Friday, September 28, 2007

What Grinds Your Gears?

The other day, my daughter-in-law Jodie did a post about the Top 10 Things that really grinds her gears and then said she thought it would be a fun post for me to do, as well. Of course, anybody that knows me could tell you that I am just full of things that really, really tick me off. I have so many pet peeves that it's a wonder I can manage to keep up with them. But I'll try to whittle the list down to 10. Here goes:

  1. Bad Customer Service. Oh this one is big with me! I deplore bad customer service with an almost pathological intensity. Example: Randey, Jacob and I were in a giant electronic store (called Fry's, I believe) in Arlington the other day. They were looking for a wireless card for Jacob's computer. I was there under protest because wow! what a snoozer! A store filled with computer parts, televisions and appliances. Be still my heart. Not. Anyway, I did my walk through of the place, found a card-making/scrapbook magazine and was done with my tour of the much touted Electronic Land (touted by Randey and Jacob who obviously felt the need to make the place sound better than it was just to get me through the doors). I go in search of Randey and Jake (whom I had left upon entry to the place) and discover, much to my chagrin, they haven't moved 20 feet from the spot I'd last seen them. They did, however, have a Fry's employee with them. He was on a ladder, searching for the item they were looking for. Apparently, while the shelves were devoid of said item, the computer said they had 65 of them in stock. After much throwing of little bitty boxes across the top shelf, this skinny little weenie comes down off the ladder and tells them he'll have to go look in the back, but as he's walking away, he muttered "I guess I'll be helping you people for the next hour...at least". Excuse me? Earth calling dipstick! If you're going to insult your customers you might want to make sure they can't hear you!! Although, in retrospect, the little guy may not have known I was with Randey and Jake because I hadn't been with them the whole time and when I did join them, I stood off to the side reading my magazine. And as I was off to the side, along the path this guy had to take to get to the back, I'm the only one who heard what he said. Unfortunately for him, I suffer from what I like to call "menopausal rage" and immediately took off in search of a manager, whom I found fairly quickly near the front of the store. I told said manager that if his employee had something better to do with his time, I certainly could find another store to spend my money in. No problemo. Say the word. Naturally, the manager was appalled blah, blah, blah and right away snagged another employee who was walking by and ordered that he assist us with our Fry Shopping Needs. We did finally get the stupid wireless card, but I gotta tell you...my experience was forever tainted by that little jerk and his mutterings. I won't be shopping there again. Bad customer service is my biggest pet peeve of all time. I didn't shop at Target for over 5 years because of Bad Customer Service and, in fact, have never darkened the doorstep of the Target in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida again because of their Bad Customer Service, nor will I ever. I told you...pathological intensity about this....
  2. Another thing that makes me nuts...Blu's dog hair all over my carpets. He's black. My carpet is very light. Usually. Unless it's covered with his dog hair. Then it's just nasty. I'd have to vacuum 4 times a day to keep up with his shedding. I just can't stand it. Blu is Randey's dog and he promised, promised, promised me, before we got another Chow, that he would tend to all the brushing, etc. Well, technically, I guess he's kept that promise because he is the one who brushes Blu-boy out. He just doesn't do it near often enough to keep up with his shedding.
  3. Next would have to be stupid phone calls. Stupid and/or long phone calls. I swear, I'm putting a timer next to my phone and once it goes off, the phone call is over. Period. No exceptions. I hate talking on the phone with a passion. Why? Because I can't get anything done when I'm on the phone. Telephones aren't designed the way they were back in the day. Used to be - some time between when phones went cordless and when they went tiny - you could walk around with a phone tucked in between your shoulder and your ear for hours, no problem. My little bitty phones require that you hold them to your ear or they'll fall. This means I can't do anything as long as I'm on the phone. Therefore, an hour spent on the phone is an hour I've missed doing something else...people should say what they've got to say and be done with it. I'd probably answer the phone a whole lot more than I do if I wasn't worried about being stuck on it forever and a day.
  4. Speaking of phones, another thing that makes my spine crack is people talking on their cell phone while they're driving. Come on, people! What makes you think that driving 75 miles per hour on the Interstate while talking on a phone is a good idea? Hang.Up.And.Drive.
  5. Also on the list is drug users. I'm sorry that your reality isn't all you thought it would be. Really I am. But alter it some other way. Pot heads, crack heads, Valium addicts, drunks...you really and truly grind my gears. Let me tell you something...whilst in your chemically altered state of mind, you are not as funny, as witty or as profound as you like to think. So shut up. Sit down. And detox. Then we'll chat.
  6. Being kept waiting. Yeah, that's a big one, too. I've already covered this in another post so I won't bore you again with details.
  7. Sensationalist news reporting. That also jacks my jaws. Can't you just report the flippin' news? I don't want your editorials. I don't want your "meaningful pauses" between words. I don't want your asinine questions, such as gems like this; "How did it feel when you thought your loved one was dead?". Honestly, people. What kind of an idiot would ask something like that? Besides 99% of the talking heads on television today, especially that entire group of morons who do the morning shows, I mean.
  8. Those big, dumb looking baggy pants that some guys (and even some girls!) wear. The crotch of your pants should not be on the same level as your kneecaps. Not only that, but I have no desire, whatsoever, to see what color boxers you're wearing. Really. I think the wearers of those pants seriously overestimate the interest of the general public in their undergarments. Because eeeeewwwww.
  9. Menopause. Menopause really torques me up, too. It sucks. It sucks. It sucks. Can't seem to get past those 2 words right now so I'll just stop.
  10. Finally, this is a pet peeve that kind of actually mystifies me. I don't know why it burns my butt like it does, but boy...it does. I cannot stand for someone to misuse the word "literally". You see, that phrase "burns my butt", that's figuratively speaking. Not literally. I mean, if it was literal, that would mean my arse was feeling the affects of an actual, physical burn. For some reason, people today use "literally" in place of "figuratively" all the d*mn time. Maybe "figuratively" has too many syllables for them or maybe it's just harder to pronounce. I don't know. But I can assure you, those two words are as far from interchangeable as you can get. I was watching a design show the other day and the host actually told the homeowner "I'm so glad you like it! My heart was literally beating outside my chest!". Well no it wasn't, Idiot. You'd have gotten blood, and possibly gore, all over that new room you'd just decorated if your heart was literally beating outside your chest. Urrrgh! I've heard newscasters misuse this word, too. I've heard it misused in dramas on tv, in the movies and a whole lot in real live. Stop the madness! We, as a society, are actually (i.e.; literally) changing the meaning of words by virtue of the fact that a word is so misused that its meaning becomes something else entirely! Grab a thesaurus. Look up the word figurative. Now look lower, where it lists the antonyms of figurative. Literal will most likely be the first word listed. Because they are opposites! I won't say that continued misuse of these words will drive me insane. But it is a possibility. Literally.

So what about you guys? What really grinds your gears, burns your butt and/or jacks your jaws? If you choose to do this post, please let me know in a comment so I can be sure to hop (figuratively speaking, of course) on over to check it out.

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43 comments:

  1. Hey Kari- Looks like we share a lot of the same pet peeves!!!! Bad customer service is at the very top of my list though ;o) Our Hobby Lobby has the worst customer service I have ever seen in my life and I only go there when I can't buy what I need at another store or on the internet. I have complained but they don't seem to care....Have a great weekend!!!!!!
    ~Des

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  2. hmmm ~
    the use of "double negatives", for example, "it don't matter to me".


    xo,
    Kim

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  3. Did your blood pressure go up on this one? :) I was in stitches, my secretary said to share the joy!

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  4. Hey Kari, good list...
    A few of mine would be:
    1. clueless drivers when picking up my daughter from high school.
    2. tag phone calls, calling my cell, then house then cell then house repeatedly until I answer. I am not answering because I cannot at the time. I have caller id. I will call you back when my hands are free.
    3. loud parents at ball games (when they are being critical)... they are just kids for goodness sakes and this is for fun, right?

    Okay, better now! :)

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  5. Overuse of the word "like" like why do people like have to use it like all the time!

    People on cell phones saying, "can you hear me? I can't hear you. Can you hear me now?" Good grief! Hang up and call back when you have better reception!

    People calling when they KNOW I'm trying to teach and leaving messages such as "I know you're busy" (They leave messages because I've quit answering - I love caller ID).

    Self-righteous people who believe their way of life should be lived by everyone and they continually promote that to me.

    Church groups and organizations who have become so political that they lose sight of their purpose for organizing in the first place.

    I also have many of the same complaints as you - dog hair all over the place, bad customer service...

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  6. I don't know, can I just say "ditto" yours since I am in agreement with everything you just said...and have decided that I must have started menopause when I'm like, I don't know, 13? Because that's how long I've been irritated by other people's stupidity...and you think it may be menopause connected...lucky I had kids, huh?

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  7. LOL...can second all yours except for the last one...kind of neutral on that subject.

    I don't think I'll touch this one at my blog at this time, but I will tell you...I wish this was a meme where we could tag someone and they "had" to do it...I would dearly love to hear some things that really "burnt" some of these perfect seeming bloggers butts. I mean it is disconcerting to think you are the only one in your blogging group that ever has an honest emotion that comes through on your blog. This is the main thing that "grinds my gears" at this time!!!

    Well...there are others...but, maybe I should open up that new blog and do this first thing and clear the air hmmm???

    What am I talking...I can barely keep up with the one I've got now!!

    Can I just say right here and right now...I'm so glad you are "real"!!

    Hugs to YOU!!
    :)

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  8. My goodness Kari I pretty much dislike the same things as you, from dog hair ( I have an indoor Husky if that gives you any clue with cream colored carpets, hence why I now won the Dyson) to druggies and baggy pants! I wont post the top ten on my blog as it might get my blood boiling and I need to stay calm in my time of "waiting" HAHAHA :)
    Enjoy your weekend!

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  9. I agree, bad customer service really gets on my nerves. This is a great blog topic, I'm going to try to post my 'top 10' on my blog later this weekend.

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  10. Ooh what a good topic for a post! I hate junk mail,also in shops when they try to pressure you to open an account or get a store-card! And getting credit card applications I don't want through the post, or phonecalls from credit card companies! As if I need the temptation when it's all I can do to stick to my 'budget' lol!!

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  11. you're so funny! a lot of the same things "grind my gears" too!

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  12. Yup, my gears grind over many of these same ones and I'll add one: long messages left on answering machines.

    Thanks for the laughs!

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  13. I'm with you on menopause. Hot flashes, my dupa...more like hot deluges!
    My two pet peeves of the road: people who don't signal...and people who race 30 miles an hour towards a stop sign, pass the stop sign, and finally stop at the corner 3 feet away.
    And I really do have to add people who drive and yak on their phones to that list!

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  14. Dear Kari, I finished reading the post and LITERALLY am still laughing. For me, its coupon vs. Q-pon. Sooo annoying. Funny! Stephanie

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  15. Thanks for the big huge grins Kari. Did you see me literally nodding right along with you? (Well...did you figuratively see me?)

    I have to admit that I'm still in awe of someone that vacumns four times a day!

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  16. Sheesh girl...now I am sitting here laughing, scaring the cats again and woke Bill up!
    I think I will do this...give me until Sunday night and I will link back to you. Of course, I am usually so easy going and sweet and darling that I do not ever get upset or angry or gear grinding...nope. Well, except for sales calls, awful customer service, cat and dog hair on furniture and rugs, snotty people who think they are better because they have bigger houses, more education, thinner bodies, whatever. Oh, then there are drunks who sit right behind you at a game or concert, smokers who blow it INTO my poor little asthmatic lungs
    and tell me it is THEIR right to smoke, overly zealous news people,
    people who make sure they let me know that they think the movie I just saw, and loved, was THE most hideous thing THEY ever saw.
    People who are cruel to animals, kids, the elderly, handicapped...
    careless drivers...
    and about 298,764,541,000 more. Other than that I never get upset!

    This was a FUN idea!!! You just tickle me so!

    Hugs,
    Sue

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  17. Darn, wish I had time to do my list right now while I have so many things popping in my head. (Not literally.) Maybe I'll make this a post sometime over the weekend after my guest leave :-)

    Loved your list and agree with it all.

    Hugs!
    Kat

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  18. See I told you it would be fun, even though it gets your blood boiling a bit. I forgot to add Chloe's cat hair to my list. That is a huge one. I get so tired of vacuuming. I got her an appointment to get shaved on Oct. 27th, can you believe that's the earliest they could get her in? Geez. Anyway, love the post.

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  19. Hi Kari,
    I found you through Brenda at Country Romance. I really got a good guffaw out your blog. Ok, ready...

    The misuse of the word regardless. I can't stand it when people say irregardless. WHAT?? Regardless of what people might think...irregardless is a double negative and you sound like a complete fool.

    The misuse of the phrase: Couldn't care less. When people say I could care less I want to say, Really? How much less could you care?

    People who don't use Spell Check! I realize that there may times when you misspell the occasional word. Everyone has done it including myself. But seriously people, proofread your typing before saying something!

    Bratty kids and obnoxious parents who do nothing to discipline them. I'm all for giving them a good smack when they're back-talking. BUT, if you don't believe in any form of corporal punishment that's fine. Then do something else! When I'm shopping or sitting in church and your kids starts screaming and wailing then take the little bugger outside and impart whatever nondiscipline you want. But I want peace and quiet!

    Smart-ass punks who have no respect for anything doesn't belong to them.

    Computer issues - need I say more?

    And pretty much everything you mentioned plus probably a hundred other things! These were just a few examples of things that chap my ass.

    Love,
    Julie

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  20. Phones! Yuck! I didn't even like it back in the day, when I could go around with the phone tucked between ear and shoulder! I'd hear the other gal clinking and clanking away in her kitchen and think, ahhhhhhhh, could you take 2 min. to listen to me please? To just listen to me?

    And back then, your were sort of SUPPOSED to DOOOO stuff, while chatting on the phone. Guess it sort of make it ok to "waste time" on the phone, as long as you make a 5 course dinner, at the same time. Nope. Didn't like that either.

    So now, I'd say telephones should only be used for emergency purposes. And, maybe, for that 2 min. concise message we both tolerate.

    We have spoken! How come it didn't become law???

    ,-)

    Mari-Nanci
    Who isn't gonna' start on stuff that Pisses Me Off because so much does! Grrrr.. ^_^

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  21. I know and I figured it is a woman thing...I couldn't believe Sally Field (you like me you really like me...not so much) made such a bald statement about if Mom's ran the world there would be no war? There might not be any land to fight over because apparently she doens't understand the Mother Protecting Her Young concept AT ALL! I would kill for my offspring and their offspring. Hell, some days I'd kill for my cats, so where does that leave me? Whew. Glad to get that off my chest. Uncle Wallace just came in to read over my shoulder and made a wry comment...be glad she doesn't carry a gun legally anymore...hey, I can still carry legally, so he best hush and go away...oh, and go over to Sophie's place and look at that wild nutcracker...I want one! Anyone else who wants a good laugh, go see our Soph at www.sophiehoneysuckle.blogspot.com
    way cool!!!!

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  22. Those Nextel radios that squawk and beep. AND busy people with blue tooths in their ear.
    No one wants to hear your conversation!
    I never leave here without a chuckle in my heart (figuratively speaking of course)

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  23. ROTFL! Did I just write that in my sleep?

    Another pet peeve are signs outside shop where they can't figure out where to put an apostrophe - for instance "Fresh egg's" or "Hot Breakfast's" grrrrrrrrrrr!

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  24. Oh yeah - that's another good one from Country Cottage Chic. The use of an apostrophe is to show possession or make a contraction. I hate when I see The Smith's. I actually had someone argue with me when I bought a Snowman Family display that there should be an apostrophe on my last name. I tried to explain that I was trying to say that this was a possession of my house - you're just pluralizing my last name!!!!! Only when a last name ends in "s" is is appropriate to use an apostrophe.

    GRAMMAR!

    Love,
    Julie

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  25. One time I was interviewing administrative assistants for the accounting firm where I worked and the woman described herself as being very "professionally orientated". Thanks - neeeexxxxt!

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  26. This post made me laugh out loud.

    I hate sales call at 6pm when both the children and I are bad tempered and hungry. I'm normally trying to dish up / help with homework / placate my 3 year old. I really don't want to talk about mortgages / life assurance / mobile phone contracts !

    Have a great weekend, just stay away from Frys!

    Julia

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  27. Kari -- I can't stand the women who come to a Saturday morning high school soccer game looking like they stepped out of Vogue. I can't even find clean sweatpants, and they are perfectly coiffed, manicured, and clutching their Chanel bag! Aaargh!

    Great pot!
    xoxo,
    Mary

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  28. Okay, now you have to go over to Jodie's and plead with her not to shave Chloe, I can't bear it if she does...you talk to her...I've recommended she have the Groomers do what groomers do, and groom Chloe. Send her a picture of Spider...now I think Spider is quite the little man (hell, he may be quite the girl, just bald) but Chloe would hate her forever, she knows how girls and their can be...oh well, just do what you can, this may well be the main grind my gear complaint!

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  29. girls and their hair, is what I meant to say, girls and their hair...

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  30. This is a great post! Why get riled over anything? Life's too short.....HA....I should take my own advice!

    Cruelty to animals & children..
    Get off the phone & drive..
    Obnoxious teens...especially girls..
    Braggers, loudmouths, tightwads..
    and most everything that's been mentioned here.


    Kari, I'd love to see your mosaic!
    Hugs DebraK

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  31. I think most of mine have been mentioned, but:

    Long lines at the checkout & there's only one register open! That really gets my blood boiling & I've been known to shout across the way to someone behind the Return counter that wouldn't it be a great idea to open another register???

    That's probably the one that really chaps me the most! Luckily it doesn't happen too often.

    Boo-hoooo, sorry you didn't win my giveaway, Kari!

    Rhoda

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  32. I started laughing at the figuratively/literally usage and my son needed to know what I was laughing at (the heart literally coming out of the chest comment) I read it to him and he thought it was funny but he re-phrased that to say "my heart is figuratively jumping out of my chest" and Kari, that was even funnier!
    I used to work at a bank and customer service is a big thing for me, but what I'm not too fond of is when that one employee is working all by her/himself and all these people in line had been waiting patiently, then this one person who just got in line starts to complain and get everyone else complaining without even showing any compassion for that one employee. That really grinds me!
    I'm also with you on the phone thing. I cannot just call without a specific purpose and feel the same way about people calling me. Fortunately, verizon has this thing where someone has to put a code in (or you program their number on a phone list) for my phone to ring at all, otherwise it goes straight to voicemail and when I FEEL LIKE IT, I check my voice mail, which averages out to once a week!
    I can't say the misuse of English grammar is a pet peeve as I'm a repeat offender!!!!

    Also I won't tell you everything my son said about your post..he is such a smarty pants! lol AND he's just 11 so you shouldn't really care.

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  33. Christmas lights still up in April. That drives me crazy.
    Great post!

    tea
    xo

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  34. Where is my Texas star? I have been missing you. I hope all is well.

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  35. Hi Kari! I just wanted to tell you I enjoyed reading your blog - and I will be back! I laughed out loud at your posts on menopause. I'm laughing with you, not at you! I don't give a you-know-what what the hormone meter says - I know a hot flash when I have one!
    Nice to 'meet' you.

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  36. Hi Kari!! Hope you are o.k. and not feeling too ground down! I just thought of another one!! I hate it when you go to the hairdressers and when they're cutting your hair, they carry on chatting to their fellow hairdressers beside them and don't always pay attention to cutting...Have a good week seagull!Love magpiexx

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  37. This was a hoot, Kari!!Literally!!I hooted all the way through your post!! hoohoohoot!;-)

    The use of further and farther always gets me goin'!

    We seem to be on the same wave length.

    Thanks! Pat

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  38. Thank you thank you thank you for defining the difference between figuratively and literally. I’m glad that there are other people out there that grasp this concept!

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  39. We share most of the same aside from your doggie's hair, which although may annoy you doesn't me, since I don't live with him lol. One of my biggest is people you tailgate. That annoys the living snot outta me.

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  40. We share most of the same aside from your doggie's hair, which although may annoy you doesn't me, since I don't live with him lol. One of my biggest is people you tailgate. That annoys the living snot outta me.

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  41. I haven't seen you in awhile so I had to come drag you in kicking and screaming!
    I hate it when people on t.v. are in agreement with each other (usually just to avoid the truth) and they say AB-SO-LUTE-LY. Count the absolutelys on Dr. Phil.

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  42. Where are you Miss Kari? Came looking for menopause monday. Good post. Take care.

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  43. You are so what to tell you THE BEST, Fabulous you!
    Such a fine lady !!!

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