I’m quite sure that everyone is occasionally troubled by their own personal, pesky, perturbing pet peeves–those insignificant minor little acts or occurrences that just drive you absolutely bonkers. I feel your pain, brothers and sisters. I believe a key aspect in the pet peeve category is that it may well seem acceptable to others. For me a pet peeve is an event or incident that overly irritates me at the time, however is soon forgotten. Not that you asked, but here are a few of my top ten peeves.
I’m quite sure that everyone is occasionally troubled by their own personal, pesky, perturbing pet peeves–those insignificant minor little acts or occurrences that just drive you absolutely bonkers. I feel your pain, brothers and sisters. I believe a key aspect in the pet peeve category is that it may well seem acceptable to others. For me a pet peeve is an event or incident that overly irritates me at the time, however is soon forgotten. Not that you asked, but here are a few of my top ten peeves.
- When the first car in a left turn lane does not move. I’m the fifth car in line waiting for the green arrow light to turn left. The arrow illuminates but the lead car doesn’t move as horns begin honking. Slowly the first car begins his turn just as the arrow disappears, allowing only his crappy 1987 Nova to squeak through the light. People, it’s quite simple, when you are the first vehicle in a left turn lane you have a moral obligation to mankind to remain alert and ready to pounce the instant the arrow appears. I mean really, is that asking too much. All I’m saying is that being first in line is a privilege and carries some serious responsibilities, so wake up buddy and do your job!
- People who are always late. I appreciate that occasionally things happen causing a person to be late. However, in my mind selfish people who are continually tardy are rude, uncaring, egomaniacal twits who need a good spanking. Okay, that’s a little harsh, but it does indicate little regard for the person or people who are patiently waiting their arrival. Here’s a little suggestion for you chronic slowpokes–get ready earlier, watch the clock, get your butt out the door and be on time. The worst culprits in this group of slackers are the late-to-the-movie bunch. They nonchalantly enter the theater when it’s dark, and their eyes are not adjusted to the sudden change. So they clumsily proceed to blindly stumble down the aisle like mindless zombies, reaching out with their grimy hands to feel their way into an empty seat. “Sorry lady, that’s my box of Milk Duds you have your mitts on.” Now her husband, who awkwardly follows calling out every five seconds, “Martha, where are you?” has his sweaty palm on my face. Of course I cowardly keep my mouth shut because I’m in a dark, strange room and the dude just might be off his meds and looking for an altercation. It ain’t that difficult citizens, so from now on, for the sake of my sanity, show some respect and be on time!
- Having to wait while someone snaps a photo. You and the family are spending a much anticipated day at Disneyland. On your merry way from Adventureland to Tomorrowland, the family must stop four different times while oblivious groups are in the process of creating magnificent memories for posterity by snapping pictures. Extremely sweet, except for the fact they are blocking a major walkway halting hordes of people who must stop and wait for them to push the button. You wait and wait while one young lady fusses with her hair and an irate mother chases a whiny kid who wants some cotton candy. A leisurely stroll that should have taken five minutes has eaten up twenty minutes of your quality time at the happiest place on earth. Then, just seconds before entering Tomorrowland, a cute couple from Nebraska (you know this because they explain in excruciating detail how their hometown of Podunk has nothing quite like Disneyland) asks you to snap their picture with Mickey Mouse (make that six pictures please). My solution is to never stop for a camera. Instead, just drop your head and keep walking as if they don’t exist. Rude, yes, but effective.
- People who complain out loud in long store lines. If you’re in a foul mood because the grocery line is slow, do me a favor, keep it to yourself. Please don’t turn around and look for sympathy from me…please! If a line is creeping along due to a price check on dill pickles, or a blue-haired grandma with an expired credit card, I can see it. However, I don’t want to converse about it with a total stranger unless she’s a super model. It’s not a “band-of-brothers” moment, okay. I’m not looking for mindless drivel or making new friends at check stand 3. The worst situation occurs when the dude in front of me starts whining and the woman behind me chimes in. Now I’m sandwiched between two disgruntled blathering shoppers tediously droning on about their plight. Suck it up people!
I’ll leave you with a short list of some other irritations that have not yet reached pet peeve status–conspiracy theories, drivers who don’t use a turn signal, kids who tease dogs through a fence, couples who sit on the same side of the booth when there is no one on the other side, using speaker phones in public areas, celebrities claiming to be environmentalists, politicians who say, “the American people want…” coin operated parking lots, people who leave shopping baskets in parking lot, parking small cars in two spaces and people who complain how busy the always are.
