Minor things that bother you

[tolbs17]

When a stranger hugs you cause you don't know them (to be honest, this is real and it happened!).

I was going to post this a while back but I thought it would make people laugh.

Where I'm at in life, I'd take hugs no questions asked.

Same. I don't mind. I'm a big hugger 

[texaskdog]

"Drive like your kids live here" or similar wording on any road with a center yellow line.

On that topic, I hate school speed limits that are unreasonably low. 25 mph is fine. If I see a group of young ones or another hazard, I will slow down. I'm all for child safety, but no need to force us to go 15 or 20 and then threaten us with higher fines just because kids are occasionally in the area and some drivers speed through. The parents/teachers should be watching out for the kids anyway.

I called the city once for a school zone nowhere near a school  this was in the spring and as promised, they investigated and stopped using the lights.  I didn't have a problem with it if there was a reason for it.  It was miles from any school.

[texaskdog]

The drive up ATM when the car in front of you stays there for more than five minutes without withdrawing or depositing.  Most of the time the driver sits there and occasionally his or her hand comes out to push a few buttons, before another long pause, to return to the machine to push more buttons and then pull the arm in for another indefinite period to then again push more buttons to start over.

Sometimes the walk up ATM is more efficient.

Also with drive up windows at fast food places.  I hate drive throughs I only use them now because I have asthma and I'd rather not deal with all the protocols.  You wait behind someone for 10 minutes and they always have either 10 bags of food or one small items.  If you see a large van or SUV you're doomed.  At least more places now are having you pull ahead.

as a former mcrobot-drive-thru guy... totally agree. what used to really toast my waffles (and probably customers' as well) was when they think its cute to let their 2 year old kid. all kid can say that i can understand is 'goo'. which i have always translated to 'mcnuggets happy meal with sprite, and honey sauce (which is a terrible idea for a kid in a car in the first place).

also, from the headset-wearer's pov.. would you PLEASE shut off your gigantic diesel pickup when you order? i want to get your order right, as much as you want me to get your order right. i would ask politely once, 'could you kill your engine for second?', and if you did not, would hit about 5 or 6 random items on the register and read you your total. of course, you get to the window, i say 'hi, $14.85 please' and you're like 'all i wanted was a cheeseburger!' ... well, i though i heard something else.

They should just put buttons up there.  Last night I ordered from a place that didn't let you order online and I had to call  I asked for ribs and got shrimp.  Luckily I really didn't care.  Now with masks you can't understand anyone anyway.  I had a 5 minute conversation with a guy at 7-11 Tuesday.  he had a mask on, was behind Plexiglas, and the annoying country music was really loud.  I didn't make out a word just nodded a lot. 

Every drive thru needs to have the items pop up like McDonalds then its on the (don't call me a guest) customer

or repeat it back and not so fast that I cant understand

[1995hoo]

People who own big dogs who expect everyone else to laugh it off and be happy when their big dogs try to jump all over you. I'm uncomfortable around large dogs for several reasons and I don't like it one bit when they aggressively sniff at you, won't leave you alone, etc., and I like it even less when their owners act like somehow I'm in the wrong–"It's OK, he's friendly." No, it's not OK, control your damn dog! Now, I recognize there is an exception if I'm at a dog owner's house–I'm a stranger entering the dog's turf and the presence of something new makes the dog investigate. I get that and I know I have to deal with it there regardless of whether it bugs me (our relatives in Fort Myers have a big dog who is excessively friendly and they think it's hilarious that it drives me crazy when he won't stop sniffing at me). But if I'm out on the sidewalk going somewhere and I try to avoid your dog, it means I want to avoid your dog. Tug on the leash and keep it under control. (At least in these COVID times nobody thinks it's the least bit odd if you move into the street to avoid people–and I try to let dog owners have the sidewalk so there's no chance of a dog abruptly moving into the path of an oncoming car.)

[zachary_amaryllis]

The drive up ATM when the car in front of you stays there for more than five minutes without withdrawing or depositing.  Most of the time the driver sits there and occasionally his or her hand comes out to push a few buttons, before another long pause, to return to the machine to push more buttons and then pull the arm in for another indefinite period to then again push more buttons to start over.

Sometimes the walk up ATM is more efficient.

Also with drive up windows at fast food places.  I hate drive throughs I only use them now because I have asthma and I'd rather not deal with all the protocols.  You wait behind someone for 10 minutes and they always have either 10 bags of food or one small items.  If you see a large van or SUV you're doomed.  At least more places now are having you pull ahead.

as a former mcrobot-drive-thru guy... totally agree. what used to really toast my waffles (and probably customers' as well) was when they think its cute to let their 2 year old kid. all kid can say that i can understand is 'goo'. which i have always translated to 'mcnuggets happy meal with sprite, and honey sauce (which is a terrible idea for a kid in a car in the first place).

also, from the headset-wearer's pov.. would you PLEASE shut off your gigantic diesel pickup when you order? i want to get your order right, as much as you want me to get your order right. i would ask politely once, 'could you kill your engine for second?', and if you did not, would hit about 5 or 6 random items on the register and read you your total. of course, you get to the window, i say 'hi, $14.85 please' and you're like 'all i wanted was a cheeseburger!' ... well, i though i heard something else.

They should just put buttons up there.  Last night I ordered from a place that didn't let you order online and I had to call  I asked for ribs and got shrimp.  Luckily I really didn't care.  Now with masks you can't understand anyone anyway.  I had a 5 minute conversation with a guy at 7-11 Tuesday.  he had a mask on, was behind Plexiglas, and the annoying country music was really loud.  I didn't make out a word just nodded a lot. 

Every drive thru needs to have the items pop up like McDonalds then its on the (don't call me a guest) customer

or repeat it back and not so fast that I cant understand

the store i worked at had the outside display thingy, so if it was a really complicated order i'd ask the customer 'check that over, make sure we got it right'.

eventually, the manager put a button on the register that would display 'please turn off engine'... but i guess there's something about diesels that mean you can't shut them off like that? its beyond what i know. the dodges were the worst, the cummins ones (this was back in 2003-05). the duramax ones were pretty quiet. and then there's the coal-rollers. don't get me started.

[kurumi]

Here's something really minor: flat-top 3's. I just prefer the look of a 3 with a rounded top. (Though it's interesting that one of the reasons for flat-top is to inhibit altering a printed 3 to look like an 8. They do similar things with other number systems: https://blogs.transparent.com/japanese/daiji/)

[SkyPesos]

I don't like flat top 3 either, but not going to say that much more, as I'm one of very few people that have no issue with clearview numbers in exit tabs.

[roadman65]

Living in between two radio station markets where the FCC licensed two radio stations to the same frequency. I thought that wasn't allowed but Tampa and Orlando both have two completely different Cox Media Group Stations assigned to 107.3 FM.  Both cities are 80 miles apart and to make it more interesting Gainesville has a 107.3 station as well.

[formulanone]

Here's something really minor: flat-top 3's. I just prefer the look of a 3 with a rounded top. (Though it's interesting that one of the reasons for flat-top is to inhibit altering a printed 3 to look like an 8. They do similar things with other number systems: https://blogs.transparent.com/japanese/daiji/)

On that note, the flat-top three is similar to the hiragana ro sound.

I always wondered why there were a few "extra" numbers hanging out there in the Tōyō Kanji.

[hbelkins]

People who wrongly use the word "formally" for "formerly."

Used in a sentence: "The Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, formally known as the Tappan Zee Bridge," has an issue with substandard bolts."

I'm sure this has something to do with the terms both being used for legitimate reasons. For example, using slang for something and then saying "formally known as...". It also has to do with the way the words are spoken. It's easy to write it wrong.

It's like "affect" versus "effect". People start getting lazy trying to use the right one.

Not in his example.

Well, to lots of people, it's still the TZ Bridge but is formally known as the MMC Bridge. Capice? 

People who wrongly use the word "formally" for "formerly."

Used in a sentence: "The Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, formally known as the Tappan Zee Bridge," has an issue with substandard bolts."

I'm sure this has something to do with the terms both being used for legitimate reasons. For example, using slang for something and then saying "formally known as...". It also has to do with the way the words are spoken. It's easy to write it wrong.

It's like "affect" versus "effect". People start getting lazy trying to use the right one.

Not in his example.

I think what he's getting at is that "the Stan Span, formally known as the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge" is a legitimate use of the word, and the fact that it has such a legitimate use might contribute to its misuse elsewhere.

However, I hardly ever see it used that way.  In that context, the word "officially" is generally used instead.  I just did a Google search for {"officially named the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge"} and for {"formally named the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge"};  the first returned 48 results, but the second returned only two.

The context that gets me is like in obituaries when someone is described as "formally of..." I guess that was true in a technical sense of me when I was in college. I was currently staying in Morehead but I was "formally of Beattyville" since that was my hometown and I still maintained permanent residence there.

Another thing that bugs me is the phrase "all of the sudden." All my life, I've seen/read/said "all of a sudden." It just looks wrong to see "the" instead of "a" in that phrase.

Similarly, I find the new Associated Press style to capitalize "Black" in terms of race but leaving "white" all lowercase to be jarring to read. "Doe, who is Black, was injured when he was shot by Jones, who is white, during a struggle when Jones tried to arrest Doe." It seems terribly inconsistent, and AP's attempts to explain/justify the change are convoluted at best and mostly nonsensical.

[Scott5114]

Another thing that bugs me is the phrase "all of the sudden." All my life, I've seen/read/said "all of a sudden." It just looks wrong to see "the" instead of "a" in that phrase.

The whole phrase bothers me because it can be replaced with "suddenly", which is more concise, with no loss of meaning.

Similarly, I find the new Associated Press style to capitalize "Black" in terms of race but leaving "white" all lowercase to be jarring to read. "Doe, who is Black, was injured when he was shot by Jones, who is white, during a struggle when Jones tried to arrest Doe." It seems terribly inconsistent, and AP's attempts to explain/justify the change are convoluted at best and mostly nonsensical.

My understanding of this, as explained by other outlets that have followed the AP's lead but are not AP themselves, is that it is meant to reflect that Black Americans have some degree of commonality, both in terms of culture and shared experiences, that white Americans do not. That is to say, white Americans are more likely to find cultural commonality with being Italian, or Irish, or German, or Jewish, or Catholic, or some other identity which is likely to be capitalized, than they are being "white".

I agree that it is kind of jarring to read, but I think a good degree of that is simply because it is a new grammatical practice that I am not used to seeing.

[interstatefan990]

And don't forget when people fuse together words and type or write "apart of" or "alot of". With the former, it's actually funny because then it means the exact opposite of what the speaker intended. If I say "I am no longer apart of the book club" then it literally means me and the book club are no longer apart, because I have rejoined it.

[webny99]

People who own big dogs who expect everyone else to laugh it off and be happy when their big dogs try to jump all over you. I'm uncomfortable around large dogs for several reasons and I don't like it one bit when they aggressively sniff at you, won't leave you alone, etc., and I like it even less when their owners act like somehow I'm in the wrong–"It's OK, he's friendly." No, it's not OK, control your damn dog! ... But if I'm out on the sidewalk going somewhere and I try to avoid your dog, it means I want to avoid your dog. Tug on the leash and keep it under control. (At least in these COVID times nobody thinks it's the least bit odd if you move into the street to avoid people–and I try to let dog owners have the sidewalk so there's no chance of a dog abruptly moving into the path of an oncoming car.)

I had to chuckle reading this because I'm exactly the same way. I don't handle dogs very well - I've tried to overcome it, and I've gotten a lot better when they're on a leash, but dogs on the loose without a leash freak me out to the point where I'll just turn around and go the other way if I can't keep a decent distance.

[webny99]

What about "a whole 'nother"?

This is something I hear fairly often, but don't usually see in writing. It bothers me mostly because it just doesn't make any sense. Is it just easier to say, or is there some other reason why this has become the prevailing way to say "another whole"?

[texaskdog]

Another thing that bugs me is the phrase "all of the sudden." All my life, I've seen/read/said "all of a sudden." It just looks wrong to see "the" instead of "a" in that phrase.

The whole phrase bothers me because it can be replaced with "suddenly", which is more concise, with no loss of meaning.

Similarly, I find the new Associated Press style to capitalize "Black" in terms of race but leaving "white" all lowercase to be jarring to read. "Doe, who is Black, was injured when he was shot by Jones, who is white, during a struggle when Jones tried to arrest Doe." It seems terribly inconsistent, and AP's attempts to explain/justify the change are convoluted at best and mostly nonsensical.

My understanding of this, as explained by other outlets that have followed the AP's lead but are not AP themselves, is that it is meant to reflect that Black Americans have some degree of commonality, both in terms of culture and shared experiences, that white Americans do not. That is to say, white Americans are more likely to find cultural commonality with being Italian, or Irish, or German, or Jewish, or Catholic, or some other identity which is likely to be capitalized, than they are being "white".

I agree that it is kind of jarring to read, but I think a good degree of that is simply because it is a new grammatical practice that I am not used to seeing.

Life is far more pleasant by not reading or watching the news anymore.

[texaskdog]

People who own big dogs who expect everyone else to laugh it off and be happy when their big dogs try to jump all over you. I’m uncomfortable around large dogs for several reasons and I don’t like it one bit when they aggressively sniff at you, won’t leave you alone, etc., and I like it even less when their owners act like somehow I’m in the wrong—"It's OK, he’s friendly." No, it’s not OK, control your damn dog! ... But if I’m out on the sidewalk going somewhere and I try to avoid your dog, it means I want to avoid your dog. Tug on the leash and keep it under control. (At least in these COVID times nobody thinks it’s the least bit odd if you move into the street to avoid people—and I try to let dog owners have the sidewalk so there’s no chance of a dog abruptly moving into the path of an oncoming car.)

I had to chuckle reading this because I'm exactly the same way. I don't handle dogs very well - I've tried to overcome it, and I've gotten a lot better when they're on a leash, but dogs on the loose without a leash freak me out to the point where I'll just turn around and go the other way if I can't keep a decent distance.

Or anyone who says "he doesn't bite"  we were hiking one day and my wife got bit by a yip dog who broke her skin and this big lady came lumbering around the corner and said "he doesn't bite"  well, he just did.  My wife is nicer than me I would have filed a police report.  Luckily after a few weeks she healed up.  We don't even walk ours without a leash and we took her to training so she stopped jumping on people.

[JoePCool14]

Here's one for y'all.

The fact that this thread is already 73 pages.

[interstatefan990]

Here's one for y'all.

The fact that this thread is already 73 pages.

Switch those digits and you're correct. (At least if you were logged in to my account)

[SSOWorld]

Here's one for y'all.

The fact that this thread is already 73 pages.

Switch those digits and you're correct. (At least if you were logged in to my account)

by changing the number of post per page

[tolbs17]

Here's one for y'all.

The fact that this thread is already 73 pages.

Switch those digits and you're correct. (At least if you were logged in to my account)

by changing the number of post per page

In profile > Look and Layout.

[interstatefan990]

Here's one for y'all.

The fact that this thread is already 73 pages.

Switch those digits and you're correct. (At least if you were logged in to my account)

by changing the number of post per page

In profile > Look and Layout.

Correct and correct! I use the max number of posts allowed per page, but I wish there was an option to view all posts on one page as well.

[SkyPesos]

I use 50 per page mainly because there's more posts on a page, so less switching pages. Think there may be a good reason for using 25 that I can't think of rn.

[tolbs17]

But i forget how there is no save button in the front of the page though.

[Scott5114]

I use 50 per page mainly because there's more posts on a page, so less switching pages. Think there may be a good reason for using 25 that I can't think of rn.

It takes less time to load each page, which could be useful on slower connections. When the forum launched in 2009 the Internet was a lot slower than it is now; some people had just upgraded from 56k. (Me. I'm some people. My dad refused to let us upgrade to DSL until our dial-up provider literally went out of business.)

You can set the page to display even fewer posts too. We have a member who used to (still does?) serve in the Navy, and while he was on a ship, he could still get on the forum, but his connection was excruciatingly slow, to the point that I think he had to set it to hide all images.

This reminds me of another minor thing that bothers me: endless scrolling on websites. Things like Twitter or such. While it's convenient to not have to wait for subsequent pages to load, if you're looking through a bunch of stuff and then reload the page or accidentally click on a link and have to click back (there's been times when I've tried to expand an image on Twitter but instead click the post itself and get brought to a page with just the post and it's replies), you end up back at the top of the page and have to scroll a whole bunch to get back to where you were.

[interstatefan990]

^ I don't mind having to do that every once in a while if it means I don't have to keep clicking the next number every time I reach the end of a page.