Pet Peeves are Real--It isn't Just Me!!

 

Little things in life just bug us sometimes.  We all deal with a lot every day, but some stuff gets to us more than others.  For example, some people are put off by the indulging of vices in public (smoking, drinking, cursing, etc.), and almost everyone gets irritated by folks that talk during a movie.  We’ve all heard stories about marriages in trouble because the cap isn’t on the toothpaste, the toilet paper rolls over instead of under, or the toilet bowl lid isn’t down.  Hey, why do so many domestic pet peeves involve the bathroom?    

Sometimes when things get to me, friends and relatives will tell me I’m just oversensitive.  I disagree!  This isn’t just drama on my part.  These are serious issues!  Look at the list of my top pet peeves and see if you agree.  To offer some balance, I will also mention something I like in each category.  I wouldn’t want you to think the glass is half empty for me (does anyone out there become annoyed by clichés?).

Driving. I am more impatient than I used to be, and I find it aggravating to drive a lot. Since I can’t stay at home all the time, I sometimes take to the roads in search of dinner or household items. When I do, I hate to see:

Drivers that race to get in front of me only to turn suddenly, even when there is no one behind me. Was it necessary to make me slam on the brakes and come to a full stop, just to save the 1-2 seconds extra it might have cost you to pull in behind me?

The “objects in mirror are closer than they appear” sign in my rear view mirror. How close are these objects? Why did the Mitsubishi dealership sell me a car with a trick mirror, anyway?

Pedestrians that would rather jeopardize their lives than wait for the “walk” signal. Why make me stop at a green light and risk getting rear-ended, just so you can stare at me defiantly as you dash into the intersection? Try skydiving if you’re looking for thrills, okay?

What I appreciate: Drivers that wave or offer a “thumbs up” when I let them into traffic.

Sports. I love sports, but there’s at least one thing that happens in most sports that bug me. They are:

In football: A time-out both before and after a kick-off, usually with a full round of TV commercials. This ensures that virtually nothing happens for about five minutes, every time a team kicks the ball. Was this arranged to give Howie Long more time to convince me to buy a Chevy?

In baseball: Pitchers having a prolonged stare-down with a runner on first base that is threatening to steal second. Throw the next pitch, willya? We can’t take seven more innings of this.

In golf: Watching some guy stare at the hole as he lines up a short putt. What is he looking for anyway, bumpy ground? Unless he can putt a curve ball, who cares? Just hit it!

In any sport: Players giving credit to God after a victory. Did God really want the other team to lose so bad the game was fixed?

What I appreciate: A come-from-behind victory.

Shopping. Shopping is a necessary evil. Some of us enjoy it, others loathe it. I am somewhere in the middle. Shopping at its worst for me is when:

Shoppers with carts are standing side-by-side, blocking the aisle while chatting. Someday this is going to happen once too often and it’s gonna look like demolition derby in there.

Shoppers in the checkout line send their kids back for things they forgot after the cashier has begun ringing up their purchase. Extra points are earned for staring defiantly at everyone else in line, forcing the poor cashier to apologize for their lack of consideration.

Drivers leave the car running in front of the store entrance, waiting for someone inside to shop. Park your car in the lot like everyone else! (By the way, flashing the emergency lights doesn’t make it better. We see you there—in fact, you’re in our way!)

What I appreciate: A shopper willing to let you have a parking space, rather than racing you for it.

Dining out. One of my favorite pastimes is dining out. I am at my most relaxed and comfortable while enjoying a good meal in a restaurant. Things that spoil it for me include:

Men with long, dirty hair working in the kitchen. This is seemingly a job requirement, especially in sandwich shops. Don’t bald men ever work as cooks?

Restaurants that serve your salad or appetizer at the same time they bring your entrée. In some restaurants, I’ve refused to order an entrée until the appetizer is served. The restaurants that inflict this on me know who they are.

Sitting in a booth while someone behind me rests their arm over the back of the seat, oblivious to the fact they are elbowing me in the head. C’mon, you couldn’t hear me cry out in pain when your elbow cracked my skull open? Or, was it just so much fun you wanted to do it again?

What I appreciate: Wait staff with personality—a difficult thing to offer in the course of a long, tedious day serving food.

Movies. I don’t go to movies as much as I used to. It seems easier to wait a few months and watch the flick on cable TV. Reasons I go to the theater less often now are:

People save entire rows of seats for their friends. Why do they endure this? Why go through such trouble for friends willing to let you sit there alone while they’re doing something else?

If I’m the very first one in a theater, the second person will always sit directly in front of me. Okay, this doesn’t happen every time. Once we were first to arrive and the second couple inside asked if we could move down. I guess there were only two good seats in the theater and we had ‘em.

The outrageous prices of everything at the concessions counter. Sure, they serve you more popcorn and soda than you can consume in a month of Sundays, but how do you sleep at night charging so much for snacks?

What I appreciate: A surprise ending that is genuinely surprising.

Doctors. I know my doctor helps me stay healthy, but there must be a way to avoid:

Sitting in an examination room for twenty minutes after sitting in the lobby for thirty minutes. It doesn’t help if you’re the first or last appointment of the day, either. I’ve tried both. It’s still over 45 minutes before the doctor sees you.

Doctors that enter the room and ask, “Mike, how’re you doing? “ How am I doing? HOW AM I DOING? I need a doctor, how do you think I’m doing?

Doctors telling me I have (insert illness here), prescribing medicine and suggesting I come back if my condition doesn’t improve. Why not just try for an accurate diagnosis the first time?

What I appreciate: A good “bedside” manner. It is helpful to have a sympathetic doctor.

People. There are aggravating things people do that fall outside the realm of one particular activity. Things I hate to see people do include:

Public displays of affection. Okay, I admit to a voyeuristic fascination when I see people get the hots for each other in public, but it still makes me wince, especially when they…. oh, never mind.

Talking into a cell phone in a louder-than-normal voice. I AGREE WITH YOUR WIFE, LET YOUR MOTHER STAY IN A HOTEL WHEN SHE COMES TO VISIT!

Laughing when I stumble. Yeah, I always throw myself on the ground to entertain strangers. Glad you enjoyed watching me break my neck there.

What I appreciate: Kindness from strangers.

Well, that’s my list. I know I’m being overly-sensitive, but these things really bug me, and they always will. What are the things that will always bother you, no matter how many times they happen? What’s on your list of pet peeves?

It probably isn't difficult to imagine that I have more pet peeves than those listed on this page. A close friend tells me I get upset too often about things I can't control, but I can't help it--it's in my DNA to become upset about things that people say or do without consideration.

If I were to add to the list above, I would have to include:

1. Drivers driving their vehicles below the speed limit, only to accelerate and race through an intersection when a light turns yellow. Because they were driving at a snail's pace, I'm stuck at an intersection that everyone safely got through except me.

2. People who talk on bluetooth headsets in public. I find the device stuck in someone's ear odd-looking, and I get unnerved when I don't see the bluetooth but hear someone seemingly talking to themselves. Is it so necessary to respond to a call that we have to insert odd devices in our ears when we go out?

3. The mispronunciation of common words, such as "pellow" for pillow, "warsh" for wash, or "ruf" for roof. Bonus points go to anyone who corrects someone for pronouncing a word differently than they do. Is it really important to interrupt me if I use the word "data" but pronounce it with a hard "a"? Or, I usually don't pronounce the "t" in "often"; is that so very aggravating that the listener can't let me make my point without correcting me?

4. People that arrive at a retail store after it has closed for the day and believe it helps to knock on the locked door. Does the late-arriving shopper believe the door was locked by accident? Does this person assume the employees would be thrilled to delay going home from a hard day's work so the shopper can browse after-hours? Whatever their rationale, it is flawed....

5. Knocking on a door, only to be instantly greeted by huge, barking dogs that act like they want me for an afternoon snack. Being told the dog "won't hurt anyone" is no comfort. I would be far more reassured if dogs that react loudly to strangers weren't allowed to greet house guests.

Those are a few more of my pet peeves. A lengthy list perhaps suggests neuroses on my part, but I will stick with my assertion that some of these annoying occurrences could be avoided with a little bit of forethought.

So... what type of things irritate you?