Minor things that bother you

[hbelkins]

An on-camera meteorologist friend of mine mentioned this one, and I agree.

Use of the phrase "first annual." There's no such thing. I can be the first of what is hoped will or is planned to become an annual event, but it can't be a first annual event. Only after it's held once is it an annual event.

[kurumi]

Because of what I watched on TikTok!

And generally, TikTok clips bother me.

TikTok is one of the worst things to happen to society in the last 10 years.

If I were benevolent dictator for life, I wouldn't ban TikTok. But there would have to be no sound, ever. Watch it all you want, silently, reading subtitles. Everyone's happy.

[7/8]

Because of what I watched on TikTok!

And generally, TikTok clips bother me.

TikTok is one of the worst things to happen to society in the last 10 years.

If I were benevolent dictator for life, I wouldn't ban TikTok. But there would have to be no sound, ever. Watch it all you want, silently, reading subtitles. Everyone's happy.

Oh no! Oh no! Oh no no no no no! (that one's awful!)

[tolbs17]

When I get a message saying "Free up storage space by deleting unused data such as rarely used apps and unnecessary documents." I'm nowhere near low space! This is on my Galaxy S9 Plus btw...

[jeffandnicole]

People that ask questions like "I'm looking for a good Chinese restaurant. And Go!". Like, wait a minute, did you just enter me in a race? And it's all but guaranteed the person will never return to thank those that responded and state what restaurant they chose, or will say, "I decided to eat a few chips and play on the Xbox instead.".

[wanderer2575]

Find someone who loves you as much as 18-wheelers love blocking traffic in the passing lane.

I took a road trip along I-5, CA 58, and I-15 among others, and despite the supply chain shortages, there is a buttload of America's Needs Moving By Truck, especially in the #1 lane, traveling at 60.00001 mph

(not an original rant by any means)

What really pisses me off about truckers is when they block lanes micropassing or not being able to keep their speed on uphills, and then tailgate my ass (sometimes even honking or flashing their brights) when I'm not speeding enough for them on a downhill.

[vdeane]

Scraping frost off the windshield.  I can never seem to get it off easily and cleanly unless it's very nearly melted anyways, and today was particularly bad.  The ice scraper was doing absolutely nothing at all - just sliding on the frost as if that was the actual windshield.  I got delayed 10 minutes going to work as I had no choice but to sit and wait for the defroster to melt it.  We're definitely no longer in the part of winter where the sun is out long enough before I go to work to soften or melt the frost.

[CtrlAltDel]

Bridges over rivers where the sides are too high to see over.

[texaskdog]

Here's one: people who post something they can look up just as easily as posting the question to begin with.  "Anyone know if there is a Wing Stop in Kyle?"  FREAKING LOOK IT UP!

[texaskdog]

Scraping frost off the windshield.  I can never seem to get it off easily and cleanly unless it's very nearly melted anyways, and today was particularly bad.  The ice scraper was doing absolutely nothing at all - just sliding on the frost as if that was the actual windshield.  I got delayed 10 minutes going to work as I had no choice but to sit and wait for the defroster to melt it.  We're definitely no longer in the part of winter where the sun is out long enough before I go to work to soften or melt the frost.

you can buy cans of spray that melts it in about a minute.  even in Texas I always keep a couple on hand.

https://www.amazon.com/Prestone-AS244-Windshield-Icer-Aerosol/dp/B01C6AV6J0/ref=asc_df_B01C6AV6J0?tag=bingshoppinga-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80195684681657&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4583795260966421&psc=1

[thenetwork]

Here is a 2-in-1 snit:

* When you go to a bank or credit union that has an ATM that shares the same lane as an open auto teller.  And, of course, when you hope to cruise in to grab some quick cash at the ATM only to have to wait for someone who wants every transaction available from the teller...

AND when the person in front of you IS using the ATM, but when they are done, they don't move until after they balance their checkbook for the month.

At least when I'm done with the ATM, I have the courtesy to move far enough ahead to allow anyone behind me to access the ATM freely.

[ZLoth]

"Anyone know if there is a Wing Stop in Kyle?"  FREAKING LOOK IT UP!

https://letmegooglethat.com/?q=wing+stop+in+kyle

And, for what it's worth, DFW has much wider variety of restaurants than Sacramento, CA.

[hbelkins]

Here is a 2-in-1 snit:

* When you go to a bank or credit union that has an ATM that shares the same lane as an open auto teller.  And, of course, when you hope to cruise in to grab some quick cash at the ATM only to have to wait for someone who wants every transaction available from the teller...

AND when the person in front of you IS using the ATM, but when they are done, they don't move until after they balance their checkbook for the month.

At least when I'm done with the ATM, I have the courtesy to move far enough ahead to allow anyone behind me to access the ATM freely.

I don't pull away from the ATM until I have counted my money to make sure I got all that I requested to be withdrawn. The reason is that there are usually cameras embedded in the ATMs, and if you're shorted on the cash (say you withdraw $200 but you only get nine $20 bills dispensed) you can hold the money up and mouth the words "I didn't get all the money I was supposed to get but the receipt still shows a $200 withdrawal." If you come back the next day to complain you were shorted, they're not going to believe you. But if there's video evidence, you have proof.

Otherwise, yes, I pull away immediately.

On a related note, people who stop traffic in parking lots waiting for people who just get in their cars to back out of the space so they can pull in. Once someone gets in their car, they are under no obligation to leave their parking spot immediately And I typically don't. I'll check text messages, sometimes email or social media, change the music on my player, clean my hands, or any number of other things. Now, if the driver starts the vehicle, puts their foot on the brake, and shifts into reverse, that means they're leaving, and you're more than welcome to stop to let them back out and then take that spot. If I get in the vehicle and someone stops waiting for me to pull out before I've started the attempt to back out, it bugs me.

[Tom958]

Here's one: people who post something they can look up just as easily as posting the question to begin with.  "Anyone know if there is a Wing Stop in Kyle?"  FREAKING LOOK IT UP!

Absolutely! I do a lot of amateur photography, mostly of small towns in Georgia, and I post my photos in a couple of Georgia history-nostalgia groups on Facebook. People will ask, "Where is Tarrytown?" Or, worse, "What county is it in?" Why would I know or care what county it's in? Occasionally I'll calmly and sarcastically explain that the information they seek can easily be found on Google Maps. Then they usually get butthurt about it. One woman even told me that she didn't have Google Maps because she'd removed the app from her phone. 

Come to think of it, that hasn't happened in some time. Maybe I got through to them.

[Bruce]

Here is a 2-in-1 snit:

* When you go to a bank or credit union that has an ATM that shares the same lane as an open auto teller.  And, of course, when you hope to cruise in to grab some quick cash at the ATM only to have to wait for someone who wants every transaction available from the teller...

AND when the person in front of you IS using the ATM, but when they are done, they don't move until after they balance their checkbook for the month.

At least when I'm done with the ATM, I have the courtesy to move far enough ahead to allow anyone behind me to access the ATM freely.

The best strategy is to use a walk-up ATM. I've only used the drive-thru variant a handful of times and it's always far slower than parking and walking up to one attached to the bank building or even using a standalone one in the middle of a parking lot.

[dlsterner]

On a related note, people who stop traffic in parking lots waiting for people who just get in their cars to back out of the space so they can pull in. Once someone gets in their car, they are under no obligation to leave their parking spot immediately And I typically don't. I'll check text messages, sometimes email or social media, change the music on my player, clean my hands, or any number of other things. Now, if the driver starts the vehicle, puts their foot on the brake, and shifts into reverse, that means they're leaving, and you're more than welcome to stop to let them back out and then take that spot. If I get in the vehicle and someone stops waiting for me to pull out before I've started the attempt to back out, it bugs me.

Reminds me of one time while doing some Christmas shopping at the mall (in the pre-Amazon days).  The parking lot was usually filled close to capacity, and I was walking out of the mall with several bags of stuff.  Someone looking for a space slowly followed me down the aisle as I was walking to my car, presumably to snag my spot when I left.

Little did he know that I wasn't done shopping - I was just wanting to put a handful of bags in my trunk and go back in the mall to do more shopping.  I'm sure he was pissed when I turned around to head back to the mall.

[kurumi]

On a related note, people who stop traffic in parking lots waiting for people who just get in their cars to back out of the space so they can pull in. Once someone gets in their car, they are under no obligation to leave their parking spot immediately And I typically don't. I'll check text messages, sometimes email or social media, change the music on my player, clean my hands, or any number of other things. Now, if the driver starts the vehicle, puts their foot on the brake, and shifts into reverse, that means they're leaving, and you're more than welcome to stop to let them back out and then take that spot. If I get in the vehicle and someone stops waiting for me to pull out before I've started the attempt to back out, it bugs me.

Reminds me of one time while doing some Christmas shopping at the mall (in the pre-Amazon days).  The parking lot was usually filled close to capacity, and I was walking out of the mall with several bags of stuff.  Someone looking for a space slowly followed me down the aisle as I was walking to my car, presumably to snag my spot when I left.

Little did he know that I wasn't done shopping - I was just wanting to put a handful of bags in my trunk and go back in the mall to do more shopping.  I'm sure he was pissed when I turned around to head back to the mall.

We call that activity parking lot vulching -- it's what vulchers do, circle around and wait :-)

[1995hoo]

On a related note, people who stop traffic in parking lots waiting for people who just get in their cars to back out of the space so they can pull in. Once someone gets in their car, they are under no obligation to leave their parking spot immediately And I typically don't. I'll check text messages, sometimes email or social media, change the music on my player, clean my hands, or any number of other things. Now, if the driver starts the vehicle, puts their foot on the brake, and shifts into reverse, that means they're leaving, and you're more than welcome to stop to let them back out and then take that spot. If I get in the vehicle and someone stops waiting for me to pull out before I've started the attempt to back out, it bugs me.

Reminds me of one time while doing some Christmas shopping at the mall (in the pre-Amazon days).  The parking lot was usually filled close to capacity, and I was walking out of the mall with several bags of stuff.  Someone looking for a space slowly followed me down the aisle as I was walking to my car, presumably to snag my spot when I left.

Little did he know that I wasn't done shopping - I was just wanting to put a handful of bags in my trunk and go back in the mall to do more shopping.  I'm sure he was pissed when I turned around to head back to the mall.

If I'm in a bad mood and the parking lot vultures are out in force, I'll sometimes intentionally walk down the next drive aisle over from where I'm parked, then walk between cars to get to my car, leaving the vulture stuck in the wrong aisle.

[zachary_amaryllis]

If I'm in a bad mood and the parking lot vultures are out in force, I'll sometimes intentionally walk down the next drive aisle over from where I'm parked, then walk between cars to get to my car, leaving the vulture stuck in the wrong aisle.

i've never thought of that. that is awesome.

to add to parking lot annoyingness...

the parking lot at my work, several of the spaces are for 'compact only'. the annoying part is when some guy in an F-500000000 is back-and-forthing trying to get in or out of one of these spaces..

[jmacswimmer]

There is a small parking lot on the south side of BWI Airport that sits alongside the final approach to Runway 33L (which handles arrivals most of the time during ideal weather).  This small parking lot is used not just by plane-watchers such as myself, but also by bicyclists using the BWI loop trail and families coming to an adjacent playground, and as such the lot tends to be full throughout the day on a weekend.  Since I typically just sit in my car while plane-watching, others driving by will see me in my car and think I'm about to leave and initiate the whole vulture-sequence.  Usually they realize after a bit and move along, but a couple times I've had a vulture honk at me and there was once where someone even got out of their car and walked right up to me to ask if I was leaving (and then got irritated when I said no, as if I owed them the spot).

If I'm in a bad mood and the parking lot vultures are out in force, I'll sometimes intentionally walk down the next drive aisle over from where I'm parked, then walk between cars to get to my car, leaving the vulture stuck in the wrong aisle.

If I'm in a bad mood, the parking lot vultures are out in force, AND I'm in no hurry to get anywhere, I'll just sit in my car and wait until the vulture impatiently moves on to another victim spot.

[formulanone]

Adding another log to the parking rage fire: I think more people aren't as careful when vehicles are backing up. People will still walk right behind a vehicle that's backing up, into the path of a backed-up vehicle, or ignore a vehicle that's moving forward out of a space.

Curiously, it's not because I see many more people strolling through parking lots on their phones. Do they just assume that back-up cameras will notify the driver? Or is it a self-centered problem...hey, I'll just sue if I get hit? An increase of human cranial-posterior interface errors? Or just mis-perception on my part?

[webny99]

If I'm in a bad mood and the parking lot vultures are out in force, I'll sometimes intentionally walk down the next drive aisle over from where I'm parked, then walk between cars to get to my car, leaving the vulture stuck in the wrong aisle.

If I'm in a bad mood, the parking lot vultures are out in force, AND I'm in no hurry to get anywhere, I'll just sit in my car and wait until the vulture impatiently moves on to another victim spot.

What!?    I had never heard of the term "parking lot vulture" until reading these posts. I can't say I've ever even considered waiting in the aisle for a parking spot unless someone has their backup lights on and is actively backing or pulling out of their spot.

But going to the trouble of following people to their car and waiting for them to leave? That's crazy. It must be more of an east coast thing... which I suppose makes sense...

[hbelkins]

An evil dastardly and perfectly wonderful thing to do for one of the vultures who is following you out of the store is to pull out your phone, call the cops, give them a description of the vehicle, and tell them that they are following you suspiciously and you are fearful they are going to attempt to rob you when you get in your car. 

[J N Winkler]

Common as it now is for people to sit in their parked cars checking their phones before they set off, I still appreciate it when people leave promptly, as this spares me wondering whether they are going to start moving imminently or remain stationary for an indefinite period of time.  This is more to do with accident prevention, since I've realized long ago that waiting for someone else to vacate a space (even if it is close in) usually takes longer than moving on to one that is already available.

If I'm in a bad mood and the parking lot vultures are out in force, I'll sometimes intentionally walk down the next drive aisle over from where I'm parked, then walk between cars to get to my car, leaving the vulture stuck in the wrong aisle.

I occasionally resort to that form of misdirection, not to punish vulture behavior, but rather to minimize the chances that someone waiting in a narrow aisle for me to leave forces me to turn away from my preferred exit.

In my local area, most people wait patiently for a parking space to be freed, but occasionally I encounter someone who gets visibly steamed when I walk to my trunk to deposit hand luggage (such as a gym bag) instead of just opening the driver's door and throwing it into the passenger seat footwell as I climb in.

Adding another log to the parking rage fire: I think more people aren't as careful when vehicles are backing up. People will still walk right behind a vehicle that's backing up, into the path of a backed-up vehicle, or ignore a vehicle that's moving forward out of a space.

Curiously, it's not because I see many more people strolling through parking lots on their phones. Do they just assume that back-up cameras will notify the driver? Or is it a self-centered problem...hey, I'll just sue if I get hit? An increase of human cranial-posterior interface errors? Or just mis-perception on my part?

I think there are multiple factors in play:

*  Not all people who walk through parking lots drive and thus understand the visibility limitations drivers must deal with, which in any case vary from vehicle to vehicle.  (I keep driving a 27-year-old Saturn partly because it has much more DLO than current production vehicles in its size class.)

*  The practice of using backup lights as part of courtesy lighting systems has resulted in a large share of the vehicle fleet crying wolf.  (I think this should be banned, so that backup lights are energized only when reverse gear is engaged.)

*  People sitting in their vehicles checking their phones, etc. have weakened the expectation that a vehicle with a human in the driver's seat will be about to start moving imminently.

But going to the trouble of following people to their car and waiting for them to leave? That's crazy. It must be more of an east coast thing... which I suppose makes sense...

It's not an East Coast thing at all--I've observed some form of it in places where parking is scarce overall or the pool of parking available for a given establishment incorporates a steep falloff in perceived convenience.

For example, my local YMCA has a downtown branch that offers free parking for its members in a smallish lot on its property and in an overflow lot across the street.  Most other parking downtown requires payment.  As a result, during peak times it is very common for members to spend many minutes looping around the onsite lot instead of moving on immediately to the overflow lot, which nearly always has multiple spaces available.

[7/8]

*  The practice of using backup lights as part of courtesy lighting systems has resulted in a large share of the vehicle fleet crying wolf.  (I think this should be banned, so that backup lights are energized only when reverse gear is engaged.)

These are the worst! Several times I've been in my car waiting for someone to backup only for it to be those stupid lights. My parents Chevy truck has them, so now I have to deal with them when we're rearranging the cars in the driveway.