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[abefroman329]

When the price displayed on the shelf does not match what the item actually costs.

Heh, I was picking out a Bluetooth speaker at Dollar General yesterday and the cashier was like "...yeah, the prices on the shelf aren't accurate."

Considering how much dust had accumulated on the boxes, I don't think they had a lot of customers coming in to buy any speakers.

[abefroman329]

I also don't think they should be bussed anywhere under false pretenses, as was definitely the case with the infamous flight to Martha's Vineyard.

Totally agree.  That was awful.

why are New Mexico, Arizona, and California able to handle an influx of immigrants where Texas isn't?

1.  I think Texas is able to handle the influx of immigrants.  They have historically shown that immigration is part of the fabric of their state.  They obviously didn't get to the level of immigrant and second-gen immigrant population that they have without being able to "handle" immigrants.

2.  I'm on the fence about whether I think a state should be able to say "no more, thanks" when it comes to putting up asylum seekers or immigrants in general, but I tend to lean on the "no they shouldn't" side of that question.  However, if immigration does spike, then that really does put a state like Texas at what seems like an unfair disadvantage—especially when the decisions that lead to such a spike come from the federal level.

3.  Pre-pandemic, Texas had a per-capita net foreign immigration figure that's 20% larger than California, more than twice that of Arizona, and three times that of New Mexico.  In 2020, they basically said "we're done for a while".  That is a bit ridiculous of a position to take (see point 2), but maybe we should ask why AZ and NM and CA can't take their turn this time.

Yeah, I'm not sure we disagree fundamentally, and, as Robin Williams once said, no one walks into a bar at last call and says "there's two guys in the parking lot agreeing with each other!"

[Scott5114]

When you get junk mail that bears markings like "IMMEDIATE RESPONSE TO THIS NOTICE REQUESTED". Gee, sure would be nice for the company if everyone immediately responded to their ad just because it said so in all-caps Arial.

Unfortunately, they didn't include a Business Reply Mail envelope, or even a return address, so I can't actually mail back my reply. I'm guessing they wouldn't like it very much. (Usually I clip a picture out of the newspaper that looks bizarre with no context and mail that back.) 

[abefroman329]

It's the same strategy email scammers use: If you keep hammering how urgently a reply is needed, the potential victim will be likelier to do something stupid.

Come to think of it, car salesmen use the same technique.

[J N Winkler]

Real estate prospectors ("I will buy your house for cash!") often seek to create false urgency too.

[kphoger]

There is really no rational argument against writing something the same way you say it other than "this is my hill and I'm going to die on it".

Other than, you know, the fact that it would call into question approximately 50% of the spellings in the entire English language...

This is a similar argument to when my former boss claimed that people in Wichita saying "I-35" when referring to I-135 was really no different from them saying "ar-KAN-zass" instead of "AR-kan-saw" when referring to Arkansas Avenue.  I didn't buy that argument either.

[webny99]

There is really no rational argument against writing something the same way you say it other than "this is my hill and I'm going to die on it".

Other than, you know, the fact that it would call into question approximately 50% of the spellings in the entire English language...

This is a similar argument to when my former boss claimed that people in Wichita saying "I-35" when referring to I-135 was really no different from them saying "ar-KAN-zass" instead of "AR-kan-saw" when referring to Arkansas Avenue.  I didn't buy that argument either.

Sorry, I guess I missed the part where "writing something" applied only to numbers and not words.

[Scott5114]

When someone rings the doorbell but is not patient enough to wait for me to answer it, so that by the time I get there, there's nobody around.

Since I work from home and don't leave the house most days, the majority of the time I am not dressed enough to answer the door for a stranger. But apparently the amount of time it takes to get up, go get dressed, and answer the door is too much to wait for some people. (Especially kids. It seems like most of the time it's kids ringing our bell. I'm not sure why—they're never around long enough for me to ask!)

[roadman65]

Automatic Dialers. I dislike when you pick up the phone and there is nobody there until a few seconds later an operator starts pitching. 

As a former telemarketing expert, those things annoyed me as a caller too as the dialer  would constantly be calling numbers and if all callers were busy it would put the callee on hold until one of us was available to pitch. By having that caller on hold makes it nearly impossible to make your sale as if you don’t get a person’s attention during the first half a second of contact you don’t get ‘em at all.  People make their minds the moment they pick the phone up to answer.

That rationale was taught at my first marketing job as no one heard of an automatic dialer when I started in that business. My boss would say that we must state our business right away as even one second of pause could lose a sale.  He further told us we’re invading their privacy and the answer is no before the phone is answered so we have one quick moment to make that impression to listen to you.

However, now all firms forgot that and claim the auto dialer way is norm and the agents have to compensate.   It wouldn’t be so bad if it dialed knowing you are there to take the call, but we the agents never even heard the ring tone as that step is already done prior to connection.  It should be that when we’re free the phone dials with us waiting for an answer so we are talking the moment they pick up.

[vdeane]

The fact that my phone won't use mobile data unless I reboot it first.  I'm now rebooting the phone every day just to use data.


The fact that my apartment doesn't have assigned parking.  If I get bumped out of my preferred space, my choices are either:
-Along the building on the other side of the lot, which doesn't get the morning sun, and which results in the sun being right in my eyes as I park (summer only, as I need morning sun to help defrost the windows)
-Far away at the edge of the lot by the entrance where it splits in two directions, vulnerable to collision if someone miscalculates the turn
-On the other side of the steps, which is in the dark due to the parking lot lighting not hitting that area

This is all due to the fact that all the other spots near my preferred one are directly under trees, meaning that my car would be bombarded with bird poop if I park in them (this happens even in the middle of February).

[hbelkins]

Automatic Dialers. I dislike when you pick up the phone and there is nobody there until a few seconds later an operator starts pitching. 

That's why I generally don't answer the phone unless I know who's calling. An unknown number can leave a voicemail. If the call isn't important enough for them to leave a message, it's certainly not important enough for me to answer.

And on the rare occasion when I do answer an unknown number, if I hear some phrase such as "please stay on the line for the next representative," I'm hanging up. YOU called ME, not the other way around. Ditto if there is any sort of delay in speaking on the other end when I answer.

[ZLoth]

That's why I enjoy the call screening feature of my Android Pixel phone.

[Scott5114]

I generally don't answer the phone at all. If you know me, you have my email address.

[zachary_amaryllis]

I generally don't answer the phone at all. If you know me, you have my email address.

How about, when someone calls your phone, and asks if you're there? Who were they expecting to be answering your phone? Were they expecting someone else? Where is that someone else? What does he know? What has he seen?

[1]

I generally don't answer the phone at all. If you know me, you have my email address.

How about, when someone calls your phone, and asks if you're there? Who were they expecting to be answering your phone? Were they expecting someone else? Where is that someone else? What does he know? What has he seen?

This is probably a holdover from landlines, where anyone in the house could reasonably have answered.

[formulanone]

I generally don't answer the phone at all. If you know me, you have my email address.

How about, when someone calls your phone, and asks if you're there? Who were they expecting to be answering your phone? Were they expecting someone else? Where is that someone else? What does he know? What has he seen?

This is probably a holdover from landlines, where anyone in the house could reasonably have answered.

Supposedly "ahoy" was a really short-lived idea for phone etiquette.

[roadman65]

I like the one where you answer the phone, someone asks for you by name. You respond, may I ask what is this in regards to.  Of course they will say that it’s personal matter.  You then ask what is the issue. Then they won’t say.  They need to have get yourself to the phone or state you are yourself.

They know that you are the person they’re asking for, but insist that you bring that person to the phone anyway.

[1995hoo]

I generally don't answer the phone at all. If you know me, you have my email address.

How about, when someone calls your phone, and asks if you're there? Who were they expecting to be answering your phone? Were they expecting someone else? Where is that someone else? What does he know? What has he seen?

It’s quite possible for someone else to answer your phone even with a mobile phone—suppose, for example, you’re expecting an urgent call but you really have to take a leak, so your wife answers for you when it invariably rings mid-stream.

Another thing is, people do dial the wrong number sometimes. Asking for the person by name is a good way to verify that they called the right number.

[ZLoth]

I generally don't answer the phone at all. If you know me, you have my email address.

That response would get you a death stare from some older adults, including my mother, who have a poor opinion of email, and would rather that you pick up the phone.

Me... it depends on the situation. I prefer email because it is written documentation and can be sent at 2 AM where a phone call would be met by someone shouting something along the languages of Klingon, Orc, and/or Swear. Unfortunately, email has been too contaminated by the spammy and his irk.

[kphoger]

I generally don't answer the phone at all. If you know me, you have my email address.

How about, when someone calls your phone, and asks if you're there? Who were they expecting to be answering your phone? Were they expecting someone else? Where is that someone else? What does he know? What has he seen?

It’s quite possible for someone else to answer your phone even with a mobile phone—suppose, for example, you’re expecting an urgent call but you really have to take a leak, so your wife answers for you when it invariably rings mid-stream.

Another thing is, people do dial the wrong number sometimes. Asking for the person by name is a good way to verify that they called the right number.

Before we got our eldest son his own cell phone a couple of months ago, my wife and I would simply leave one of ours for him to use in case of an emergency or if we needed to call him about something while we were out.

[vdeane]

I generally don't answer the phone at all. If you know me, you have my email address.

How about, when someone calls your phone, and asks if you're there? Who were they expecting to be answering your phone? Were they expecting someone else? Where is that someone else? What does he know? What has he seen?

It’s quite possible for someone else to answer your phone even with a mobile phone—suppose, for example, you’re expecting an urgent call but you really have to take a leak, so your wife answers for you when it invariably rings mid-stream.

Another thing is, people do dial the wrong number sometimes. Asking for the person by name is a good way to verify that they called the right number.

True, though I've definitely had phone conversations where the person asked if I'm me right after I just said that, sometimes even a couple times.  It's as if they didn't listen.

[1995hoo]

If we have a "driving pet peeves" thread, I guess this could go there too, but I don’t feel like searching:

People who don’t know what to do at a flashing yellow arrow and who just sit there when nobody's coming the other way. Got stuck behind someone like that this morning; she finally went (reluctantly) after I blasted the horn quite a few times. There were only two cars coming the other way and both of them were in the left turn lane, which is why we got the flashing yellow arrow.

I wonder how long some of those people are willing to sit there waiting for a green.

[J N Winkler]

Related:  people who don't think they need to signal when turning left on green.  When I'm coming from the other direction and waiting to turn left (with my blinker on well in advance, of course), it's a Mexican standoff until the other vehicle belatedly turns on its signal.

[Scott5114]

I generally don't answer the phone at all. If you know me, you have my email address.

That response would get you a death stare from some older adults, including my mother, who have a poor opinion of email, and would rather that you pick up the phone.

Me... it depends on the situation. I prefer email because it is written documentation and can be sent at 2 AM where a phone call would be met by someone shouting something along the languages of Klingon, Orc, and/or Swear. Unfortunately, email has been too contaminated by the spammy and his irk.

She would either have to get over it and send me one, or just accept that she will never talk to me.

I like email for the same reason that you do, and also because I have auditory processing issues where it takes me a lot of effort to understand what someone on the phone is saying (I hear it just fine, but my brain has trouble deciphering it). I can also read a lot faster than most people can talk, so I could get a 30-minute conversation done in five minutes on email.

About the only time I like a voice call is if it's going to be a long, interactive process with a lot of back and forth. Even then I would prefer to use a VOIP service like Discord because the audio quality is better, so it doesn't tax my brain to process as much.

[roadman65]

I generally don't answer the phone at all. If you know me, you have my email address.

How about, when someone calls your phone, and asks if you're there? Who were they expecting to be answering your phone? Were they expecting someone else? Where is that someone else? What does he know? What has he seen?

It’s quite possible for someone else to answer your phone even with a mobile phone—suppose, for example, you’re expecting an urgent call but you really have to take a leak, so your wife answers for you when it invariably rings mid-stream.

Another thing is, people do dial the wrong number sometimes. Asking for the person by name is a good way to verify that they called the right number.

One time as a telemarketer I asked for Tom Smith ( or whatever) and the man answering the phone said  “ Wrong Number.”  I immediately said I was sorry, and just as I was ready to move on to the next call, he demanded I remove his number from the my list. I of course was willing to oblige and verified the number on my screen that the auto dialer dialed. The man got hostile and then refused to verify the number I called out and said “ You dialed it, you know what it is!”  Then he said don’t call again or be reported to the feds.

Of course, it wasn’t a wrong number. It was the guy using the wrong number excuse to get out of dealing with me, but forgetting that asking at the same time to remove me from the list contradicts and cancels the first excuse. 

Then the refusal of the verification process was dumb on his part as to verify With me the number I mentioned, meant that I was removing his number from my list especially if the number I verbally verified was indeed his.  Plus if I called out verbally the wrong number he had nothing to worry about being solicited again.

Unfortunately in that case I couldn’t do anything but recycle the number as I can’t legally remove that number unless I know for sure it’s the right number to remove. Sad to say he might get harassed again all because he got upset over a silly number verification.