Minor things that bother you

[Max Rockatansky]

I find it difficult to adhere to not using a stores made up parking zones like curbside, compact or EV as opposed to a legally designated spaces like handicap zones.  The store designated stuff really isn't my concern to worry about.  Either way, I tend to park far out in the lot when I'm alone so it's easy to leave coupled with not minding a decent walk.

[J N Winkler]

Here is how I see it:

*  Disabled parking spaces--a legal issue

*  Spaces reserved for curbside pickup, compacts only, EVs only, etc.--a property-rights issue

*  Traffic control (stop signs, etc.) wholly internal to the parking lot (if in a jurisdiction where it has no legal force)--a property-rights issue

I generally try to follow the law, though I admit to a degree of prioritization when the public-interest justification for the law is especially compelling (as it arguably is for disabled parking spaces).  Where property rights are concerned, at a conceptual level I consider that there is a bit more room for negotiation, but I do not want ever to be in the position of being asked to cure trespass, and a fundamental principle of defensive driving is to remain aware of the collateral effect of your own rule violations, even if seemingly minor, on other drivers' behavior.

[kphoger]

When it feels like you have a bunch of snot in your nose, but really it's just constricted nasal passages.

[jeffandnicole]

Dedicated curbside pickup spaces are a godsend for deliveries, especially those at busy malls and on city streets. For the latter, there needs to be a loading/delivery space on every block in any neighborhood with high parking utilization.

Designated loading zones in downtown Seattle are a lot different than the 4-5 spots reserved for pickup at a suburban big box store.

I also deliver from suburban big box stores where there's a huge time savings using curbside parking. Walmart's system is fairly straightforward for us, though some still want us to call in and give the parking stall number; compared to waiting in line at the indoor pickup door, it's a half-hour of time saved.

Yes, but if I am actually going into a big box store and don't use pickup, why should you get to save time instead of me? My money is just as green as yours (or your customer's).

If we were to consider the MUTCD crossing time of 3.5 feet per second, and a parking stall width of 10 feet, for every parking spot thats taken up by a curbside delivery spot you lose about 3 seconds. Assuming you're more able-bodied than 3.5 feet per second, you're losing less time.

You'll lose more time at a red light that's waitng to cycle.

[kphoger]

Anything that has the potential to save the business employee-hours has the potential to save the business money, which in turn has the potential to keep prices lower.

That's a whole lot of "potential", right there.  Probably so much that the savings only exist in a hypothetical world.

[J N Winkler]

In regard to curbside delivery, an aspect not yet mentioned is that the employees who deliver the orders need a way to match each order to its pickup vehicle.  This is easier to do, and thus more efficient, if markings for the space are readily visible to (1) the driver of the vehicle and (2) staff at the store building.

Even at locations (e.g., several branches of our local public library) where drivers are asked to specify their license plate numbers rather than stall numbers, there are still dedicated stalls for curbside delivery so employees don't have to fish for the correct car in the parking lot.

[1995hoo]

In regard to curbside delivery, an aspect not yet mentioned is that the employees who deliver the orders need a way to match each order to its pickup vehicle.  This is easier to do, and thus more efficient, if markings for the space are readily visible to (1) the driver of the vehicle and (2) staff at the store building.

Even at locations (e.g., several branches of our local public library) where drivers are asked to specify their license plate numbers rather than stall numbers, there are still dedicated stalls for curbside delivery so employees don't have to fish for the correct car in the parking lot.

It's also rather astonishing how many people do not know their own license plate numbers.

[Scott5114]

Anything that has the potential to save the business employee-hours has the potential to save the business money, which in turn has the potential to keep prices lower.

That's a whole lot of "potential", right there.  Probably so much that the savings only exist in a hypothetical world.

It's nice to think of a board meeting where the CEO says "Well, we budgeted for 50% profit and thanks to increased efficiency, we got 55%, so let's lower the prices", but has that ever happened? American business culture is to say "hey cool, increased profit!" and congratulate yourself by raising your own salary.

In regard to curbside delivery, an aspect not yet mentioned is that the employees who deliver the orders need a way to match each order to its pickup vehicle.  This is easier to do, and thus more efficient, if markings for the space are readily visible to (1) the driver of the vehicle and (2) staff at the store building.

Even at locations (e.g., several branches of our local public library) where drivers are asked to specify their license plate numbers rather than stall numbers, there are still dedicated stalls for curbside delivery so employees don't have to fish for the correct car in the parking lot.

It's also rather astonishing how many people do not know their own license plate numbers.

Before I got my current set of plates, I could usually only remember the letter portion, but odds are that if someone says a license plate number with that set of letters, it will be me as opposed to one of the other 999 people with those license plate letters.

Now, though...my license plate is BZZ 100. I had it memorized before I put it on the car.

[kphoger]

It's nice to think of a board meeting where the CEO says "Well, we budgeted for 50% profit and thanks to increased efficiency, we got 55%, so let's lower the prices", but has that ever happened? American business culture is to say "hey cool, increased profit!" and congratulate yourself by raising your own salary.

And this is why I don't like self-checkout lanes at the store.  Take away people's jobs in the name of keeping prices low?  Yeah, I'm guessing not.

[frankenroad]

It's also rather astonishing how many people do not know their own license plate numbers.

I have always been a license plate geek, so not only do I know my own, I know lots of other people's too!

To be fair, mine is only 4 characters, and has been in the family since at least 1940, maybe earlier, but no one is alive to remember. 

[kphoger]

It's nice to think of a board meeting where the CEO says "Well, we budgeted for 50% profit and thanks to increased efficiency, we got 55%, so let's lower the prices", but has that ever happened? American business culture is to say "hey cool, increased profit!" and congratulate yourself by raising your own salary.

And this is why I don't like self-checkout lanes at the store.  Take away people's jobs in the name of keeping prices low?  Yeah, I'm guessing not.

On the other hand...  I've personally experienced how a company is more willing to give raises to its workers when profit margins are wide but less willing when they're slim.  It's not all that hard to imagine that, for a different company that cares less about its workers and more about its market competitiveness, wider profit margins could actually result in lower prices.

[formulanone]

Anything that has the potential to save the business employee-hours has the potential to save the business money, which in turn has the potential to keep prices lower.

That's a whole lot of "potential", right there.  Probably so much that the savings only exist in a hypothetical world.

It's nice to think of a board meeting where the CEO says "Well, we budgeted for 50% profit and thanks to increased efficiency, we got 55%, so let's lower the prices", but has that ever happened?

The only times it probably happens is when there's some ridiculous surplus (hey...we gotta dump all those old fidget spinners and make room for this year's thing!) because demand became super low.

The other is when Wal-Mart suddenly discovers that Local General Store Company also is selling Chazzwazzers for $3.50 and they shouldn't be undercut, so they mark their Chazzwazzers down to $3.48 to steal their traffic away. After LGSC is desperate or bankrupt, the Chazzwazzers are back to $4.79 a piece. Or they partner with some overseas firm who ignores intellectual property rights and makes knock-offs called Shasswajers which are close enough.

(Amazon then sells some FWSHKiiPQs-branded Chazzwazzers.)

[ethanhopkin14]

Anything that has the potential to save the business employee-hours has the potential to save the business money, which in turn has the potential to keep prices lower.

That's a whole lot of "potential", right there.  Probably so much that the savings only exist in a hypothetical world.

It's nice to think of a board meeting where the CEO says "Well, we budgeted for 50% profit and thanks to increased efficiency, we got 55%, so let's lower the prices", but has that ever happened?

The only times it probably happens is when there's some ridiculous surplus (hey...we gotta dump all those old fidget spinners and make room for this year's thing!) because demand became super low. The other is when Wal-Mart suddenly discovers that Local General Store Company also is selling chazzwazzers for $3.50 and they shouldn't be undercut, so they mark their chazzwazzers down to $3.48 to steal their traffic away.

After LGSC is reduced or bankrupt, the chazzwazzers are back to $4.79 a piece.

I love how generically vague this example is. 

[kphoger]

Oops, my bad.  I forgot to assume that everybody who makes more than some magic number in annual income is obviously greedy and evil, that all large corporations are run by money-hungry sadists, and that only mom-and-pop stores on brick-lined streets in small towns strive to actually serve the needs of their customers.  I'll do better next time.

[Scott5114]

Oops, my bad.  I forgot to assume that everybody who makes more than some magic number in annual income is obviously greedy and evil, that all large corporations are run by money-hungry sadists, and that only mom-and-pop stores on brick-lined streets in small towns strive to actually serve the needs of their customers.  I'll do better next time.

The only inaccuracy in this post is the implication that mom-and-pop stores aren't also sometimes run by greedy, evil, money-hungry sadists. They're less likely to be, but it still happens.

[webny99]

Come on now. Most businesses are actually neither large corporations nor mom-and-pop stores, and there's a decent chance that their owners might not even make more than the magic number.

[formulanone]

Oops, my bad.  I forgot to assume that everybody who makes more than some magic number in annual income is obviously greedy and evil, that all large corporations are run by money-hungry sadists, and that only mom-and-pop stores on brick-lined streets in small towns strive to actually serve the needs of their customers.  I'll do better next time.

The only inaccuracy in this post is the implication that mom-and-pop stores aren't also sometimes run by greedy, evil, money-hungry sadists. They're less likely to be, but it still happens.

The sincerity is whether there's a 8"x11" piece of white paper explaining in one or two simple sentences why prices have increased.

It's usually located next to the long-since-modified store hours, and held up by at least two pieces of transparent tape.

[kkt]

I don't even remember the last time I saw a sign posted explaining why prices increased.  Or decreased, for that matter.
They'd rather just assume most people won't notice.

[Scott5114]

I don't even remember the last time I saw a sign posted explaining why prices increased.  Or decreased, for that matter.
They'd rather just assume most people won't notice.

And if they do, there's no way to know if the given reason is truthful or not.

[kphoger]

These days, it's much more likely to see a sign explaining why certain items are (a) completely out of stock or (b) limited to x number of items per purchase.

[MATraveler128]

I work at a grocery store and we recently switched EBT systems two months ago. Sometimes an elderly person will come through our line and doesn't know how it works. So the cashier will be frantically trying to explain it to them while they're holding the entire line up. It gets worse when it's really busy, with Easter right around the corner. It's really annoying.

[Max Rockatansky]

These days, it's much more likely to see a sign explaining why certain items are (a) completely out of stock or (b) limited to x number of items per purchase.

More or less staffing and/or supply issues have been the go to crutch a lot of businesses use.  It started with COVID but became normalized as an excuse as time progressed. 

One that bothers me that I just encountered again was not being able to schedule oil change appointments at my dealer.  The service is about $20 dollars cheaper at the dealership but they want me to use their oil change lane.  I rather just eat the $20 dollars and compete with less people at the likes of Jiffy Lube.  Now that a recycling center opened near me I just might start doing them myself again. 

[hbelkins]

Another language-related irritant: Use of "K-9" for "canine."

[ethanhopkin14]

Another language-related irritant: Use of "K-9" for "canine."

Wait, is it C3PO or See Threepeo?

I hate that too.  Or should I say h8?
K-9 is used so frequently that I would say most people don't realize its actually a word instead of a letter and a number. 
I hate any butchering of English for sloppy, lazy reasons. 

[kphoger]

Another language-related irritant: Use of "K-9" for "canine."

In the US military, at least, that term goes back 80 years (March 13, 1942).