Pet Peeves Part Two

[BriteIdea]

I think for the most part that we all try to be half decent drivers and none of us are perfect, self included.
But when I come up to a pedestrian road crossing, I'll stop to let people cross the road. I'll typically see these people standing at a curb and with that mirco-second of checking around me to see that other traffic is clear, I'll stop and motion the people to cross.

Usually, these pedestrians will pick up their pace and get across as quickly as possible without having to run.
But, there are those that will take advantage of my, or your generosity (teens usually) and decide to take their sweet time crossing. It's not just teens as I've seen many other individuals just saunter across without any concern that others have places to be and things to do.

 

[LukeA]

Today, after 11 straight hours of class without even a lunch break, I come home to find that the XL Columbia vented shirt that arrived from Amazon is so much smaller than the XL Columbia vented shirt that I already have that I have to send it back. The new one was made in Vietnam and the old one is from Sri Lanka. So I guess my pet peeve is Vietnamese textile house operators shorting their customer on garment size to squeeze an extra shirt out of however many linear feet of material.

 

[Monocrom]

Using low-flow toilets when they're less than perfect.

Low-flow toilets are like using a liner-lock knife. If it's not 100% perfect, you're going to regret using it. Here's the thing, I'm a man! I eat real food! Not salads, not soups, not crackers; not for every meal. If I want a snack that's a different story. When I work all day, I get hungry. I come home, and I want real food. And when I'm done . . . that toilet better be able to handle what comes next.

As a kid, I flushed the toilet once. As an adult having to deal with low-flow toilets, I have to flush 3 or 4 times. So "no," low-flow toilets don't save water. They actually waste more of it. Thankfully you can still go to many gas-stations and places that end with the word "mart," (as well as any Target) and still encounter a real toilet. Who cares if you have to put down toilet paper or use several baby wipes to clean the thing off. At least you know, it'll only require one flush. Using one of those toilets for a normal human activity isn't going to cause it to back up, or start to act up.

When they do act up, you hope that the pathetic joke of a man who came up with the concept of a low-flow toilet soon meets up with this guy . . . :devil:

No real man would ever think that such a concept would be a good idea.

"Gee, if we reduce the amount of water so that . . . so that it can't handle the amount of sh . . . Oh, wait! That's a stupid idea! Never mind."

 

[PhotonWrangler]

I hate low flow toilets for the same reason - they often waste water. However there is a glimmer of hope. I've seen a type of dual-flow commode in some public restrooms that has a two position flush handle. Pull it up for a low flow, or push it down for a traditional full flow. Now there is a great idea.

 

[Monocrom]

I hate low flow toilets for the same reason - they often waste water. However there is a glimmer of hope. I've seen a type of dual-flow commode in some public restrooms that has a two position flush handle. Pull it up for a low flow, or push it down for a traditional full flow. Now there is a great idea.

. . . Born out of necessity for dealing with a stupid one. But I agree that it is definitely a great way of solving the current problem.

 

[woodentsick]

I finally have a major pet peeve to post about here. I absolutely cannot stand it when a product that I purchased doesn't WORK the first time. My Quark has failed me (rectified by 4Sevens CS), my Zebralight has a very annoying whine on the 27 lumen medium level, my brand new Malkoff flickers on low, and my brand new printer refused to do a simple photocopy job until I restarted it! Good customer service is one thing. Getting it right the first time is infinitely more important, IMO.

P.S. I know I'm being very finnicky, but when I buy an expensive product from a well-respected company, it had better damned well work.

 

[jtr1962]

After being sick last week (and thankfully not having to worry about missing work because I'm self-employed), another pet peeve occurred to me-work places and schools which require doctor's notes when you're out sick. Besides the inherent distrust of such a requirement (i.e. hey, I don't really believe you're sick-prove it with a doctor's note!), there is a big practical problem. Two actually. What if you can't afford to go to a doctor? Second one is much more relevant though. If I'm in too sick of a state to go to work or school, then I'm certainly too sick to go see a doctor. The few times I've taken off from school or work on account of illness, I was literally too sick to stand up longer than it takes to go from my bed to the bathroom. And I'm supposed to see a doctor in that state? If I was ill, but still physically able to see a doctor, then guess what? I'm going to work or school instead, not the doctor. If not, I'm staying home in bed. Apparently though a concept like this went right over the heads of whoever wrote the sick-day requirements of some places.

On the low-flow toilets, they do have some with a pressurized bladder which assists the flush. Best of both worlds-you save water, but don't have a clogged toilet.

 

[angelofwar]

I've seen these "dual-stage" toilets all over Europe...low-flow for #1, and high-flow for #2. Works really well.

@ jtr1962, the reason we have to this in a large employer, is some people will go to the doctor for the most minute thing, and end up missing a lot of work (we're talking about men "not feeling good", yet they feel good enough to run up to Wally World and go shopping?). I've missed 1 day of work from sickness in 14 years. Unless you broke a bone or are throwing up violently (or have a real communicable disease/virus, that you can affect others with), I have too many guys say "I'm not feeling good (so I'm going to stay home and play video games all day)"...nope...if you're feeling to sick to be at work, you need to see a doc. This will A) Get them to the doc and get them in better shape to return work or B) Inconvenience them enough, where they realize they really aren't that "sick" and should probably just go to work.

 

[Monocrom]

Unfortunatly, every lazy bum who has abused the system installed at many jobs is the reason why doctor's notes are now required. I need money, I need to work. My last few jobs were full of higher-ups who didn't appreciate hard work. At one of my other jobs where things were a bit better, I worked for a smaller company. Came in sick one day because I needed the money. Every supervisor and manager told me not to come in the next day. Told me to take a few days off if needed. (And not because they were upset I'd get others sick.)

At the same company, I went on vacation in March 2002. Best week of my life! Last day, my best friend and I got violent food poisoning. It hit him several hours before it hit me, for some odd reason. Sick as a dog the day I was supposed to return. Vomitting violently. I called out sick that day. Since it was a small company and they knew me, it was actually no problem. But yeah, sometimes you are too sick to even go to the doctor. Sadly, the days of house-calls are long since over . . . Unless you happen to be filthy rich and pay for that type of now special service.

 

[DM51]

I got violent food poisoning. Sick as a dog... vomiting violently... too sick to even go to the doctor

You can probably blame German cucumbers, or Spanish bean-sprouts... or was it the other way round?

 

[BriteIdea]

we're lucky, we can have up to 3 sick days before we need a note. Most of us are only sick for a 24 hour bug, if at all.
Others have claimed "mental health day" I just build up lieu time and book a day off. I was sick for a 1/2 day last year. first time I've been sick in a while. In the last 10 20 years, maybe 2 or 3 days. I did lose time off for a broken ankle, but worked from home

I have to have the absolute chills, or like jtr1962, be so sick you can't stand before I call in.
Mind you on a beautiful sunny day we often joke about those days off, especially in front of the boss. and do a "cough-cough I'm sick" all in fun. Then it's back to the grind stone after the jokes are over.

WE have health care so we don't pay for doctors. But I still avoid them because of the BS waiting. Plus I have better things to do with my time rather than see a doc or whine about my booboos

 

[Monocrom]

It was a certain Burger King located in California. Ironically, we ate there at the start of our vacation. Everything was fine. End of vacation, we stopped in again. The burgers just didn't taste right. They were off. But we were both hungry and rushing to the airport. I'm thinking someone left a few beef patties out at room temp., and they got infested with bacteria.

 

[BriteIdea]

It was a certain Burger King located in California. Ironically, we ate there at the start of our vacation. Everything was fine. End of vacation, we stopped in again. The burgers just didn't taste right. They were off. But we were both hungry and rushing to the airport. I'm thinking someone left a few beef patties out at room temp., and they got infested with bacteria.

If you're sure it was them I certainly hope you let them know that it made you sick. If you're not sure of the actual Burger King it's still warrants an investigation towards their corporate. Some corporate entities tend to fluff things off and suggest it's up to each individual franchise. My answer to that. I see the Burger King name and you're the head office. If corporate can't fix it then it doesn't say much about their company in general. Plus, they don't like bad press. But present it politely and it should go fine

 

[ElectronGuru]

My Pet Peeves tend to be pretty constant. New ones are rare and old ones stay around. But something's been growing in popularity, so its destined to get worse…

It started with the Ken Burns documentary on the Civil War. Wonderful, in every way. The signature effect from that show came to be known as the 'Ken Burns Effect', panning and zooming on each still image, interplaced with sections of actual video. Each was done by hand, carefully choosing the start and stop point, and synchronizing each to the narration. The effect was added to iPhoto and it became a popular way to quickly slide show a series of images, adding a bit of visual interest along the way.

Now photo sites, fearing the onslaught of video sites have added this capability. Upload a set of stills, and they'll be instantly converted to a file 10x as large, with a quarter of the per frame resolution. And an increasing number of 'click here for video' links are landing on these automatically built slide shows. So instead of 2+ megapixel stills you can study, you must try to pause in the middle of badly timed, aggressively sliding images of a half megapixel or less, done to poorly chosen music.

 

[PhotonWrangler]

People in front of me in a check-out line who are oblivious to the fact that there are others waiting behind them. These are the people who -

- Don't take out their checkbook until after their order has been rung up. They would never even consider filling out most of the check while being rung up to save time.
- People who yammer endlessly with the cashier, even after they're finished with their order.
- People who get in line and then send their kids all over the store to keep shopping for them. Don't get in line until you're done shopping!
- At a coffee shop, people in front of me at the cream & sugar station who finish putting their stuff in their coffee, then decide to stand there and use the space as their personal snack table, usually yammering on their cellphone at the same time.

 

[Diesel_Bomber]

Being stuck behind people in convenience stores that take forever choosing lottery tickets. I don't care if someone else wants to throw their money away, but why do they have to waste my time doing it? At least half of my ire is directed at the clerk, who doesn't ask them to step aside while they choose their tickets and get back in line when they're ready to purchase.

 

[PhotonWrangler]

+1 on that one, Diesel Bomber.

 

[richpalm]

In supermarket line: The women-it's always women-that count out change, coin by coin in slow motion. The urge...

As for fast food, I thank God every day that I'm a vegetarian.

Rich

 

[Dude Dudeson]

Sorry if this has already been mentioned: People who drive up to a line of cars at a red light and CRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEP their way up, then stop 25 feet behind the next car, then a few seconds later they move forward another few feet, then stop, repeat, repeat, repeat...

I swear this is a fairly recent development, can't ever remember seeing this years ago, it's an epidemic!

 

[Diesel_Bomber]

People who pull up RIGHT BEHIND other vehicles who are stopped on a hill. I do not own a single automatic transmission vehicle, if I am on a hill then I will be rolling back ever so slightly before going forward. Three pedals, two feet. If someone is three inches from my bumper, it is possible they will be bumped.