Pet Peeves

[Sarsin]

I have discovered that many aspects of modern life bother me as I fly around our great country. I just thought I would share.

1. People who talk on their cell phones in a public bathroom - Or at all really. I know I wouldn't want to talk to someone while they're on the can. You would be shocked as to how many people you see in airports chatting away at the urinal. Now, I am on my phone a lot (nature of the business) but I can at least take a time out to TAKE A PISS. I mean, is it any less rude to say "Can you hold on while I use the bathroom?" than to just let them hear it in the background?

2. People who say "mute point" instead of "moot point" - Moot Point: An issue regarded as potentially debatable, but no longer practically applicable. Although the idea may still be worth debating and exploring academically, and such a discussion may be useful for addressing similar issues in the future, the idea has been rendered irrelevant for the present issue. 'Nuff said. For some reason, this makes me nuts. My wife used to say it all the time, and she decided it was easier to say it correctly instead of having me climb the walls every time she went with "mute point".

3. Computers with hundreds of icons on the desktop - If you shortcut everything on your computer to the point where you have to look for 5 minutes to find what you want, then it is no longer a fucking shortcut!

4. No-Nothing Managers that make IT decisions - "Can't we just export the VLAN to the other site and set the SSL encryption to talk XML with the HTML server over the WAN?" Sure, right after I align the dilithium crystals and readjust the deflector dish. <SMACK>

5. The 3 oz limitation of gels and liquids at the airport - Dear Government, I am not going to take over a plane with my bottle of water and a 4 oz thing of hair gel. Please worry if someone is trying to bring in a drum of something, not a bottle of hair spray. Hell, they'll let you bring in LIGHTERS to the terminal but I can't bring in a bottle of water? What if that joker sets the plane on fire with his lighter?

"OMG the plane is on fire! If only I had my bottle of Aquafina!"

If I was a terrorist, I would just blow up the fucking terminal. You have all of us standing in a huge-ass line, worried about taking off our shoes and if our deodorant counts as a gel or a solid.

[Cerrick]

Good list, although I am myself somewhat guilty of #3.

Also, let me propose a variant of #1 -- people who can't avoid looking at their blackberry (or insert favorite device here) for more than 60 seconds at a time. Browing during a boring meeting when you're not directly participating is one thing, but seriously, do you need to have the thing out at dinner?!?

[Sarsin]

I'm guilty of that myself, but only when I'm eating by myself. It's not rude then since I can't really offend myself

[Wraili]

I have a couple.

People who were born in the US, but cannot speak english.

Examples (try sounding them out)

"Yo, yo, yo. I axed for a boof." - Ebonics at it's best
"I paak the Ka in the baan." - On this episode of This Old House....
"I need to waRsh the dishes." - Where the extra "R" comes from, I don't know.

People who name their kids things without reflecting on how this will guide the course of thier lives.

Cheyenne Hauk and her brother Tom. Actual friends of mine.

Names I have actually seen (last names are all things like Miller, Smith, Martin, and Johnson): Beamlak, Beenayee, Bradamante,
Cherry Kabao (I'm not kidding. Can you imagine being a girl with a name that sounds like a firecracker?), Chichuaneelado, Corinthian,
Dairhell (Daryl with a demonic flair), Dayuaya, De'syre (Desire), Dhiyaulhaq, Diamante',
Exceniter (sounds like ex-senator),
Indigo,
Labalaba, Lexus, Lucky,
Martinique, Mercedes (ok, that one's an old French one - but does fall in the car sub-theme), Mykle (Michael),
Napolean (seriously), Nissan,
Octarious, Optimus (Autobots, transform!), Osiris,
Peacock (girl), Percy (that's just mean), Pramethieus, then comes the royalty of Prince, Princess, and
Queen,
Safwaan, Shalalah, Shazam, Sincere, Snow,
True, Tywan,
Visa (Everywhere you want to be),
Xiatralyce, Xyrael,
Yahue,
Zaire, Zamzam

[Sarsin]

Nissan? Visa? Are we 2 or 3 generations from Idiocracy?

Carl's Jr. Fuck you, I'm eating

[Eraedan]

"I need to waRsh the dishes." - Where the extra "R" comes from, I don't know.

Heh Same with Beijing Chinese. They manage to add an "r" to the end of everything.

Hmmm... trying to think of a few. Oh, people who repeatedly press an elevator or crosswalk button... especially after seeing someone else do so before them! That annoys the hell out of me.

Anything to do with customer service processes at large service companies (Bell Canada, for example).

People who talk during movies.

People who spoil book or movie endings... oh, man... I could destroy those people's souls.

[Rathskellar]

People who mispronounce a person's name no matter how many times they are corrected. Mexican kid who works for me is named Gabino but my manager calls him Gambino every time. The one thing you have in this world that is yours no matter what is your name. Make sure you get it right.

[Eraedan]

People who mispronounce a person's name no matter how many times they are corrected. Mexican kid who works for me is named Gabino but my manager calls him Gambino every time. The one thing you have in this world that is yours no matter what is your name. Make sure you get it right.

Well said.

I would chalk that up to people who are hearing you but not listening, a major pet peeve of mine.

[Tiplon]

When you answer the phone during dinner or at 8 am on saturday morning after a sweet night of drinking and frolic to hear a recording on the other end saying "please hold for the next available saleperson." Damn telemarketers!

[Caviel]

One, they need better config on their predictive dialer, and two, that's actually illegal in some cases in the US, and can net you an easy $500, or $1,500 if they are a repeat/knowing offender:

http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs5-tmkt.htm

A lot of marketing companies have "hush money" to pay off call recipients threatening legal action. One of the nice things about being here in California is we have some additional restrictions over the Fed statures.