Pet Peeves (or am I just a cranky old man?)

I thought I'd write about something a little different today. Instead of my career or what's going on in my life. I thought it would be fun to write about my pet peeves and I would love to hear from some of you and hear your pet peeves.

People who use the bike path in the park to jog, walk their dogs, take a nice leisurely stroll with the entire family walking side by side across the path sometimes pushing a baby stroller (Well the joggers aren't so bad, they will stay out of your way but they have their own path!) Seriously, at some points there is a walking/jogging path right alongside the bike path. The bike path is clearly marked with directional signs painted periodically. Get off my path!

People who stand in line at the checkout and don't get their money or credit card out until the cashier is done ringing their transaction..and keep the rest of us waiting while they search in the purse or bag for their wallet and then pull out their money/cards. Excuse me!?  You've been standing in line all that time you couldn't have your money/card ready to go in your hand before you got there. I always have my card in my hand as soon as I get in line. If I'm paying in cash, I have my wallet in my hand with my fingers prying it open for quick access to my bills.

On The Road:
Not using turn signals to make a turn (or waiting until you're already in the turn to turn on the signal)
Not pulling all the way into the median when making a left turn. Seriously! Get out of my lane!
Texting!
Driving in the wrong direction in the parking lot lane. Real? You can't see the arrows painted showing the direction of travel and the fact that all the parking spots are angled in the opposite direction of the one you're driving. Oh! And you can't see that I'm coming directly at you?
Backing your car into a parking spot in a parking garage. No! Please! I've got all day to wait for you to maneuver in to that spot.
Waiting for someone to pull out of a spot so you can have it keeping all of you behind you waiting. Bonus peeve for waiting while someone is slowly loading their car with bags, children, strollers, etc. Especially if there are more parking posts just a few feet or yards down.
And do these people never take into consideration that maybe their action has a domino effect? Like maybe we are backed up all the way into the street and now there might be some blocking traffic.

People talking loudly other cell phones in public places. Go someplace private if you want to have a personal conversation. It happened again just last night in Ralph's. This woman was talking very loudly on her phone, clearly business stuff. She was going on about ideas and lawsuits, etc... Go do business in your office!

The gym...
Those who sit on a weight bench and have phone conversations without doing any sets for 10 - 15 minutes. Really? Get off the damn bench and let someone else use it!

Or the ones who reserve a machine while they're off working somewhere else. Really? I understand someone people like to circuit train. That's okay. But some will use a machine in one area and then go off somewhere else to work on another machine and leave their towels, water bottles, etc on the first machine so no one will use it.

Then there's the guys who grab a bunch of dumbbells (like three or four sets) and pile them up on the floor around their bench while they work.  This means that no one else can use any of them while they use them. I saw this once years ago in my old gym where a guy had several sets around his bench. Others asked if they could share with him and he refused. It also left no room for anyone to walk around. The managers had to get involved because he was being a real dick about it.

Speaking of which, put your damn weights back on the rack! Every gym I've ever been to has signs posted reminding guests to do so, but they don't . Sometimes, its like walking a minefield or you can't find what the weights you want because they're lying on the floor somewhere.

More pet peeves...

Talking with food in your mouth
Not closing your mouth when you chew
People who say "Also too." It's redundant!
"Ain't" As my mother used to say There's no such word as ain't.


Am I a grumpy old man or do you agree? What your pet peeves? Leave in the comments section below.

Pet Peeves

Today, I am going to share some of my pet peeves.

1) When you're driving down the road and the car in front of you goes to make a left hand turn, but they don't go all the way into the median. Their back end is still sticking out in the driving lane. Get all the way into the median! Likewise, when making a right hand turn pull over to the right and let us get by.

2) Standing in line at the register at the supermarket (or Target) and the person in front of you doesn't even open their purse or get their wallet out until after the cashier has completed the entire transaction. Or worse yet, they act like they've never swiped their card though one of those machines before. They can't follow the simple step by step instructions on the display? Or if they are paying with cash, they stand there digging through their purse for change.  Hello?! You've been standing in this line for 10-15 minutes before even getting to the cashier. Not only that but you have 3-5 minutes while the cashier was ringing you up to get your money or card out. And news flash! Did you know you can swipe your card while the chaser is ringing you up? I know! I just blew your mind didn't I? I always, ALWAYS have my card in my hand ready to go before I even get to the cashier. And if I'm paying in cash, my wallet is in my hand and open while the cashier is ringing me up. I might even have my other hand in my pocket ready to grab some change.

3) The pre-pay machines in parking garages. I don't know about you but the shopping center near me, has pre-pay machines in several locations. There are also signs throughout that say "Pay at machine before exiting the parking structure." And yet, 30 - 40% of the time, there is someone at the exit gate who hasn't paid. Excuse me! Do you not read English? You cannot pay at the exit gates. Well, you can if you have a credit or debit card. But still. Earlier this week, I was behind someone and I heard the attendant say. Cards only. Really?

4) And along with that (so I guess this really a 3-a), the parking is automated. There are no booths with attendance to take your money. But in my local shopping center, there is an office next to the one exit and 7-8 times out of 10, that attendant at the gate helping people like the aforementioned. So much for saving money on staffing with a person so it can be automated.

5) Bicycling on a designated bike path and having to dodge, joggers, walkers, dog walkers, kids playing, people pushing strollers. It's the bike path. Get out of the way. I don;t mind going around the occasional interloper, but sometimes (weekend, evenings) the paths are crowded with all of the above. There are designated lanes and/or paths for people walking or running. Use them and stay off the bike path. My fave is when its an entire family walking, pushing a stroller and maybe one or two kinds on a bike or skateboard and they are walking along side to side taking up the entire length of the path in both directions. There are signs at all the entrances stating bike path. There is a dividing line down the middle with the occasional set of directional arrows. Get out!

6) Circling back to 2 and 3...people using the self-pay lines art the supermarket acting like they're never used one before. C'mon! These are not new. They've been around a while. Is this really the first time you've used one? How else do you explain that you don't seem to understand what you're doing?
Geez!

Okay, I think I'm done...for now!