# April Annoyances (mini-rants) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 1, 2015, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-annoyances-mini-rants/716516 "2015-04-01T16:57:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2015, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-annoyances-mini-rants/716516/181 "2015-04-08T19:36:05Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Yep. I went to a bike rally in San Jose, many bikes had no lights, no reflectors and the riders wore all black (they tried, but they couldnt find any darker color)- and they said “_You can’t hit what you can’t see!_”.:eek::dubious::mad: I believe the accepted response to that is to shut your eyes then punch them in the face. ---
**Author:** ![tenacious\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/439d5e/32.png) [@tenacious\_j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tenacious_j)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2015, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-annoyances-mini-rants/716516/182 "2015-04-08T20:00:56Z")
> [@Doctor\_Why\_Bother](#): > > Suggestion for the betterment of mankind: In doctor’s waiting rooms, instead of appointments, top priority should be given to mothers with screaming, gibbering, puling, barking, shrieking, hateful children, the better to get the little shits out the fucking door as soon as humanly possible. > > Thoughts? No way. If the kid and/or parent really is hateful and evil, not just a little crabby from his ear infection, put them in a soundproof room and make them wait until the rest of us model patients get through. I did what I was supposed to and I didn’t bother anyone. I’m moving to the front of the line. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2015, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-annoyances-mini-rants/716516/183 "2015-04-08T20:15:29Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Yep. I went to a bike rally in San Jose, many bikes had no lights, no reflectors and the riders wore all black (they tried, but they couldnt find any darker color)- and they said “_You can’t hit what you can’t see!_”.:eek::dubious::mad: The unfortunate real life consequence, as Amy Sensor can tell you, is that maybe you didn’t hit anything at all when your car went THUNK, so just keep driving. ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2015, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-annoyances-mini-rants/716516/184 "2015-04-09T01:30:13Z")
Ugh, I have a horrid headache which I don’t need right now. I have a report due tonight, a presentation Saturday, another report Sunday and another report and presentation due Tuesday before my final on the following Saturday. I do NOT need a headache or to come down with something. Once I get through this week and a half I can put this insane semester of two classes on top of work behind me and never do anything so silly again. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2015, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-annoyances-mini-rants/716516/185 "2015-04-09T02:00:04Z")
> [@Doctor\_Why\_Bother](#): > > Suggestion for the betterment of mankind: In doctor’s waiting rooms, instead of appointments, top priority should be given to mothers with screaming, gibbering, puling, barking, shrieking, hateful children, the better to get the little shits out the fucking door as soon as humanly possible. > > Thoughts? As the mother of a small child, I am all for this. Pad the walls, too, so I don’t have to worry about her hurting herself while she screams and flails. ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2015, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-annoyances-mini-rants/716516/186 "2015-04-09T14:00:59Z")
Found out someone I knew many years ago is dying of cancer. (Not an actual friend, more of a friend-of-a-friend, but he was very kind to teenage-me and I never forgot that.) There’s a Go Fund Me page set up for him. Not sure how true this is, but on the page it says that because he’s terminal the Cancer Society would rather use their funds for someone “who has more time left.” I don’t know…that just bothers me. ---
**Author:** ![Indyellen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/indyellen/32/4176_2.png) [@Indyellen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indyellen)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2015, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-annoyances-mini-rants/716516/187 "2015-04-09T15:57:21Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Is it because your town has the Indy500 that you’re not allowed to park your car and use a walk-up ATM? > > 😛 I have no personal objection to using a walk-up ATM, but I was blocked in. But yes, I suspect you’re right regarding the typical Indianapolisian. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2015, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-annoyances-mini-rants/716516/188 "2015-04-09T16:15:33Z")
> [@Soylent\_Juicy](#): > > Found out someone I knew many years ago is dying of cancer. (Not an actual friend, more of a friend-of-a-friend, but he was very kind to teenage-me and I never forgot that.) There’s a Go Fund Me page set up for him. Not sure how true this is, but on the page it says that because he’s terminal the Cancer Society would rather use their funds for someone “who has more time left.” > > I don’t know…that just bothers me. Yeah, that would bother me too. I wonder how they think the patient is going to feel when he sees that. I’d have thought the Cancer Society would be a bit more compassionate. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2015, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-annoyances-mini-rants/716516/189 "2015-04-09T18:56:39Z")
I was browsing pinterest just now during a lull in my work and stumbled upon a container garden section. It was really cool…until I found a picture of what I _think_ were supposed to be eggplants, but what actually looked like a cluster of low-hanging white dildos. Goddammit, now I can’t get the image out of my head. And I’m supposed to be all serious and get on a conference call and talk about some new legislation! Why the hell did I just do that??? ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2015, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-annoyances-mini-rants/716516/190 "2015-04-09T20:13:46Z")
> [@Indyellen](#): > > I believe I was in the drive-up at the bank behind the Queen of the World last night. > > I had to leave work early to go to a doctor appointment. On the way, I had to stop at the ATM to pull out my copay. The person in front of me slides their card, punches in a number, and does a couple things. Then she looks at a receipt. Then she slides her card again, and goes through the process again. She did this at least 6 times before I finally lost my temper and honked at her. After that last time, she finally drove away. I wasn’t the only car waiting, either. > > Trust me, if you don’t get the information you’re looking for the first time, the sixth time isn’t going to be any different. If you need to keep trying, go around and try again, but let those behind you move! The ATM at my bank only lets you do one transaction per swipe, so if you need to, say, check balances on two accounts, transfer some funds and withdraw some cash you’ll have to do at least 4 swipes, entering your PIN each time. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-annoyances-mini-rants/716516/191 "2015-04-10T02:37:32Z")
In February, I decided to visit a doctor for a physical exam for the first time since about 2009. Among the issues I wanted to address were the apparent recurrence of a hiatal hernia and peptic ulcer, possible prostate issues, and the worsening of the pain in my right hip (my right leg is now approximately half an inch shorter than my left; the attendant shortening of the muscles has reduced my range of motion by at least 25%, which makes putting a sock n my right foot a daily adventure in logistical contortionism). He ordered a full set of lab work (including blood, urine and stool samples), all of which revealed me to be systemically as healthy as a horse (well, a horse with a vitamin D deficiency), X-rays of the hip (which revealed osteopenia, and advanced arthritis), and a consult with a gastroenterologist suggesting a possible need for a colonoscopy (the GE concurred). He also gave me Percocet to manage the hip pain, which I’ve been treating (with very limited effctiveness) with Naproxen. It’s been markedly better than the Naproxen (although not affecting the RoM issues). But as of today, my colonoscopy is five days away, and the GE ordered me off of anything that may compromise the clotting ability of my blood, just in case they find anything that needs snipping off. I am gonna be in a WORLD of hurt for the next five days ☹ It’s highly doubtful that my boss would be sympathetic to an argument that not being able to take NSAIDS should make it okay for me to bring a flask of tequila in to work. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-annoyances-mini-rants/716516/192 "2015-04-10T03:06:29Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > He also gave me Percocet to manage the hip pain, which I’ve been treating (with very limited effctiveness) with Naproxen. It’s been markedly better than the Naproxen (although not affecting the RoM issues). > > But as of today, my colonoscopy is five days away, and the GE ordered me off of anything that may compromise the clotting ability of my blood, just in case they find anything that needs snipping off. I am gonna be in a WORLD of hurt for the next five days ☹ > > It’s highly doubtful that my boss would be sympathetic to an argument that not being able to take NSAIDS should make it okay for me to bring a flask of tequila in to work. Plain old Percocet is acetaminophen and oxycodone and should not have any of the blood clotting issues like Naproxen, Aspirin and Ibuprofen.😕 (of course you have Percocet _with Naproxen_) Mind you of course your MD knows best. Have you asked about a substitute pain reliever for those five days? My Doc was able to give me something. ---
**Author:** ![Dunkelheit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dunkelheit/32/248_2.png) [@Dunkelheit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunkelheit)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-annoyances-mini-rants/716516/193 "2015-04-10T07:20:18Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Plain old Percocet is acetaminophen and oxycodone and should not have any of the blood clotting issues like Naproxen, Aspirin and Ibuprofen.😕 (of course you have Percocet _with Naproxen_) > > Mind you of course your MD knows best. Have you asked about a substitute pain reliever for those five days? > > My Doc was able to give me something. Yes, ibuprofen too, apparently. Getting jabbed for bloods left huge bruises on my arms, apparently partly to do with my daily doses of ibuprofen, coupled with a relatively incompetent healthcare professional who then had to call in an actual phlebotomist to do the job because she couldn’t get into the vein. But the phlebotomist used the other arm and still left a bruise, though not as big as the one on the arm that failed. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-annoyances-mini-rants/716516/194 "2015-04-10T17:16:12Z")
> [@Dunkelheit](#): > > Yes, ibuprofen too, apparently. Getting jabbed for bloods left huge bruises on my arms, apparently partly to do with my daily doses of ibuprofen, coupled with a relatively incompetent healthcare professional who then had to call in an actual phlebotomist to do the job because she couldn’t get into the vein. But the phlebotomist used the other arm and still left a bruise, though not as big as the one on the arm that failed. True, true. NSAIDs are very safe, even safer than Tylenol, but still they all cause blood clotting issues. etc. [http://www.webmd.com/drug-medication/otc-pain-relief-10/pain-relievers-nsaids](http://www.webmd.com/drug-medication/otc-pain-relief-10/pain-relievers-nsaids) ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-annoyances-mini-rants/716516/195 "2015-04-10T17:18:17Z")
A prime example of why Oregon can’t get its educational shit together: the head of the Oregon school system is retiring with a pension of $300,000. And that’s not even the most outrageous part. He’s taking a new job in the education system, but limiting his salary to $161,000/yr because otherwise he’d have to forego his pension. So this bloodsucker will be removing nearly $500,000 from the budget every fucking year for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, Oregon has serious problems with graduation rates and schools deteriorating, and goes begging every year for taxpayers to foot the bill for bonds to repair them. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-annoyances-mini-rants/716516/196 "2015-04-10T18:55:32Z")
Every time I click on the “Forum Jump” pull down on the Dope, reading the “Thread Games” selection forces Foreigner’s _Head Games_ earworm to get stuck in my head. It’s been going on for weeks now and I’m about ready to quit visiting The Dope over it. “Thread games, it’s you and me baby! Thread games, and I can’t take it anymore Thread games, I don’t wanna play the… Thread games…” This is my last ditch attempt to transfer the earworm to others and hopefully purge it from my brain. Suck on it, Dopers! ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-annoyances-mini-rants/716516/197 "2015-04-10T18:58:12Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > A prime example of why Oregon can’t get its educational shit together: the head of the Oregon school system is retiring with a pension of $300,000. And that’s not even the most outrageous part. He’s taking a new job in the education system, but limiting his salary to $161,000/yr because otherwise he’d have to forego his pension. So this bloodsucker will be removing nearly $500,000 from the budget every fucking year for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, Oregon has serious problems with graduation rates and schools deteriorating, and goes begging every year for taxpayers to foot the bill for bonds to repair them. :smack: Not much better here in NJ. Our local superintendent (FOR A SINGLE SCHOOL) makes $137k. She’s currently occupied with efforts to fire our school principal – this great woman who has made test scores go up, has great empathy with kids and does an all around stellar job. I’m trying to see what can be done to fire the stupid superintendent and completely get rid of her job. We don’t need her at all. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-annoyances-mini-rants/716516/198 "2015-04-10T19:01:17Z")
Went online last night to pay my credit card bill and check the transactions, and someone had apparently used my CC number to make a $600 purchase from American Airlines. It only happened yesterday; the charge was approved but still pending on my statement. Called the Chase frauds people, and they’re crediting my account and issuing me a new card. No big deal, i guess, but a bit of a pain in the ass. The number was most likely obtained in some sort of online breach of one of the merchants i use, i suppose. The card itself never left my possession. The woman from Chase said that it appears the number was entered manually, meaning that the airline ticket was probably bought over the phone. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-annoyances-mini-rants/716516/199 "2015-04-10T19:08:03Z")
> [@LavenderBlue](#): > > I’m trying to see what can be done to fire the stupid superintendent and completely get rid of her job. We don’t need her at all. You can get rid of her, but you need her position. I know many people think that superintendent is a job that isnt needed, but with all the various State Federal and local laws, funding and what now- this is beyond what any principal can do or should be asked to do. It’s a high paying job as it’s worth it. Now, sure, it’s possible to combine School districts and save that way. but that also gets people entrenched. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2015, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-annoyances-mini-rants/716516/200 "2015-04-10T19:11:26Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > A prime example of why Oregon can’t get its educational shit together: the head of the Oregon school system is retiring with a pension of $300,000. And that’s not even the most outrageous part. He’s taking a new job in the education system, but limiting his salary to $161,000/yr because otherwise he’d have to forego his pension. So this bloodsucker will be removing nearly $500,000 from the budget every fucking year for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, Oregon has serious problems with graduation rates and schools deteriorating, and goes begging every year for taxpayers to foot the bill for bonds to repair them. :smack: Yeah, i’m a supporter of decent pay and conditions for public employees. I’m a public employee myself. But some of the pensions and other benefits that come with some public sector job are, in my opinion, well out of whack, especially for the people in the upper administrative sections. Even in my own area of work, in the California State University system, i would support some changes in the pension system. For example, your pension and other retirement benefits are calculated based on the year in which you received your highest income. So, for example, if you’re a professor of $80,000 a year, and you spend a year as an Associate Dean on $130K, and then go back to your old $80K job, when you retire your benefits are calculated based on that one year in the Dean’s office. I know people who have taken on short-term highly-paid admin positions for this very reason. In some cases, they also volunteer to teach two or three summer courses, at about $8-10K a pop, in order to drive their income up even further for the purposes of retirement calculations. I don’t blame them too much for taking advantage of the system, i guess, but i think the system needs to be changed. As i said, i support fair wage and benefit systems for public employees. Salaries for academics in our system have declined considerably (in inflation-adjusted terms) over the last decade, and they should be improved. But i also think that pension benefits should be calculated in a more reasonable way. For example, i would support a system where the calculation was based not on your single highest-paid year, but on the average of your last, say, 8 or 10 years in the job. That would be a fairer and more accurate reflection of your position. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-annoyances-mini-rants/716516.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-annoyances-mini-rants/716516.md?page=11)