Minor things that bother you

[webny99]

Speaking of.. i'm banned from the chat and i'm not exactly sure why  .

That might happen if you join, but don't contribute anything. Relevant quote from about a year ago is below:

Do you have to contribute to the chat in order to stay? I jumped in just to see what it was all about, but got bumped back to the forum home page before long.

Yes, you shouldn't sit there.

[texaskdog]

Lurking is discouraged

[CNGL-Leudimin]

A long time ago, I would enter the chat only to kick off the last poster who had not logged out properly the previous night (it would say "connection timed out"), then exit properly in order to leave the chat room totally empty.

[texaskdog]

Not really a minor thing but who are always late.  They have no respect for anyone else's time.  My wife has two friend, if you want them somewhere at 8 you tell one 7:30 and one 8:30. 

[formulanone]

"National" chains that aren't actually national.

World Champions for sports that only play in one country

Miss Universe that only consists of contestants of one planet.

You win the thread!

[JayhawkCO]

You're correct.  Technically, the only difference between a k sound and a g sound is presence or absence of a puff of air coming our of your mouth at the time.  Hold the back of your hand right in front of your mouth, and pay attention to which letters make you feel breath on your skin.  Chances are, you don't feel any on the 'cin' part of 'Wisconsin'.  However, you probably don't on the 'kin' of 'skin' either, so what does that really prove?

I'm late to this, and someone already mentioned the real difference between g and k is the voicing, but another fun one is holding your hand in front of your mouth and say 'pot', noticing the puff of air after the 'p', but then saying 'spot' and not feeling the aspiration.  In English, we still hear them the same because they are allophones, or different versions of the same phoneme depending on their environment.  In other languages, my favorite being Malayalam, they have 4 different 't's, one aspirated, one unaspirated, one dental (with the tongue on the teeth instead of the alveolar ridge), and one retroflex (with the tongue curled up and creating a stereotypical Indian accent).  All four of those are separate sounds and can create different words if you use the wrong one.

</linguistics>

Chris

[frankenroad]

Not really a minor thing but who are always late.  They have no respect for anyone else's time.  My wife has two friend, if you want them somewhere at 8 you tell one 7:30 and one 8:30.

My aunt and uncle were famous for being late.   If my grandmother was having a family event, she would tell them the start time was, say 12:00, and she would tell my parents 1:00.  We would arrive promptly at 1:00 (or a few minutes before), and it would usually be a good 15-20 minutes more before my aunt and uncle showed up.   Then I married into a family like my aunt and uncle, and would often tell my wife an earlier time than we needed to be somewhere, and often we'd still be late.   Drove me nuts.

[texaskdog]

Not really a minor thing but who are always late.  They have no respect for anyone else's time.  My wife has two friend, if you want them somewhere at 8 you tell one 7:30 and one 8:30.

My aunt and uncle were famous for being late.   If my grandmother was having a family event, she would tell them the start time was, say 12:00, and she would tell my parents 1:00.  We would arrive promptly at 1:00 (or a few minutes before), and it would usually be a good 15-20 minutes more before my aunt and uncle showed up.   Then I married into a family like my aunt and uncle, and would often tell my wife an earlier time than we needed to be somewhere, and often we'd still be late.   Drove me nuts.

I always think it's funny when people complain about being fired for excessive tardiness.

[Scott5114]

Back when I was working for the casino, I was late to personal things all the time because my job was such a stickler about tardiness that, on my days off, I was simply not willing to put myself through the stress (leave the house early, speeding/running yellow lights to make up time, etc.) that I did on workdays. So if someone was going to be pissed off at me for being late, I'd just as soon stay home and not go through all that.

Insisting that someone is on time to the minute, especially if it's something that's not important, shows no respect for their time, because in order to 100% guarantee that they satisfy your demand that they're on time, they usually have to build a schedule with enough let in it to compensate for things like red lights or people driving slow in front of them, and if none of the bad things end up happening, they end up milling around for ten minutes waiting on you.

[texaskdog]

Back when I was working for the casino, I was late to personal things all the time because my job was such a stickler about tardiness that, on my days off, I was simply not willing to put myself through the stress (leave the house early, speeding/running yellow lights to make up time, etc.) that I did on workdays. So if someone was going to be pissed off at me for being late, I'd just as soon stay home and not go through all that.

Insisting that someone is on time to the minute, especially if it's something that's not important, shows no respect for their time, because in order to 100% guarantee that they satisfy your demand that they're on time, they usually have to build a schedule with enough let in it to compensate for things like red lights or people driving slow in front of them, and if none of the bad things end up happening, they end up milling around for ten minutes waiting on you.

True dat, I'm one of those OCD people who times everything to the minute.

[J N Winkler]

Insisting that someone is on time to the minute, especially if it's something that's not important, shows no respect for their time, because in order to 100% guarantee that they satisfy your demand that they're on time, they usually have to build a schedule with enough let in it to compensate for things like red lights or people driving slow in front of them, and if none of the bad things end up happening, they end up milling around for ten minutes waiting on you.

I've found that the social penalties associated with being late (either petty unpunctuality such as one minute past the set time, or more substantial fractions of an hour) vary considerably depending on the context.  For most things, I usually aim to be slightly early just to take punctuality off the table as a potential issue.  I also sometimes find informal conversation during interstitial time (e.g., while waiting for something to happen) is a very efficient way of resolving certain issues.  In any event, I always have something in hand to occupy myself.

I've seen minor deficiencies in timekeeping used as a way to accelerate employee attrition.  For example, when Wichita city government was looking to make cuts to accommodate a budget squeeze three years ago rather than increase the mill levy, at least one city department instituted a rule that if you showed up even one second late on more than five occasions through the year, you would be progressed to termination.

[texaskdog]

One second late is silly  people who are frequently 15 minutes that's different

[Scott5114]

Insisting that someone is on time to the minute, especially if it's something that's not important, shows no respect for their time, because in order to 100% guarantee that they satisfy your demand that they're on time, they usually have to build a schedule with enough let in it to compensate for things like red lights or people driving slow in front of them, and if none of the bad things end up happening, they end up milling around for ten minutes waiting on you.

I've found that the social penalties associated with being late (either petty unpunctuality such as one minute past the set time, or more substantial fractions of an hour) vary considerably depending on the context.  For most things, I usually aim to be slightly early just to take punctuality off the table as a potential issue.  I also sometimes find informal conversation during interstitial time (e.g., while waiting for something to happen) is a very efficient way of resolving certain issues.  In any event, I always have something in hand to occupy myself.

If someone is inclined to penalize me for something so trivial as being slightly late, then my best bet is to simply put myself in a position where I cannot be so penalized–by removing myself from that person's social circle and thus any obligations to be on time for them. If I am socializing with someone, we are doing so in order to have a good time and enjoy each others' company, and if I have to stress myself to comport to their expectation, or they are going to be angry with me for not arriving on time, one or both of us are not going to be having a good time or enjoying ourselves, so what's the point?

Obviously there are times when one has to just hunker down and kowtow to someone else's schedule (things like flight schedules and meetings with public officials and the like). But we have done things like switch doctors in part because their staff was cantankerous at us for being late to an appointment and almost not letting my wife see the doctor.

I've seen minor deficiencies in timekeeping used as a way to accelerate employee attrition.  For example, when Wichita city government was looking to make cuts to accommodate a budget squeeze three years ago rather than increase the mill levy, at least one city department instituted a rule that if you showed up even one second late on more than five occasions through the year, you would be progressed to termination.

This was my workplace to a T–thus why I had no tolerance for those that wanted to subject me to the same stress my employer did.

[J N Winkler]

If someone is inclined to penalize me for something so trivial as being slightly late, then my best bet is to simply put myself in a position where I cannot be so penalized–by removing myself from that person's social circle and thus any obligations to be on time for them. If I am socializing with someone, we are doing so in order to have a good time and enjoy each others' company, and if I have to stress myself to comport to their expectation, or they are going to be angry with me for not arriving on time, one or both of us are not going to be having a good time or enjoying ourselves, so what's the point?

Obviously there are times when one has to just hunker down and kowtow to someone else's schedule (things like flight schedules and meetings with public officials and the like). But we have done things like switch doctors in part because their staff was cantankerous at us for being late to an appointment and almost not letting my wife see the doctor.

I don't like to sweat timekeeping either, so I have multiple strategies.  Being slightly early to engagements made well in advance is one--knowing that there is padding in case I am unexpectedly delayed is helpful in reducing stress.  Another is to avoid committing to a given time and place if I have a sense the other party isn't going to defend the time slot.

For example, I occasionally have Google chat conversations with a friend thousands of miles away who tends to overschedule and has a history of being late or no-showing.  I have learned this is more likely to happen if we have talked recently, so when we talk for the first time after a hiatus and he suggests we set a time to get together again in a week or so, I just say, "That sounds like a nice idea.  Why don't you check your schedule and get back to me?"  This reduces the chances I'm kept waiting for something that is not going to happen.

[mgk920]

One second late is silly  people who are frequently 15 minutes that's different

A cliché here in Wisconsin is 'Vince Lombardi time' - "If you are 15 minutes early, you are on time.  If you are on time, you are late and if you are late, don't bother!"



Mike

[texaskdog]

One second late is silly  people who are frequently 15 minutes that's different

A cliché here in Wisconsin is 'Vince Lombardi time' - "If you are 15 minutes early, you are on time.  If you are on time, you are late and if you are late, don't bother!"



Mike

I thought that was the military

[GaryV]

But we have done things like switch doctors in part because their staff was cantankerous at us for being late to an appointment and almost not letting my wife see the doctor.

Obviously you should try to be on time, but if you have a good reason once or twice, they shouldn't get upset with you.  Compare it to how many times you got there on time but the doctor was running late!

[Frafra Zoomer]

True. I hate that so much

Car dome lights that don't turn off immediately after you lock the doors.

Did someone not shut his door all the way, or will it shut off in a little bit?  I don't know, let me just stare at the car out here in the blowing snow for a while to find out.

[zachary_amaryllis]

True. I hate that so much

Car dome lights that don't turn off immediately after you lock the doors.

Did someone not shut his door all the way, or will it shut off in a little bit?  I don't know, let me just stare at the car out here in the blowing snow for a while to find out.

omg i HATE that. mine, will stay on and slowly dim to darkness... which makes me wonder if the battery is shot (or begging to be shot)

and cars that leave the lights on after you shut them off. my car has a headlight switch that as far as i can tell, does nothing. the only time i touch it is to go from high to low. if the car thinks its dark, it turns on the main headlights, otherwise its the dimmer daytime ones.

[jakeroot]

Speaking of automotive lighting:

Headlamps that stay on even after you lock the car. Regardless if they're automatic or not.

My VW has three options (off, DRL, on), all of which default to "off" when the ignition is off (so this is not a personal issue). But there are some brands where the lights will stay on until the timeout period occurs. And then infinitely more where the lights will stay on until they kill the battery. Genius.

I seem to recall Honda, Acura, Nissan, and Infiniti having no way to shut off the automatic headlamps until the timeout occurs. Many others (GM vehicles, FCA vehicles (unlock+lock x2), Toyota, etc) allow you to double-click the lock button to turn off the lights. This is the way it should be, IMO.

[J N Winkler]

Speaking of automotive lighting:

Headlamps that stay on even after you lock the car. Regardless if they're automatic or not.

My VW has three options (off, DRL, on), all of which default to "off" when the ignition is off (so this is not a personal issue). But there are some brands where the lights will stay on until the timeout period occurs. And then infinitely more where the lights will stay on until they kill the battery. Genius.

I seem to recall Honda, Acura, Nissan, and Infiniti having no way to shut off the automatic headlamps until the timeout occurs. Many others (GM vehicles, FCA vehicles, Toyota, etc) allow you to double-click the lock button to turn off the lights. This is the way it should be, IMO.

We have a Camry with auto headlamps and courtesy lighting (as the delay before turning off interior and exterior lighting is called--the intent is to help you see your way in a darkened garage or other unlit area).  I simply let it operate as normal when I'm hooking the battery up to a maintainer immediately after parking.  If I'm out and about and don't need or want the extra illumination, I simply turn the headlamp switch from Auto to DRL Off, open a door or the trunk, and switch back to Auto.

I've generally found that when cars are equipped with courtesy lighting, there are other ways to distinguish normal operation from undesirable conditions like false door closure:  for example, door mechanisms are more gently sprung so that you can keep your finger on the door edge all the way when closing it and check that it sits flush with the rest of the body.  There are often also security lights that come on when the locks successfully engage (not possible when a door is open), door-open telltales that show even when the key is not in the ignition, etc.

My biggest automotive lighting annoyance is courtesy lighting that energizes the backup lamps when someone uses RKE to unlock the car.  This makes it difficult to tell whether the vehicle has just been opened for passengers to board or is imminently about to reverse into my path.  This is GM's company-wide design approach, apparently because it was the most convenient or economical for them with the wiring harness designs they were using in the mid-noughties.

[jakeroot]

We have a Camry with auto headlamps and courtesy lighting (as the delay before turning off interior and exterior lighting is called--the intent is to help you see your way in a darkened garage or other unlit area).  I simply let it operate as normal when I'm hooking the battery up to a maintainer immediately after parking.  If I'm out and about and don't need or want the extra illumination, I simply turn the headlamp switch from Auto to DRL Off, open a door or the trunk, and switch back to Auto.

I've generally found that when cars are equipped with courtesy lighting, there are other ways to distinguish normal operation from undesirable conditions like false door closure:  for example, door mechanisms are more gently sprung so that you can keep your finger on the door edge all the way when closing it and check that it sits flush with the rest of the body.  There are often also security lights that come on when the locks successfully engage (not possible when a door is open), door-open telltales that show even when the key is not in the ignition, etc.

My biggest automotive lighting annoyance is courtesy lighting that energizes the backup lamps when someone uses RKE to unlock the car.  This makes it difficult to tell whether the vehicle has just been opened for passengers to board or is imminently about to reverse into my path.  This is GM's company-wide design approach, apparently because it was the most convenient or economical for them with the wiring harness designs they were using in the mid-noughties.

I have personally chosen to keep the interior lights on until I lock my car, so I can have some ambient lighting. This is certainly one advantage of courtesy lighting, although my annoyance with timeouts does persist.

When it comes to door closure, I have my VW set to the following: if all the doors are closed, the horn chirps and the blinkers flash once; if anything is even slightly ajar, it will not chirp and the blinkers will not flash. I prefer this method of checking for doors as I don't even have to look at the car. So far, I've not had any instances of false locking (where it ostensibly locks, but a door is actually barely still open).

The backup lamps-as-courtesy lighting is indeed very confusing. When I was a valet, this wasn't necessarily a problem, as the vehicles were always backed in and the backup lights were not usually visible. But it was a problem in the driveway, when people would visibly avoid being behind some of those GM vehicles because they thought they might begin reversing.

[Scott5114]

But we have done things like switch doctors in part because their staff was cantankerous at us for being late to an appointment and almost not letting my wife see the doctor.

Obviously you should try to be on time, but if you have a good reason once or twice, they shouldn't get upset with you.  Compare it to how many times you got there on time but the doctor was running late!

We were coming from Norman and the appointment was in Northwest Oklahoma City and got slowed down by traffic. And yeah, we still had to wait on the doctor, even though we were late...

[kphoger]

Things like "Lake Kemijärvi" or "Songjiang River", in which the native word for that feature is said and thus creating a redundancy ("Lake Kemi Lake" and "Song River River" respectively).

Here in this country, people say 'Río Grande River'.  Then again, in Mexico, they call it the Río Bravo, so there's that.

This. That road is KS 9 (and US 77) for me, not K-9, which I consider nonstandard notation despite being official.

As has been pointed out, 'KS 9' isn't really all that more 'standard'.  Plenty of states would refer to it as 'SH 9' or 'SR 9' instead.

A long time ago, I would enter the chat only to kick off the last poster who had not logged out properly the previous night (it would say "connection timed out"), then exit properly in order to leave the chat room totally empty.

A couple of times, I joined a mIRC chatroom that had no mods at the time.  So I got to change the topic to whatever the heck I wanted.

Obviously you should try to be on time, but if you have a good reason once or twice, they shouldn't get upset with you.  Compare it to how many times you got there on time but the doctor was running late!

Yesterday afternoon, we had an applicant come in here at the office.  A truck full of animal parts had overturned on the northbound Canal Route, and traffic was stopped while he was heading up here.  Furthermore, it was raining a lot that day, I think he was unfamiliar with the area, and our building is set way back from the road.  So he called me when he finally got up near here, stating he was in the area but couldn't find our office.  After all that, he still managed to walk in less than 15 minutes after his interview was scheduled.  Yet the manager and both supervisors had already left.  Good grief!

[kenarmy]

When people are always trying to correct thread titles and replies, but like in a smartass fashion. And it really doesn't contribute to anything.  Just move along and take that mess somewhere else 😭👋.