the time. ALOT of the time they don't even acknowledge that I did it, and that gets on my nerves like crazy. I always say "you're welcome" loudly. Hopefully that makes them feel like an ass, but I doubt it.

People who argue on cell phones in public. If I'm going to get in an arguement over the phone, and I'm in a social setting, I'll tell the other person that and hang up. Nobody wants to hear my fight.

Far too many people on the road.... From too slow, to tail-gating, to cutting me off.

People who act like they're concerned about you, and as soon as you start telling them why you're acting the way you are/look down/whatever... they've got something else to do/pay attention to.

People who let their kids do anything they want anytime, but especially in public. The zoo is the perfect place to see such things.

Hrm....

Asshats who play their music way too loud in their car. If I wanted to listen to your music, I'd be in your car now wouldn't I?

People who smoke in public. I swear, there should be a corrall every city block, in the middle of the street, for the smokers to go. I so like what California has done- if I wanted to suck carcinogens, I'd go huff gas or something.

Those really really really annoying people who seem to be channeling Paris Hilton and take their ridiculously small dogs everywhere with them. Now, it's one thing if you're handicapped in a wheel chair and you're 70 years old and have a poodle to keep you company- you're probably not going to be walking through the mall with a dog. BUT I see way, way too many people come into the store where I hang out (which is in the middle of downtown Asheville) with "wittle cutsie pie." I wonder how many of these dogs are suicidal...

Oh, one more thing. PEOPLE WHO ARE ALWAYS SAYING THEY CAN'T DO "X" BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY!!! God, one of my best friends does this and I HATE it!!! It's totally OK if you don't have enough money to order food with me, or to go to the movies with me, but don't TELL me that!! Just say "no, thanks" when I ask! What really gets up my left nostril about it is that he *does* have enough money to do all this stuff, and he spends money on comics and games and such so I know he's not broke. Sometimes he'll even say he can't afford to do X (for example, go in on ordering a pizza) and then HE'LL DO IT ANYWAY later- like when the pizza comes and there's too much say "well, yeah, I can give you $3 for a few slices." AARRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!

People who type in all caps in the global chat of MMORPG games, like "LVL7 CRUSHER LOOKING FOR TEAM!!!!" Jesus Christ, I learned all caps was bad about my second day of using AIM FIVE YEARS AGO!!

Oh yeah, and I totally second the tourists thing... I HATE tourists....

Pet peeves eh? Hmmmm........

Ridiculously large restaurant portions - I really don't need it. I also don't want to bring it home because I don't find leftovers to keep very well, or I don't want to carry my food around with me for the rest of the day/night. Why can't restaurants make smaller portion meals (provide choice for those of us who don't need a huge meal)? Also, I find that because the portions are so large, I can't order variety or try new things - the appetizers and desserts are meals unto themselves!

Cell phones. Without a doubt. At least in here in America where it seems borderline obsessive. When I was in Europe, people actually talked to each other and had conversations and interactions. Cell phones in line, in cars, in movie theaters, in class, in church, on the airplane, in the bathroom (you've got to be kidding me).

Loud car radios - I was driving with a friend once and couldn't hear an emergency vehicle coming because the car next to us had the stereo on so loud - needless to say, the firemen were pissed at us.

Lack of Common Courtesy - I guess this is a generic gripe. I just see people are more and more selfish, rude, and inconsiderate (at least in the cities). People don't hold the door for each other (except the posters above ;) ), people don't say "please", "excuse me", or "thank you" anymore. No one gives up their seat on a bus for the elderly, handicapp etc. Everytime I do, people freak out like it's the strangest thing or something. We barely even ackowledge each other. Look how many people are hostile to others even in this thread - we can't even tolerate tourists (who bring money to our economy and may even admire or respect what we have). We can't even share the road or sidewalk because we have become so sensitive and feel entitled "to our space". I wonder if it's an American thing. One thing I've noticed after traveling abroad is that we are too damn uptight.

Ah, pet peeves are fun...

I find it annoying when people get all torqued off about their little pet peeves. Just because you don't like it doesn't mean I should give a shit.

Dude, no one's forcing you to read this thread or give a shit. It's just a place for venting, like most threads on TFP.

They are just insecure m8. Seriously they are. No friend would want to make their friend upset about what they have just spent their money on. You can advise a friend BEFORE they buy but after it's too late.
They are insecure because they want you to feel unhappy and they accept you having something they don't by saying it's crap or you were ripped off.
Fools :crazy:

just a little push and the problem is solved but you miss your train while they clean up ;)

On a similar issue.
I am at the train station on the platform. It is free of people 30 metres either side of me (I like my own space!). So why will a person stand 2 metres away from me? Grrrrrr

Talking loudly into your mobile phone in public. Yes thanks, I just love your tedious loud voice in my mind.

Ignorami... I like that. :)

I guess, what irritates me the most about it is that they expect me to hold the door for them.

This afternoon, I was sitting at the reference desk, which is right in front of the door and this lady in a hover-round (the little electric wheel chair with a horn) actually sat outside the door looking at me--waiting for me to get up and open the door for her even though there's a handicap 'button' right next to door that opens it automatically. There's no way she missed it as the button was right next to her head. So, I opened the door, no small feat since there's no handle for me to grab it from the inside. I got nothing-- no "thanks," no polite nod...nothing.

The really sad thing was that there were people waiting behind her to get in. They could have just as easily pushed the door open a bit to get her going, but they just stood there waiting for me to play the door-man.

using your fingers to eat your food.

exceptions: ribs, crabs, sandwiches, breaded and fried food, some pizzas....

but you do not try to catch the errant rolling pea by pushing it into your thumb onto your fork or spoon.

The one that makes me insaner than I already am is -when someone - who has no clue about at all -tells me with 100 percent degree of certainty that I will love something - -or I will have a good time if I do something -- dude.. I don't know what I like half the time --how will you presume to know what I will and won't love... just cuz you love something -- doesn't mean i will.

that and grammar nazi behavior... :)

First, let me give big hallelujah to <b>Jesus Pimp</b>. I'm just a ol country boy, but learning mass transit etiquette is a big thing with me (got rushed today in DC at L'enfant Plaza by asswipes).

My biggest pet peeve is smokers. Now I know this goes at odds with Jesus Pimp, but please, let me explain. I DO NOT go nazi on smokers. I don't mention it, I don't chastize. But, getting off the metro, after a rain, on a hot day, the humidity makes a nice smelling stew of hell in front of the Hoffman Building, where all the ashtrays are. My head still hurts, and I had about 20 minutes of nauseau after getting into our third floor walkup. I'd rather stick my head up a Springer ho.

People that don't fuckin' talk. You're out of the house. You're surrounded by people talking. Open your fuckin' mouth and say something.

People who don't wash their hands after they handle their business. Especially in public restrooms.

If everyone else is talking, it would be rude to interrupt...

/me is an annoying non-talker... :icare:

I say no problem all the time, mostly because i'm very modest and shy. If i do say your welcome, then you can be damned sure that i mean it.
On a similar note, i'm a man of few words (mostly out of choice, i can ramble lots otherwise), and the people who try to get me to talk more or tell me not to use certain words/phrases (no offence anyone) can go away, fast.

I hate hate HATE people pointing out i chew my nails. Yes they may be right down to the quick on bad days, but they're healthy none the less, so fuck the hell off. I don't need lectures on why i shouldn't bite them. If you don't like how my fingers look, thats your problem, not mine.

permanently happy people, you know the ones. They don't have anything that will get rid of that smile, their life seems to be going fine, they've never had anything bad happen, no mental scaring and seem suprised when you get pissed off at their happyness. Granted i may be a tad sadistic, but i despise their very existance, they need to be horribly mutilated. That'll wipe the smile. Why do they always try to cheer me up or tell me the world isn't so bad? That pisses me off.

Dappy women. I won't go beyond that, i'll have a rage induced heart attack.

Basically, everything i do i hate in other people, kind of a bit of a problem really, because i do lots wrong.

*end rant*

While I did see the irony in posting that in this thread, I was being serious :thumbsup:

And hell, just today it happened. Some crazy bitch got all pissed off because I cracked my knuckles. Instead of keeping it to herself, she just had to tell me how much she hated it when people did that and how gross it is :rolleyes:

The use of profanity in places where all involved are not consenting to hearing/reading it. In a forum like this, it's optional if someone wants to see it; at a ball game or in the mall, it's not optional if I want to hear it (I never do). The same decorum should apply to cursing as it does to racial slurs--in some crowds where you know everyone and know none care, then fire away if you are of such a (small) mind.

Actually, I found it was much worse in Europe. I remember that, at times, at be at a bar with some people, and they'd actually spend the whole time text messaging with someone else. I mean, I might be really boring, but if you're ostenibly at the pub with me, at least be polite...

One of my biggest pet peeves is people who get upset at my smoking when it's their own fault that they're standing so close to me. One time I was walking down the street, chatting with someone and smoking. A girl joins our conversation and 10 minutes later, she's talking about how rude I was, smoking near here. I mean, I understand that smoking bothers some people, but hey, not smoking bothers me. How about some equal consideration?

I don't know if it's social or not, but I really hate call waiting. Every once in awhile the phone company calls up trying to sell extra services, and I think the NO! I give them startles them :D

I absolutely hate the fact that everyone I know allow themselves to be annoyed by all kinds of trite bullshit. Back in the days we were all cavemen and only one or two things existed. Therefore there were only one or two things to get annoyed about. Nowadays, about 8 zillion things exist, and for every single one of those things, there is a person that it annoys.

Everything ever created is annoying.

If you let it annoy you.

Be above it.

In response to the first post: "no prob" or "no problem" is pretty much my automatic reaction to a thank you. Why? Fuck if I know, but that's what I say. Doesn't mean I think any less of the thank you than if I'd said "you are quite welcome" (which I do occasionally say if I'm particularly aware of the conversation at the moment). I still greatly appreciate it when people appreciate and acknowledge my help.

No problem is just a shortening of "I am glad to help you", noting that the person is not off-put by assisting you.

Here's one I just recently encountered: laughing derisively in a group and speaking only in a foreign language. Made me feel really self-conscious with a group of French people sitting around me doing that. At least if they did it in English I'd have known whether or not they were laughing at me. And I know that some people specifically use their other languages to make fun of people while in their company. NAUGHTY.

Suave, if French is their native language they may not be able to express certain ideas comfortably in English. As an anglo who speaks French I know the opposite is sometimes true, particularly if it's a formal education that often doesn't provide the vocabulary to express a lot of slangy or negative social ideas. Not saying this is the case in your particular situation and it certainly can be rude, but there are situations where it may be justified.

My biggest pet peeve? People who are the centre of the Universe. If you can't so much as even make an effort to see the other perspective, perhaps you shouldn't be dealing with people at all.

Martian, I'm afraid I can't make even an effort to see your perspective on the subject. ;)

Know what you mean though. It was this specific situation that got me on this tangent, not the fact that they were using another language (it was obviously their primary language).

Cellphones. Why do we always gotta be talking on a cellphone? Especially the ones that are like a walkie talkie, where you can hear someones conversation. Why?! What ever happened to, "Guess he's not home, I'll call him later." Emergency only please!

You know, I have one of those things...and no, they're really not all that useful. They were when it was free, but now...not so much. But you know what? People can actually change the setting so that it comes through the regular speakers, not the speakerphone speakers. ie. they don't have to broadcast to everyone in a ten mile radius, and yet they do...strange.

Alright, I give you credit for that one, it would piss me off too. I don't like having strangers tell me to my face that what I'm doing annoys them (can't remember the last time that happened, actually). I don't do that to strangers, myself.

But here on TFP, where we're not all strangers and simultaneously anonymous, I think it's alright to vent a little. :D

They're SUPER useful though. Everything is so much easier to coordinate and so forth thanks to my celly.

...
 

Docbungle- uum, No. no no. Everything ever created is Not annoying. Hate is a pretty strong word. I hate when people use the word hate. Especially when they hate inevitable facts. hehe.
My opinion shouldn't bug you though right? You're above it right? Or do you hate the fact that I am annoyed that you hate inevitable facts such as people will always be annoyed by trite bullshit. Hmm? :lol: :hmm:

So, my ultimate biggest social pet peeve. That would have to be the end of a conversation on the phone. Please, if I say goodbye to you, say goodbye to me!!! Dont just say Okay I'll talk to you later - CLICK!!!! AAAAAAH!

Regarding pedestrian etiquette, some of the worst offenders are "Sidewalk Drifters"

Sidewalk drifters are those who slowly drift from one side to the other as they walk, oblivious to others trying to pass or walk beside them. Walk in a straight line and consider those around you!

yes the walking blind are sooo annoying. They are walking, so how hard is it to look where they are going and not try to walk into another person? :crazy:
obviously far too difficult for some! :rolleyes:

Good news, I found out a little trick to interacting with talky people. You Have to interrupt them. This turns their monologue into a dialogue. After a while, they pause to give you a chance to talk. I tried it once with this one gal, and it works. :)

that one drives me nuts as well. i do not smoke next to entrances and exits when outside--i enjoy my habit but don't feel a need to push it on others. i make it very easy to avoid me if someone should desire it, but some people still feel a need to stand right next to me and complain i'm smoking.

a few friends and i went out to eat a while back and while waiting outside for our table, some of us decided to have a smoke. there was a small crowd outside since it was raining a little and everyone wanted under the little shelter. so we walked out into the rain, about 20 feet from everyone else to light up. a woman left her group under the shelter and came to stand right next to us--then proceeded to cough and wave her hand in front of her face. she then made some comment to her friends (20 feet away) about rude people smoking everywhere she went. :crazy: we politely let her know we wouldn't be at all offended if she wanted to stand under the shelter away from us--or if she really wanted to be out in the rain, she could go 20 feet in the other direction.

Right. Of course not.

Yes.

Yes. That was my point. It's all trite BS. Let it bother you and it will.

When I am in the middle of a conversation with someone or a group of people and someone interrupts with something that has absolutely nothing to do with the topic at hand or they jump in without listening to what everyone else is saying. Sometimes I am embarrassed for them.

Ooh! That's a good one!

My personal "favorite": When a group of people, instead of walking single file or in pairs, decide to walk abreast and block up the entire sidewalk.

That and rollerbladers, bicyclers, skateboarders who ride on the sidewalk recklessly. I have nothing inherent against them, only when they are reckless on the sidewalk.

A personal pet peeve of mine is shown in the following example.

Me: HEY! I haven't talked to you in so long! How have you been? Tell me all about it!
Them: yea i no
Me: So what's up? What have you been up to?
Them: nuttin really
Me: You wanna hang out since you're back in the country? We haven't hung out for soooo long. I missed that. We always used to hang out.
Them: dunno

This could go on but basically, one word answers and just a quate-assed (alot less than half-assed) job of replying. That pisses me off.

Sounds like the person either: a) doesn't have much to say to you at that point, or b) doesn't like you and is getting the exact reaction they want.

Cell Phones, Cell Phones, Cell Phones, Cell Phones, Cell Phones, Cell Phones, Cell Phones, Cell Phones, Cell Phones, Cell Phones, Cell Phones, Cell Phones, Cell Phones, Cell Phones, Cell Phones, Cell Phones, Cell Phones, Cell Phones, Cell Phones, Cell Phones, Cell Phones, Cell Phones, Cell Phones, Cell Phones, Cell Phones, Cell Phones, Cell Phones, Cell Phones, Cell Phones, Cell Phones, Cell Phones, Cell Phones, Cell Phones, Cell Phones, Cell Phones, Cell Phones, Cell Phones, Cell Phones, Cell Phones, and Cell Phones.

OK, I'll throw one out there that no one else has mentioned.

If you see a marked news truck or a camera crew out there, don't honk your damn horn at 'em. You're not impressing us, you're only the 300th person to do it that day, and you just made us take that much longer to get our work done for the day because now we have to redo whatever we were taping that now has your honking horn blaring out the audio track.

You are NOT on TV just because you see an NBC truck roll by, so there's no need to jump around, yell "hi mom", or act like a general idiot. In fact, that's almost always the way to guarantee I won't put you on TV, even if I were going to in the first place. Which I wasn't.

And when you see your friendly neighborhood TV news photographer, don't walk up to him and tell him the weatherman sucks or you'd like to "fuck the brains outa that cute anchor of yours" (yes I've heard both of these more times than I can count). Remember that the weatherman and that cute anchor are our friends, and are people too.

And quit writing in to your TV station whining about the way a reporter wears his hear or pronounces a word. Shut the hell up. You come do that job and see how well YOU talk ;)

/vent


That felt good :D

1) People who want to enter a subway car not waiting for those who need to exit. You'd need to have a piece of your brain missing not to see how illogical that is. In Hong Kong there are little arrows at the edge of the platform which indicate that those entering should enter from the sides/wait for exiters...but guess what - they don't fuck'n care here either!!!!

2) Lateness. Most of my friends are consistently 20 mins. late whenever we meet socially... I can't even continue anymore it's making me so mad.

3) Tech support people who are reading from a script/always suggest "re-installing the software"/were dropped on their heads as babies.

4) Last but not least, some of my friends have what I'll call "financial over-optimism," which is when they'll tell me about something which is a good deal or cheap and mis-quote what the price actually is. This wouldn't bother me so much if they quoted higher just to be safe, but they're always making things sound better than they are. Example -

Greg: Hey I discovered this place near St. Lawrence Market called the Rainbow Cinemas. They have 2$ matinees!

ACTUAL PRICE = 6$

What if I didn't bring enough?? ....careless asshole...

...
 

Docbungle- Just messin with ya bud.

Just thought I'd add another social pet peeve. I don't like when people assume that I'm being flirty, when really I am just being kind. I guess I'm supposed to act like a jackass so that men won't think I'm flirting-right? No. I won't do that. I guess my friends and family are going to have to assume that I'm just flirty. I think this is something we all do though. We assume friends, or coworkers or just people we see in general might be flirting, when in fact, they aren't!! But we accuse anyway. Why is that?! Oh well.

Aberkok- We better never meet then. I am NEVER on time. I don't even know what that means. :lol:

Clueless wait staff (if you have to ask "Is everything alright?" you haven't been watching me shovel it in. ...and NEVER take the tip while I'm still sitting there!)

People who drive down the berm past a line of cars to turn right at a light.

'Sign maker's that have no clue a's to the proper us'e of the apos'trophe.

People who think grooming is a public activity.

The insufferably rude and condescending minimum wage prick on the customer support line (may all their jobs be shipped to India)

Managers who want to touch me.

Oh, and strippers who get insulted when you ask for change, even though you ask very politely.

This one regards parallel parking when there are no painted lines to delineate the spots.

Please pull yourself up to a modest, sensible distance to the car next to you. I don't know how many times I see cars taking up the space of two by stopping about 6' away from the nearest vehicle or driveway on my street. Space in this town is so very precious!

Same holds for elevators -- people who try to push on to an elevator before the people on said elevator get off... or the idjits who stand right in front of the elevator doors blocking the exit of those on the elevator.

People who use stores and supermarkets as a place to hold social gatherings. Sure, just block the aisles with your carts & kids, I don't mind backing up & going all the way around the store to get where I'm going. You talk to so-and-so about who's humping who on daytime TV, that is so much more important.

I contacted a friend I have not spoken to in over 10 years...

"What's up?"
"Same old same old."

that's it.. they distilled a decade down to 4 words. Amazing.

People that want to tell you all their woes. As if YOU could fix it all for them. Sil does this. She will even follow me when I turn my back on her and walk away when she refuses to stop talking after 10 min. Some people just aren't happy if they can't drag you down to their negative level.

I have seen some gentlemen hold doors open for ladies, or other men even. Then see the other people walk to a separate door and open it for themselves. They often give a look as if they are offended that the gentleman didn't think they could do it for themselves. Accepting polite assistance graciously is an art as valuable as being a gentleman/gentlewoman in the first place.

Baby talk of any kind. Nails on a chalkboard for me. My parents own two cats and their voice goes up a few octaves whenever they talk to them. They use the same voice for babies and young children. Why? Cats already have incredible hearing and babies respond to normal speech just the same! I told my mom that if I ever have kids, she better not talk to them that way, unless she never wants to see them.

People who don't give a shit about the elderly in public transportation. I always give up my seat to an old person/pregnant woman, but sometimes I'm standing up and I see fucking asshat teenagers just sit there while somebody who could really use a seat is standing RIGHT NEXT TO THEM! At times like these I ardently wish great physical harm to befall them.

The flipside of that is when the elderly literally shove me aside to get in a subway car or bus before me. I guess this behaviour stems from the fear that nobody will give them a seat, but still, don't be an asshole. Also, a woman came to my seat once and asked me to give it up because she was pregnant, but didn't show ANY sign of it (she was about 35, wearing jeans and a t-shirt - not exactly loose clothing). I told her I was pregnant, too, and she shot me the death look. Well, fuck her if she can't support her own body weight plus a six ounce foetus.

lol bob I totally agree with the baby thing. So annoying.

My big pet peeve is people in groups inching along the sidewalk or hallway, oblivious to the world around them, even when there are people trying to sneak by to the left and right because they actually are going somewhere. Actually, any dumb reasons that inturrupt the flow of foot traffic annoy me.

Another peeve is girls that don't have enough social grace to reject me politely when I express interest. That "You're the lowest thing on the planet, so just get out of my line of sight" look just rubs me the wrong way, and can change the mood of my whole night. I'm not being creepy or agressive, just looking to enjoy the company of new people, and a simple no will suffice if you're not interested. It's interesting that Guys are actually way more polite if they're not interested in hanging out, they'll give ya a handshake and tell you to have a good night.

I agree and on the supermarket thang. OMG, how can people queue for 10 minutes, pack up their shopping and then slowly wonder where they put their money or card? :(
It's 9/10 a woman and I like women ffs.
I check my money (I pay by cash, you might remember that Yanks) :p
before I even enter the supermarket.

I've finished work for the day let me get home as quickly as possible pleeasseee!!!! :)

This doesn't grate on me as much as the folks, again primarily women, who stop their cart in front of, say, the milk locker, and stand there...perusing.... the 1%.... the 2%..... back to the 1%...... maybe the skim...... maybe 1%.... maybe Maola!

The on to the canned tomatoes..... let's see, there's crushed..... diced..... sauce..... paste..... like they had no idea there would be a VARIETY of choices!

They stare blankly into the freezer cases. The hold a packaged slab of meat and stare at it intently as if they expect it to suddenly shout, "I give! I'll tell you all my secrets! There's grissle in my family and I'm tough to chew! I am so ashamed....."

Now that I've added to the condemnation of women in the market, I can easily see how a pet peeve would be impatient men in the market. I heard one behind me in line nearly throw a temper tantrum because the woman in front of me pulled out a checkbook to pay, instead of cash.

People at the gym who just sit on a weight machine instead of using it and getting their ass off it.

People who wear too much perfume. These people should be grabbed by burly firemen and hosed down with a high pressure hose.

People who smoke upwind of me. Listen, if you like to smoke thats great, but guess what, we can all smell it, and it smells like shit to anyone not addicted.

People who insist on taking their dogs everywhere.

People who switch to the right lane and stop at a red light I need to turn at. You could have stayed in the left lane and I could have turned, but instead you found the right lane somehow better.

People who insist on talking about what they just had to eat and how wonderful it was in great detail. I'm sorry your life is so empty that a good meal is conversation, but I don't care.

People who always have to tell you about their young kids. I have a kid too, hes a great kid, if you ask about him I will tell you so, but I won't mention his latest antics, development, or diaper change. Likewise you are more than what your kid does. If you arn't perhaps you need some new activities.

People who take their music way to fucking seriously. Listen dude, its a bad poem set to music, it does not define you, your soul, your generation, your outlook on life, or your future. I can say Nirvana sucks and you remain unchanged.

Cell phones at baseball games. Look I'm sitting behind home plate, watch me wave, thats so cool!

People who need to be drunk for group sex, you know who you are!

People who write long lists of things which annoy them rather than working.

Spelling nazi's. Listen, thats why I have a secretary.

StanT: some of us are perfectly happy being antisocial.

*applauds*
It annoys the crap out of me when I'm at a party or other social event and someone comes over and makes a really lame and awkward attempt to get me to socialize, especially when it's at a work event I'm forced to attend, where I couldn't care less about hanging out with the majority of people present.
It's ok to not always be surrounded by people (especially ones you would have to fake an interest in).

Thanks for the laugh - good one.

I have a song ringtone on my phone of a really filthy song that I break out whenever I'm bothered by these types of people, and it's a no-fail repellant. After I've asked politely two or three times (yes, they still don't move) for them to move aside, and they don't, i pull out my phone and play it.

For the curious, it's called "My Neck, My Back" by Khia. Lyrics...

My main pet peeve would really just be people like that who think the universe exists to serve them, and it rotates around them. Rude people, inconsiderate people, and people who take out their own stupidity on others when they don't understand something.

Some of us are just too shy to talk much when we're not around people we know well. We're not trying to be rude, we're afraid of saying something stupid or offensive. Most of the time, it's just safer not to say anything.

----------------

Movie behavior:

Talking and cell phones, the obvious.

People who take young children into movies not intended for them. I don't care if the movie only cost a dollar, your kids don't belong in a theater if they're not going to be able to sit still and be quiet. While seeing The Island early this afternoon at the discount theater (all shows a dollar) I noticed a good dozen kids in the 4-7 year old range. Two of them were being allowed by their parents to run around up front playing with light sticks. I love kids, and I have a great deal of affection for kids aroun 5-6 years old, but dammit, if you're going to an adult movie, leave them at home. If you're brinning them with you, go see Herbie or Madagascar.

People who shout lines along with the movie. Yes I realize that you've seen Batman Begins 30 times and know all the lines. Shut the hell up! Some of us have only seen it a dozen times and prefer to hear the actors saying the lines.

Shouting comments at the characters, or for the purpose of entertaining your friends. At The Skeleton Key a couple of weeks ago, a group of teens came in and one girl kept shouting advice at the screen. Helloooo! This is not an interactive form of entertainment. They can't hear you, and you're disturbing those of us who want to hear the movie. Along with advice girl was a comedian, who periodically would call out a dumb comment, such as during the climax, "You done got smacked!" (his exact words), which his entourage proceeded to laugh at uproariously and repeat, aloud, several times.

Repeating lines. We heard it. It was funny when the character said it, repeating it does not enhance the humor.

Jay walkers. Yes, I realize the bus stop is a hundred feet or so from the intersection. Would it kill you to walk the extra hundred feet there, cross at the light in the crosswalk, then walk to the bus stop? Cuz it might if you don't.

And if you're going to jay walk, for god's sake go straight across the road, not at an oblique angle from where you are to where you want to be.

Honking to show annoyance, when there is no danger, and when I have done nothing inconsiderate. When making a turn I'm going to wait until I think it's safe. This is likely longer than you would wait. Honking at me won't make the wait any shorter. Also, when the light turns yellow, I am stopping; I don't care if only two cars got through before the change, a yellow light means stop. I'll be stopping fully at all stop signs, yes, even at 1:00am on the access road to the movie theater.

Clerks in stores who keep reapproaching, or don't leave when I say, "I'm fine", or get proprietary or are just downright rude. I am not your customer unless you own the store, I am a customer of the store where you work. That you approached me first when I walked into your department does not create an obligation on my part to have you ring up my sale. Last year, I went to Sears during a big sale to get a new refrigerator for one of our rental units. I tell the salesman who approaches me "I'm fine" when he comes up, and he backs off. He reapproaches twice during the next twenty minutes, tries to tell me how to read my Consumer Reports printouts, gives me a card. I pick out what I want , flag down a nearby saleswoman, and as she's ringing up my purchase, the guy who spent close to half an hour annoying me comes over and tries to take over, saying that I was "his customer", which is ridiculous, as I hadn't bought anything from him, and in any case was Sears' customer, not his. The saleswoman asks me if the other guy was helping me. I say, "No," and he glares at me for a moment then stalks off while the woman rings me up. The way he was looking at me, you'd think I was shoplifting, not spending more than 2 grand in his store.

Ahhh, that feels a lot better.

Gilda

People who approch me and ask for things at work when I am clearly already engaged in helping someone else. If I am talking to a customer and you interupt me to "just tell me where whatever is" I will excuse myself from the current conversation and ask you to wait a moment and then finish with whomever I was already helping, you are no more important than the person who got to me first.(same thing goes for when I'm on the phone with a customer and some one walks up and starts asking me questions. I'm on the phone and cannot answer your quick question without being rude to the person I am on the phone with!)

Drive-through staff who cannot be polite!
DTS: Welcome to ________ can I help you?(no please)
Me: Could I have a _________ please?
DTS: Thattle be $_______ pull up to the window.
Me: Thank you.
DTS: (nothing)

How hard is it to respond with politness when approched with politness? I realize you are getting minimum wage, but I do expect a modicum of courtesy in return when I offer it to you . I am not asking that you "get me a large coffee, bitch!"

Gilda, some stores work on commissions or quotas, so employees have to sell X amount of stuff (or a combination of things worth X amount of money) to get a bonus or free back scratcher or something. I know it's annoying anyway, but I just thought I'd give ya a reason why the guy was so pissed off.

I bet his back was itching like hell. :thumbsup:

It'd probably take me the whole day/night to list all the shit that piss me off and I'm a bit lazy so I'll just sum it up with "inconsiderate/disrepectful people," about everything. This should save me about a page, page and a half of typing. Although, I admit I'm guilty this sometime, but most of the time, I try.

Overly sensitive people. It's a joke, lighten up.

People who say stupid things or ask stupid questions. Yes, there IS such a thing as a stupid question. Same goes for redundancy.

People who are TOO nice and/or friendly. I dunno why this one bugs me, it just does. And I get suspicious of them....:hmm:

People who think there is something wrong with me when I say I don't need to drink, smoke MJ or gamble to have a fucking good time!!!!!!

Oh, and people who are fake. I just wanna grab them by the throat and slap them across the face a couple dozen times saying, "You don't have to act like that to get people to like you, just be your fucking self! If anything, you're more likely to make them hate you than like you."

Exactly. I used to work retail and I had a specific amount I was supposed to sell each day. This doesn't condone the annoying salesman's behavior though, and I probably would have done the same thing Gilda did. There is no need to be pushy and overbearing like that, and can obviously backfire :D

Bob, Medusa:

Thanks for the feedback. I didn't know that people in department stores got commissions. I guess I figured they'd be your basic minimum wage slaves.

I wasn't trying to piss off SalesBob Pushypants, I just wanted to be left alone to do my shopping, then when I was done get my purchase rung up. I was amazed that he actually came over and tried to take over, but it makes a kind of sense if there was a commision involved. I wonder if their supervisor found out that he tried to poach her sale? In any case, this makes me glad he wasn't the closest salesperson around when I was ready to go.

Gilda

It really annoys me when people criticize my social life. I am a 25 year old person who is happy to be at home with my family, but other people(mostly at work) say aren't you always bored at home, we gotta take you out. Now there is nothing wrong with that, but I just really enjoy finding things to do around the house and with the people who I really want to spend time with not my co-workers.

When people use fancy language to sound smart, it always sounds stupid.

Necessarily - Not necessarily, don't necessarily, [whatever] necessarily.
Fancy words - Absurd, enigmatic, eclectic, etc.
In a sense - "In a sense" is annoying on its own, but when it is used with fancy words, it's super annoying (example: in an ontological sense).
Relatively - Just say very
Ironic - When used incorrectly, this just bugs me.

There are many things wrong with society (in my opinion) that I simply dont think i woudl have time to put all of them down.
First I think everybodyneeds a little background on me. I live in south Florida or Northern Cuba depending on your point of view and nationality. Society down here is most unlike any other place in the USA (never been to canada but would be its differant from there too) There are more non-american here than actual americans. Most people are first generation immigrants or second generation and now citizens. English is normally not spoken As matter of fact you can along a lot better if you only speak Spanish than if you only speak english which I am learning But know that you know i will giv you THE LIST! Most of these stem from driving which is where i spend most of teh work-day.

1. I hate it when people cut you off than wave at you as if to say "thank you for letting me cut off and almost rear-end me."
2. I hate it when there is an accident in the median and everybody has to stop and see causing a 3 hour traffic jam just to watch some guy rub his neck while on the phone with his lawyer.
3. I hate being interrupted. if i am trying to tell you something wait till I finish. I talk, you listen: you talk I listen. This is called a conversation. Common courtesy is gone from the world.
4. i hate it when people miss appointments and do not have the common courtesy to call and explain why or at least tell you they cannot make it. There are instances where this i not possible and those i understand but they are exceptions not the rules. If you say you are going to be somewhere be there and be there on time. thats number 5.
5. Be on Time; actually be early. operate on lombardi time 15 Minutes early or your late. at least call when you will be late.
6. I hate it when fat people super size their meals at BK or McDonalds, then ask for a Diet Coke. Wat message are they trying to convey with that one.
7. I hate it when you put on your turn signal and the person beside you speeds up than matches your speed so you can't move over.
8. I hate stupid questions. Especially when people can answer their own questions.
9. I hate stupid people. common sense is not that common.
10. I hate that people expect me to know spanish but it is discrimination if I expect them to learn english. Again this is America i think. they speak english in Canada why cant we speak it in america.
Anyway that is enough for now. I hope I didn't offend anybody.

It's kind of funny about the pushy salespeople... My experience shopping is very different. There's a department store, usually in malls, but a little more upscale than Sear's or JC Penny. I loved their store brand underwear. That was the only reason I ever shopped there. The whole rigmarole at this store is that you do not take merchandise up, they ask if they can assist you, you tell them what you want, and then they escort you to the register and ring you up.

The men's dept. was almost always empty, no high dollar suit buyers for them to concentrate on. And every time, I had to take my purchase up. These were not cheap fruit of the loom briefs, so there would be some commission. The last time I purchased them there, the young kid, in his suit behind the counter said, "I guess I can ring these up."

Grrrrrr......

Gum Chewing... I don't care if you are a supermodel, when gum is chewed you look like a cow chewing it's cud, it's not attractive, and it's not quiet. Eating is a quiet activity, i don't need to hear you popping your gum like a 2 bit hooker, or hear you smacking your gum... Show a little couth... if your breath is that bad, pop a mint. Gum cracking will just set me over the edge.

Why are you talking to me? I sit down in my seat on a plane, with my IPod headphones on, and it never fails, the person siting next to me starts up a conversation with me. I am not a social person. Why are you talking to me, I have on head phones, why would you think i could hear you? Just because i'm stuck sitting next yo you (or rather you have the misfortune of sitting next to me for the next few hours) doesn't mean I want to know your life story or that I care about having a conversation with you.

I have rather eclectic tastes in my endeavors in life, and the subtle nuances of the subject material requires me to use many multisyllabic words in order to get the true nature of my thought across. The above post, while not necessarily flawed, is, in a sense, relatively wrong compared to reality. Some may find my choice of words in this post ironic, but I found them to be fundamentally necessary to convey my cogitation.

I was a minimum wage slave. However, I could have lost my valuable job if I didn't sell the required amount. I'm sure if commissions were involved, the already catty and competitive atmosphere at the place I worked would have been off the charts. There is nothing wrong with being left alone while shopping; I detest pushy sales people and tried to be un-pushy when I worked there. In situations like yours, where no one really "helped" the customer, it was just the luck of the draw who happened to be at the register and got that sale.

I thought of another one after hearing a live version of one of my favorite piano songs.

People who clap in time with music at concerts when it's just <i>not</i> a clapping song. I've got a really beautiful live version of a piano song by Nick Cave on my MP3 player that I've never heard before. It starts out beautifully and at the chorus some idiot in the crowd starts them all clapping. It goes on for about 30 seconds before people must realize it's not appropriate for such a beautiful, sad song. But one person keeps going for another two minutes or so. I think he/she has realized they're the only one clapping and thinks 'Do I stop and feel like an idiot or do I keep going and pretend I'm having a great time?'

My all time biggest pet peeve, are those individuals that insist upon driving in a lane, that has clearly been marked, for miles and miles, that it's closed ahead. These are the people that try to scream ahead to the "front of the line", put thier blinker on at the last possible moment, and force thier way into traffic just at the point thier lane finally ceases to exist. Y'know what Chucky? I drive this same stretch of road every day. That lane's been closed for the better part of a week. I knew it, and so did 99% of everyone else on this road. And since I recognize your car from yesterday, and the day before...so did you.

Yep, that tends to be the case for me. Plus, it can also go hand-in-hand with that 'small talk' pet peeve: I don't really care to talk sometimes when I have nothing interesting/funny/intelligent to say. Which does happen, believe it or not. ;-)

I've been overcoming that second self-imposed constraint lately, but I'm not always sure that overcoming it is a good thing.

My pet peeve:
People who tell me to 'loosen up'. That's not always the problem, guys. Sometimes, there is no problem except for your inability to accept that I don't enjoy a given setting/activity in the way that you do. Sometimes, the problem is that I simply don't like the setting/activity, yes I've tried it, and no, 'loosening up' isn't going to change that anymore than it'd change my dislike for peanut butter.

If I can live with that, so can you.

Mine is the phrase "Oh my god".

Sadly - the young women here seem to have picked this up from American sitcoms (some of which are very good actually). Sitting in a cafe in wealthyish area during uni/school holidays here is absolute torture. Coffee hits those kids pretty hard and makes them as noisy as hell.

"I'm sooo excited".
"Oh my god".
"I'm sooo excited".
"Ohhh my god thats wonderful".
"My too".
"Oh my god"
"I'm so excited"

It almost looks the dialogue for a sex scene when you write it down. Anyways, I console myself by thinking that the smarter kids must hang out somewhere else. I prefer the McDonalds crowd actually... and often I'll end up taking my book there instead.

I second that. But f##k them I say. If I've moved 75% out of the way then I've done my bit. Sometimes I'm in the mood for a bump. Especially if it's a bunch of young brats walking along deliberately like they own the footpath.

Also - some people will just walk around the corner, on the opposite on the RHS (we drive on LHS) and expect me to jump out of the way for them. Why?

It's a form of passive aggression, exerting power over someone by not doing something, in this case, not moving to accomodate others on the sidewalk. The problem is how to deal with it. I'd much rather walk around or get out of the way than be bumped. It sucks, but there isn't much to be done about it.

So I'm driving to the grocery store Sunday and I see a man and a little girl of about four jay walking just behind the traffic at the intersection. They're standing on the raised median, traffic passing behind them and in front of them waiting for traffic to clear so they can finish their walk. I see this quite frequently at this very stop. There's a family medical clinic on one side of street, a four lane divided main thoroughfare, and a bus stop on the other. But it's maybe 100 feet from the intersection, where they'd have a crossing protected by the traffic lights. I wanted to scream at this toesucker putting his little girl's life in danger because he didn't want to walk an extra 200 feet.

Gilda

I use "necessarily" because it's a part of my vernacular (fancy word alert:P ). It's not "to sound smart"; some people actually attempt to use the English language to its fullest potential. Now if you're talking about people who just throw around large or exotic words when they don't know the meaning, that's different.

Relatively also is not synonymous with "very". I'll agree on your last one though. :)

World's King: In addition to what Gilda said, sometimes people have nothing to say in that situation. If I'm in a situation where I'm around some people who are talking about shit that I find completely stupid/uninteresting/immature or that I'm ignorant about, I'm not going to run in and start talking for the sake of it. There's actually a quote in my sig that corresponds quite nicely to this.

People who impose time constraints on others because of their own stupidity.

Example: Women who come in THE NIGHT their birth control runs out to get the next month's set. Then, when there's an issue and it's not immediately able to be refilled, all of a sudden it's our fault because she came in at the last possible minute for something she KNEW she'd run out of, and exactly when she'd run out of it. Or worse- people with an actual medical need, like diabetics. They come in THE DAY they run out of insulin (which they HAVE to have or they, you know, DIE) and then whine and bitch because it's going to take a few days to straighten out their new insurance coverage on their testing supplies. If they came in BEFORE it was a dire emergency, we'd have time to get in contact with the right people so they can fix it and let us sell it to you at the insurance price, not the cash price.

Example2: "Well I have groceries in the car" or "Well I have children waiting in the car" Well good for fucking you, go get rid of them and come back. I'm not skipping your prescription ahead of a dozen or more other people's because you're a clueless, poor-time-management-having insensitive fucktard. Don't use your kids like that, it's shameful.

(Quick note that i now work in a pharmacy, hence all these are pharmacy-related gripes about customers)

One more thing- unless based on actual medical urgency, no prescription is more important to fill faster than anyone else's. If i've got two prescriptions in my hand, one's for a kid, and the other an adult, i'm doing them in whatever order i got them in. When I tell people a wait time, you wouldn't believe the frequency i get the frustrated comment, "this is for a child!". I don't give a flying fuck, your child isn't more important than an adult.

A customer and I:

Me: It will be about an hour right now.
Her: (pissed) This medicine is for a child!
Me: (looking at the prescription, being smiley and polite) Yes, I see that. Thank you.
Her: An hour is the best you can do?
Me: It's an hour for everyone, ma'am.
Her: (I kid you not, yelling at me...) THIS IS FOR A CHILD!
Me: I understand ma'am, but not all sick people are children. We help sick adults, too.

So she asks for the pharmacy manager, who has been listening and quietly laughing the whole time from only a few feet away (she can't see him from where she was). She then talked to him for a minute, called me a twerp (yeah, a twerp). My fave line of his was his closing with her...

Her: He is sick, he has an infection, you're telling me it's not an emergency??
Pharmacy manager: I'm sure your doctor explained this, but antibiotics like the one your son has been prescribed take 2 -3 days before they start really working noticeably. So if i skip you ahead, and you don't have to wait the hour, he'll feel better in roughly 2 days and 23 hours instead of 3 days. If you would like to take a seat, i'll call you the moment i've gotten it ready for you.

The comment about the 2 days and 23 hours was priceless. We laughed for the longest time after that. I love my new coworkers. All the staff pharmacists are very cool, joke around a lot and stuff. Sorry for the length of this, but it's a good story (I think :) ).

My number one social pet peeve is receiving unsolicited parenting advice from strangers.

I get very hostile when this happens.