# Idiotic stuff you do on a consistent basis **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 5, 2018, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-stuff-you-do-on-a-consistent-basis/813660 "2018-05-05T19:47:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-stuff-you-do-on-a-consistent-basis/813660/41 "2018-05-09T16:21:12Z")
> [@Max\_Torque](#): > > I have this weird tendency to turn left, especially when I’m mentally sorting down my “what am I doing next” list. But very often, I need to turn right to do whatever task is next, and I don’t just stop in the middle of a turn. Instead of a nice sharp 90 degrees to the right, I do a 270 degree pirouette to the left. > > I spin around like this way too much. Excellent post/username combo! > [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > “See attachment etc…” on an email, then forgot to attach anything… One of the few features added to Microsoft Outlook in the last 10 years or so that is actually helpful is the reminder that helps you not to do this. I have a colleague who is notorious for sending attachment-less emails despite this - I suggested she added the word “attached” to her email signature so as to always trigger this warning :). My response to the OP is forgetting some vital item when I leave my desk for a lunchtime run. I’d say at least 50% of the time I walk down 4 flights of stairs with my stuff, only to find I’ve left my shoes, socks, shorts, t-shirt, security pass, watch, towel, or shower gel behind. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-stuff-you-do-on-a-consistent-basis/813660/42 "2018-05-09T17:28:55Z")
Now that we’re discussing email, I’ll mention all my colleagues who use “Reply-To-All” on gigantic group emails, when they really should be replying only to the sender. I will also mention all of the other colleagues who then reply-to-all screaming “STOP USING REPLY-TO-ALL!” I’ve had occasions where I end up with a couple dozen useless emails in my queue in the space of a few minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-stuff-you-do-on-a-consistent-basis/813660/43 "2018-05-09T18:07:47Z")
I put double spaces after each period. Oh wait, that’s not me, that’s [you all.](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=854467) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-stuff-you-do-on-a-consistent-basis/813660/44 "2018-05-09T18:33:48Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > Now that we’re discussing email, I’ll mention all my colleagues who use “Reply-To-All” on gigantic group emails, when they really should be replying only to the sender. > > I will also mention all of the other colleagues who then reply-to-all screaming “STOP USING REPLY-TO-ALL!” I’ve had occasions where I end up with a couple dozen useless emails in my queue in the space of a few minutes. This is one of my pet furies. Last week I sent an email to 25 members of a project that asked for a response. The opening line of my email said DO NOT USE “REPLY ALL,” RESPOND INDIVIDUALLY! The first response sent back was, naturally, via Reply All and it was a question: What is a Reply All? Then folks answered the question via Reply All. People, what is so @%#?&! hard about this?! We have a few older professors (70yo and up) who refuse to learn about and use some technologies. There was a minor scandal last year when one of these guys, who had kind of sort of learned how to use our Campus email system, responded to an email sent by his work friend that said horrible things about a group of women in our department. Yup, he managed to send his response – which was equally nasty – to the entire department. Idiot. Our Campus has made an enormous shift to being as paper-free as possible and some of the older profs refuse to do anything online. It’s cool if they don’t want to teach online, but their excuse for not learning even the basic technology – “I’m too old to learn it” is bullshit. One of our 80yo profs teaches online and is a tech whiz; guys, you’re just frickin’ LAZY. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-stuff-you-do-on-a-consistent-basis/813660/45 "2018-05-09T18:49:22Z")
> [@Enginerd](#): > > I’m incapable of operating public bathroom soap dispensers. If it’s a manual dispenser, about 90% of the time I’ll wave my hand under a few times before I realize it. If it’s automatic, I’m busy trying to figure out where to push while the dispenser squirts soap onto the floor (just like it’s designed to do). My only comfort is that, judging by the mess under the dispenser, I’m not the only one with this problem. Yes! You’re definitely not alone. I feel like there should be a rule that you can have automatic soap and automatic water, but not one or the other. The other day I was at the bar and left the water running in the womens’ room because I forgot it was not automatic while I was praising myself for remembering the soap was automatic. Aye! > [@cochrane](#): > > On my microwave, the numbers 1-6 are “express” buttons. In other words, press 1 for one minute, 2 for two minutes, etc. Often, I will want to heat something for less than one minute, say 40 seconds. To do that, I have to press “time cook,” 4, 0. Every once in a while, I’ll forget to press time cook first. I’ll hit 4 and the microwave will immediately start to cook for 4 minutes, so I’ll have to press stop and clear and start all over. I have this problem with my parents’ microwave, too. What I’ve ended up doing is always hitting the “1” button and standing there for however many seconds I need. ---
**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:** [May 9, 2018, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-stuff-you-do-on-a-consistent-basis/813660/46 "2018-05-09T19:05:58Z")
In the near corner…a bowl of rocky road ice cream. In the far corner…cold-sensitive teeth and a half-hour of aching agony also inducing a secondary headache. Fight! _gobbles up the bowl of ice cream_ ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-stuff-you-do-on-a-consistent-basis/813660/47 "2018-05-09T19:40:54Z")
A little while before a vacation, it will occur to me to make sure I won’t run out of one of my prescriptions halfway through the trip. Feeling smug about my forethought, I go online and order any that come up for refill while we’re away. I always discover that one of them needs renewal from the physician before I can refill. I call the pharmacy, and they say they’ll fax in a request to the doctor. Two days later, I see online that the renewal hasn’t happened. Cue a series of calls by me to both places until I finally pin down the problem (last time it was that the doctor’s office only used an old-fashioned fax machine, and couldn’t receive electronic faxes). Clear up the problem, finally get the order through and a day or so later, get my refill. This usually takes me up to about 18 hours before our flight leaves. I do this EVERY TIME. You’d think I’d eventually get a clue and check on this ahead of time. I think I’ll go calendar something to that effect right now - we’ll be away this October. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2018, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-stuff-you-do-on-a-consistent-basis/813660/48 "2018-05-09T20:10:42Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > [There’s more than one way to wear a hoodie.](http://prorege-forum.com/forum_entry.php?id=14977) Hey, that’s pretty smart. I actually meant inside out, where the pouch pocket is on the inside. ---
**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2018, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-stuff-you-do-on-a-consistent-basis/813660/49 "2018-05-10T11:33:00Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > A little while before a vacation, it will occur to me to make sure I won’t run out of one of my prescriptions halfway through the trip. Feeling smug about my forethought, I go online and order any that come up for refill while we’re away. > > I always discover that one of them needs renewal from the physician before I can refill. I call the pharmacy, and they say they’ll fax in a request to the doctor. Two days later, I see online that the renewal hasn’t happened. Cue a series of calls by me to both places until I finally pin down the problem (last time it was that the doctor’s office only used an old-fashioned fax machine, and couldn’t receive electronic faxes). Clear up the problem, finally get the order through and a day or so later, get my refill. > > This usually takes me up to about 18 hours before our flight leaves. I do this EVERY TIME. > > You’d think I’d eventually get a clue and check on this ahead of time. I think I’ll go calendar something to that effect right now - we’ll be away this October. I’m going off topic here, but, I absolutely hate ordering from online pharmacies. I’d much rather deal with my local one. ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2018, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-stuff-you-do-on-a-consistent-basis/813660/50 "2018-05-10T14:45:50Z")
I ask my older kid to keep an eye on my younger kid so I can pee/finish making dinner/put the laundry in, etc. Yeah, that’s an idiotic thing I keep doing over and over again. ---
**Author:** ![WildBlueYonder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ce7236/32.png) [@WildBlueYonder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildBlueYonder)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2018, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-stuff-you-do-on-a-consistent-basis/813660/51 "2018-05-10T16:09:45Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > Like an idiot, I wake up every day. me too. too many idiots out there, I say I’ve learned that sherbet does not belong in the refrigerator but I kept doing it. I stopped buying it because of the confusion! I’m sure there are other but I’m confused about that:smack: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/idiotic-stuff-you-do-on-a-consistent-basis/813660.md?page=2)