Minor things that bother you

[Scott5114]

As I mentioned in the vaccination status thread, in Oklahoma, they are now opening vaccinations to essential-services workers, that is, all the industries that were on the Oklahoma Department of Health list of essential services during the pandemic. Medical marijuana was on that list, and I'm part owner of a grow facility, so I'm eligible even though I'm only 31.

[SSOWorld]

The phrase "invest in" as a euphemism for plain old "spend money on"

On that note, a furniture store around here says  "the more you spend, the more you save."  I save a lot more by not buying anything.

I don't save money, I spend less!

[zachary_amaryllis]

So do you throw other garbage out the window, too?

no, i don't. my justification, weak tho it may be, is that i smoke unfiltered cigarettes that melt into nothing as soon as it rains or snows.

if i smoked filtered ones, i woudn't flick.

[wanderer2575]

People that don't use a "ch" sound when saying mature.

Chris

You just reminded me of a huge peeve of mine:  Singers who link words together with "ch," such as "wontchoo," cantchoo," "wouldjoo."  No, it's "won't you," can't you," and "would you."  Being a former barbershopper, I wince like I'm hearing someone scratching a chalkboard.

[CtrlAltDel]

People that don't use a "ch" sound when saying mature.

Chris

You just reminded me of a huge peeve of mine:  Singers who link words together with "ch," such as "wontchoo," cantchoo," "wouldjoo."  No, it's "won't you," can't you," and "would you."  Being a former barbershopper, I wince like I'm hearing someone scratching a chalkboard.

For what it's worth, this process of t + y becoming ch, and the similar process of d + y becoming j (as in education), is called palatalization, and it is a very common process in language change. Among other things, it is through palatalization that the letters c and g got their double pronunciation.

[1995hoo]

People that don't use a "ch" sound when saying mature.

Chris

You just reminded me of a huge peeve of mine:  Singers who link words together with "ch," such as "wontchoo," cantchoo," "wouldjoo."  No, it's "won't you," can't you," and "would you."  Being a former barbershopper, I wince like I'm hearing someone scratching a chalkboard.

Whatchu talkin' 'bout, Willis?

[zachary_amaryllis]

As I mentioned in the vaccination status thread, in Oklahoma, they are now opening vaccinations to essential-services workers, that is, all the industries that were on the Oklahoma Department of Health list of essential services during the pandemic. Medical marijuana was on that list, and I'm part owner of a grow facility, so I'm eligible even though I'm only 31.

thank you for your service 

[kphoger]

When I hear UPS pull up in front of the house, the last thing I'm thinking about is where to find my mask.  If I need to sign for the package, my first concern is to not make the driver wait for me at the door.  My next concern is to be an appreciative customer and thank the driver for delivering my package.  Similarly, if my wife and I order a pizza for delivery, it's not like we choose "no contact" or something.  We just order a pizza, turn on the porch light, and wait for the driver to show up.

Now, if someone walks up to my house with a mask on, then that makes me also think about grabbing my mask too.  But I don't think I've seen a single delivery driver wearing one, so it never even occurs to me.

Couple of concerns from me: (1) every delivery I've received in the last year has been delivered by someone masked. Pizza, Amazon, Door Dash, etc...all masked up. But that could be a geographic thing, as the vast majority of businesses around WA have very tight rules for mask-wearing by their employees; (2) I don't think about where my mask is. I've been wearing it for a year. If it's not in my back pocket, it's next to the door on a hook with like ten others. If you had to locate a mask, and it would take long enough to find one that a delivery driver would go from "normal delivery time" to "holy crap this is taking forever", you may want to just wear it around your neck like a pair of glasses. After all, we are far from being out the woods (and that's coming from someone who's fully vaccinated).

(1)  Every delivery driver I've received at work has been masked.  That's because masks are required to enter a business.  And, when I receive their delivery, I mask up when I get up from my desk, because I'm entering a customer-facing common area of the building.  People are pretty good about that kind of thing around here–not universal, but generally followed.  On the other hand, people don't have a general concept of masking up in their own home, nor to step out on the front porch for ten seconds.  Few put on a mask to go for a walk, for example, and saying hello and thank you to a delivery driver is no longer of a personal interaction than to stop and pet another walker's dog.  That's why I said it's actually normal for people to not even think of masking up to receive a delivery:  it's not indoors, it's only a passing interaction, it's none of the things they've heard put them at risk.  I've not seen a single mailman/-woman walk a route with a mask on, for example.

(2)  My point wasn't necessarily that hunting down a mask would make the driver wait extra long, but rather that the only thing on my mind when the driver arrives is to answer the door as quickly as possible and to be sure and thank him for the delivery.  I know exactly where my masks are:  they are on a bedroom table next to my bed, so I can be sure and remember to grab one when I grab my cell phone before leaving for work in the morning.  My wife's are on a peg by the front door, and one of my sons' are on the other peg.  The rest of us keep ours somewhere else.  I'm not about to hang mine on the same peg as someone else's, because I think that would be less than sanitary.  But again, even if people keep their masks right by the door, that doesn't mean they think of or see the need to mask up for a ten-second interaction on the front porch.  I'd suggest, in fact, that that might be the minority mindset.  That doesn't mean it doesn't annoy |Bruce|, of course, but it should at least explain it.

[jakeroot]

(1)  Every delivery driver I've received at work has been masked.  That's because masks are required to enter a business.  And, when I receive their delivery, I mask up when I get up from my desk, because I'm entering a customer-facing common area of the building.  People are pretty good about that kind of thing around here–not universal, but generally followed.  On the other hand, people don't have a general concept of masking up in their own home, nor to step out on the front porch for ten seconds.  Few put on a mask to go for a walk, for example, and saying hello and thank you to a delivery driver is no longer of a personal interaction than to stop and pet another walker's dog.  That's why I said it's actually normal for people to not even think of masking up to receive a delivery:  it's not indoors, it's only a passing interaction, it's none of the things they've heard put them at risk.  I've not seen a single mailman/-woman walk a route with a mask on, for example.

(2)  My point wasn't necessarily that hunting down a mask would make the driver wait extra long, but rather that the only thing on my mind when the driver arrives is to answer the door as quickly as possible and to be sure and thank him for the delivery.  I know exactly where my masks are:  they are on a bedroom table next to my bed, so I can be sure and remember to grab one when I grab my cell phone before leaving for work in the morning.  My wife's are on a peg by the front door, and one of my sons' are on the other peg.  The rest of us keep ours somewhere else.  I'm not about to hang mine on the same peg as someone else's, because I think that would be less than sanitary.  But again, even if people keep their masks right by the door, that doesn't mean they think of or see the need to mask up for a ten-second interaction on the front porch.  I'd suggest, in fact, that that might be the minority mindset.  That doesn't mean it doesn't annoy |Bruce|, of course, but it should at least explain it.

(1) in my area, masking up is done under all circumstances outside the residence apart from when you are physically not near others (family excluded). So far as I can tell, there are no exceptions, including USPS delivery people. Obviously our two states have different rules. I do also live in the city, so keeping apart is not necessarily an easy task.

(2) Frankly, I find this response a bit troubling. All I've heard the last year is that, no matter where you are, if you are within six feet of someone not in your household or maybe direct family, you should wear a mask. Hand-to-hand deliveries would certainly require a mask under these rules.

[webny99]

All I've heard the last year is that, no matter where you are, if you are within six feet of someone not in your household or maybe direct family, you should wear a mask. Hand-to-hand deliveries would certainly require a mask under these rules.

That's how it's been here, as well. It would be very surprising to see an employee of any kind interacting with the general public without wearing a mask. However, I wouldn't expect the person receiving the delivery to wear a mask in their own home, or, as mentioned upthread, while on a walk around the neighborhood, or something similar.

[jeffandnicole]

(1)  Every delivery driver I've received at work has been masked.  That's because masks are required to enter a business.  And, when I receive their delivery, I mask up when I get up from my desk, because I'm entering a customer-facing common area of the building.  People are pretty good about that kind of thing around here–not universal, but generally followed.  On the other hand, people don't have a general concept of masking up in their own home, nor to step out on the front porch for ten seconds.  Few put on a mask to go for a walk, for example, and saying hello and thank you to a delivery driver is no longer of a personal interaction than to stop and pet another walker's dog.  That's why I said it's actually normal for people to not even think of masking up to receive a delivery:  it's not indoors, it's only a passing interaction, it's none of the things they've heard put them at risk.  I've not seen a single mailman/-woman walk a route with a mask on, for example.

(2)  My point wasn't necessarily that hunting down a mask would make the driver wait extra long, but rather that the only thing on my mind when the driver arrives is to answer the door as quickly as possible and to be sure and thank him for the delivery.  I know exactly where my masks are:  they are on a bedroom table next to my bed, so I can be sure and remember to grab one when I grab my cell phone before leaving for work in the morning.  My wife's are on a peg by the front door, and one of my sons' are on the other peg.  The rest of us keep ours somewhere else.  I'm not about to hang mine on the same peg as someone else's, because I think that would be less than sanitary.  But again, even if people keep their masks right by the door, that doesn't mean they think of or see the need to mask up for a ten-second interaction on the front porch.  I'd suggest, in fact, that that might be the minority mindset.  That doesn't mean it doesn't annoy |Bruce|, of course, but it should at least explain it.

(1) in my area, masking up is done under all circumstances outside the residence apart from when you are physically not near others (family excluded). So far as I can tell, there are no exceptions, including USPS delivery people. Obviously our two states have different rules. I do also live in the city, so keeping apart is not necessarily an easy task.

(2) Frankly, I find this response a bit troubling. All I've heard the last year is that, no matter where you are, if you are within six feet of someone not in your household or maybe direct family, you should wear a mask. Hand-to-hand deliveries would certainly require a mask under these rules.

I think every food delivery person I encountered has worn a mask.  I try to wear one when greeting them, but if I'm getting delivery to the backyard when I've been swimming I've often realized I didn't have one with me, so I do try to maintain distance or limit being close as much as possible.

Our mailperson has a chin diaper, but rarely wears it over his mouth.  He's doing a lot of walking and the chance encounters he sees someone are few and far in-between, so I don't worry about it much.

Delivery drivers (Fed Ex, UPS, Amazon) are hit and miss.  We all know they should be wearing them; some do, some don't.  They're usually gone before I get outside anyway.

[kphoger]

(and that's coming from someone who's fully vaccinated).

Your age is listed as 25.

He mentioned he was vaccinated through his tribal authority.

The link for my wife to schedule her appointment goes live today, and she's only 39 years old.

All I've heard the last year is that, no matter where you are, if you are within six feet of someone not in your household or maybe direct family, you should wear a mask. Hand-to-hand deliveries would certainly require a mask under these rules.

That's how it's been here, as well. It would be very surprising to see an employee of any kind interacting with the general public without wearing a mask. However, I wouldn't expect the person receiving the delivery to wear a mask in their own home, or, as mentioned upthread, while on a walk around the neighborhood, or something similar.

Below is how the pertinent part of our local ordinance reads.  As far as I can remember, every order since a year ago has had the same or similar wording.  Are things different where you are?

EMERGENCY PUBLIC HEALTH ORDER OF THE SEDGWICK COUNTY LOCAL HEALTH OFFICER
AMENDING AND REPLACING EMERGENCY PUBLIC HEALTH ORDER NO. 2021-2
ORDER NO. 2021-3

Applicable within the entirety of Sedgwick County, Kansas

Section II.       Wearing of Masks or Other Face Coverings.

1. Individuals. Any person within Sedgwick County shall cover their mouth and nose with a mask or other face covering when they are in the following situations:

c. While outdoors and unable to maintain social distancing at all times, except for infrequent or incidental moments of closer proximity;

[kphoger]

The link for my wife to schedule her appointment goes live today, and she's only 39 years old.

And now she's scheduled for tomorrow.  Here's hoping we didn't have COVID asymptomaticly, what with all the colds the kids have had recently, because I've heard the side-effects of the vaccination are substantially worse if you've recently had COVID.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

When DOTs remove/realign a US route onto an Interstate but keep significant parts of the road on the state highway system with a different number anyway (NM 1, AR 77, IL 251/351, CO 36/40, etc.). Wasn't the effin' point not having to maintain the road anymore?

[JayhawkCO]

When DOTs remove/realign a US route onto an Interstate but keep significant parts of the road on the state highway system with a different number anyway (NM 1, AR 77, IL 251/351, CO 36/40, etc.). Wasn't the effin' point not having to maintain the road anymore?

If CO36/40 are any example, it's just so you can maintain the road less (or almost non-existantly).

Chris

[webny99]

Below is how the pertinent part of our local ordinance reads.  As far as I can remember, every order since a year ago has had the same or similar wording.  Are things different where you are?

...
1. Individuals. Any person within Sedgwick County shall cover their mouth and nose with a mask or other face covering when they are in the following situations:

c. While outdoors and unable to maintain social distancing at all times, except for infrequent or incidental moments of closer proximity;

I'm not sure how ours reads, but using the delivery driver as an example, I would say that means the delivery driver should be wearing a mask, since his contact with others is neither infrequent nor incidental - that's what he/she is doing all day. Meanwhile, the customer doesn't necessarily need to wear a mask, since their contact with the delivery driver is both infrequent and (at least somewhat) incidental.

[jakeroot]

Below is how the pertinent part of our local ordinance reads.  As far as I can remember, every order since a year ago has had the same or similar wording.  Are things different where you are?

...
1. Individuals. Any person within Sedgwick County shall cover their mouth and nose with a mask or other face covering when they are in the following situations:

c. While outdoors and unable to maintain social distancing at all times, except for infrequent or incidental moments of closer proximity;

This is Washington State's mask mandate, and there is nothing about incidental proximity. Although there are a substantial number of exceptions. The most important one may be that you can remove your mask outside your home "while in an outdoor area, provided that a distance of at least six feet is maintained from non household members."

WA's Labor & Industries webpage for workers specifically states that delivery drivers are not exempt except when by themselves in their vehicles.

[kphoger]

Grocery store shelf price tags that look strikingly similar to sales price tags, even though they're actually just the regular price.

[hotdogPi]

Grocery store shelf price tags that look strikingly similar to sales price tags, even though they're actually just the regular price.

Our grocery store would sometimes claim there was a (permanent) price decrease when there wasn't one. Occasionally, it would be ridiculous, such as a $28 item becoming $4.49 (it was $4.49 the whole time).

Then there would be the occasional time where there was a real sale, but the sale price and the amount off were switched, so a $2.99 item that was supposed to be 10% off would read 30¢ (save $2.69) instead of $2.69 (save 30¢). Of course, the customers got it for the cheaper price (and then we replaced the tag immediately).

[J N Winkler]

Grocery store shelf price tags that look strikingly similar to sales price tags, even though they're actually just the regular price.

Our grocery store would sometimes claim there was a (permanent) price decrease when there wasn't one. Occasionally, it would be ridiculous, such as a $28 item becoming $4.49 (it was $4.49 the whole time).

Then there would be the occasional time where there was a real sale, but the sale price and the amount off were switched, so a $2.99 item that was supposed to be 10% off would read 30¢ (save $2.69) instead of $2.69 (save 30¢). Of course, the customers got it for the cheaper price (and then we replaced the tag immediately).

Those kinds of long-lasting sales make me wonder what the relevant jurisdiction's regulations are for perpetual sales, if it has any at all.  Tourists visiting New York City are advised that an article in commerce cannot be advertised as being on sale unless it is offered for sale at a higher "regular" price for a set percentage of time that it is available.  I've long suspected this regulation exists partly because some industries in NYC (especially the garment manufacturers) have a reputation for sharp practices, but most other places don't, and many stores--especially supermarkets--use long-running sales and loyalty discounts to promote opacity as to prices and encourage consumer myopia, especially for goods that are not considered staples.

[Scott5114]

Password fields on mobile that insist on hiding the password behind bullets or asterisks with no way of turning it on or off. On a desktop keyboard, this is fine, since I can touch-type and generally know if I fat-finger and hit keys I didn't mean to, but on mobile there's less positive feedback. Usually they will briefly show the most recently typed character, but if I slipped an extra character in there there's no way of knowing. I'd prefer the option to display the password in clear text if I know I am in an environment where shoulder-surfing isn't a concern (like when I am at home with nobody else here).

Linux console password prompts which display _nothing_ as keys are typed can also be frustrating, but I understand why–much of the Unix console was originally designed to be used with printing teletypes rather than a monitor and keyboard connected directly to the hosting machine.

[kphoger]

I think I remember a website once requiring me to type my whole VIN without showing me what I'd typed.

[webny99]

... many stores--especially supermarkets--use long-running sales and loyalty discounts to promote opacity as to prices and encourage consumer myopia, especially for goods that are not considered staples.

This reminds me of something Tops, one of our local grocery stores, does: They'll double the price of something and then do a "buy one get one free" sale.

This often makes the price for one exorbitantly high; I suspect it's effectively a tactic of doubling their sales by forcing customers to get two, rather than coercing them into a "good deal" - anyone can see it's not a very good deal, and in some cases you're still paying more for one than you would for two at another grocery store. For example, a carton of ice cream at Tops might be $6.99 + BOGO, while a carton of ice cream at Wegmans might be $2.99 each (numbers not actual).

[zachary_amaryllis]

... many stores--especially supermarkets--use long-running sales and loyalty discounts to promote opacity as to prices and encourage consumer myopia, especially for goods that are not considered staples.

This reminds me of something Tops, one of our local grocery stores, does: They'll double the price of something and then do a "buy one get one free" sale.

This often makes the price for one exorbitantly high; I suspect it's effectively a tactic of doubling their sales by forcing customers to get two, rather than coercing them into a "good deal" - anyone can see it's not a very good deal, and in some cases you're still paying more for one than you would for two at another grocery store. For example, a carton of ice cream at Tops might be $6.99 + BOGO, while a carton of ice cream at Wegmans might be $2.99 each (numbers not actual).

king soopers does 'fuel points' - save 10c/gallon for every $100 you buy in the store... but i can usually go to smoker friendly, and they are 20c less than anywhere else in town so...

i read somewhere that loyalty card programs, they just give you the 'normal' price - the non-card price is artificially inflated.

[hotdogPi]

Rite Aid gave 20% off (more than employee discounts at most stores), excluding prescriptions, to anyone who bought more than a certain amount. However, their items are expensive to begin with.

On the other hand, they were one of the most reliable places to get 75% off clearance candy after holidays.