# MAY we have a new Mini-Rant thread? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 2, 2021, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-we-have-a-new-mini-rant-thread/941217 "2021-05-02T07:28:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2021, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-we-have-a-new-mini-rant-thread/941217/121 "2021-05-11T18:22:27Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > So, to anyone reading this (I am assuming the number is vanishingly small) who is responsible for creating an address entry form for a website - please make sure you take these suggestions into consideration. The one that killed me: on a catalog store order page, enter your zip code. Being from MA, I would type in, say, 01881. The website immediately ‘corrects’ it to 1881 and then gripes the zip code MUST be five digits. Grrrrrrrrr. ---
**Author:** ![Kelevra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/97f17d/32.png) [@Kelevra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kelevra)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2021, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-we-have-a-new-mini-rant-thread/941217/122 "2021-05-11T19:09:48Z")
This all reminds me of trying to look at a menu and being forced to enter city/state/zip code. Somehow I’m betting that’s actually marketing data they are collecting. If I have to put all that crap in to see your menu, then never mind. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2021, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-we-have-a-new-mini-rant-thread/941217/123 "2021-05-11T19:25:37Z")
Try being in Canada. The IRS requires me to have a five-digit ZIP code. Through trial and error, I figured out that they have put the first five characters of my six-character postal code into their system, and I must use that when logging in. And none of my US-issued credit cards can be used online, as American credit cards with Canadian billing addresses are not allowed to exist, even though they do. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_McQwark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@Steve\_McQwark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_McQwark)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2021, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-we-have-a-new-mini-rant-thread/941217/124 "2021-05-11T19:43:06Z")
I want to join the webform bashing. A couple of years ago I was entering my credit card information on a site. The name field said to enter my name exactly as it appeared on my card. So I did. It was rejected for being the wrong format. Nowhere on the site did it describe the correct format - just that I needed to enter my name exactly as it appeared on my card. After a couple of tries I found a version of my name that it accepted, but for crying out loud, don’t request one format and then enforce a separate secret one. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2021, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-we-have-a-new-mini-rant-thread/941217/125 "2021-05-11T23:59:19Z")
A few weeks ago my next-door neighour informed me that he noticed birds nesting in one of my ventilation ducts. He said he had the same problem once and if not taken care of promptly it can develop into a costly problem. I intended to do something about it but left it for several weeks. Today I happened to be in the upstairs laundry room, which has a ventilation fan, and there was so much chirping and tweeting coming through the fan housing that it sounded like a goddam aviary! So I guess a couple of sparrows are now proud parents, and now I know which duct they’re in, at least. All the ducts are covered with protective flaps. These flaps are so awesomely protective that one of the vents has a circle of dirt in the middle of it as if, say, birds had been going in and out constantly and considering it an elegant doorway into their personal domicile. I don’t need this grief. My life is stressful enough. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2021, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-we-have-a-new-mini-rant-thread/941217/126 "2021-05-12T00:03:44Z")
We had the same problem. I think ours were starlings. We got an exhaust fan cover with a bird grid, kind of like this one: [Amazon.com: 6 inch Dryer Vent Cover, Stops Birds Nesting In Dryer Vents and Bathroom Exhaust Vents Pipe, White Louvered Outdoor Dryer Vent Cover (8’’ x 8 ‘’): Home Improvement](https://www.amazon.com/Dryer-Vent-Cover-6Hood-Pipe%EF%BC%8CWhite/dp/B07J4J9TRY/ref=sr_1_18?dchild=1&keywords=vent+cover+bird+proof&qid=1620777757&sr=8-18) ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2021, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-we-have-a-new-mini-rant-thread/941217/127 "2021-05-12T00:10:36Z")
When the neighbour had his avian problem dealt with, it was a similar solution, except they put a sort of metal grid over the vent cover. Thanks, but I’m not doing this myself. I’m going to call the same pest removal folks he used. With my luck, I would probably fall off the ladder. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2021, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-we-have-a-new-mini-rant-thread/941217/128 "2021-05-12T04:16:04Z")
> [@Kelevra](#): > > This all reminds me of trying to look at a menu and being forced to enter city/state/zip code. Somehow I’m betting that’s actually marketing data they are collecting. If I have to put all that crap in to see your menu, then never mind. Where I’ve encountered this, it’s because of regional differences in availability. (Like, say, one location still offers OH LET’S SAY ONION RINGS when another does not.) Or differences in menu pricing is another factor. Seriously, what can anyone do with a person’s city/state/zip that’s so nefarious? ---
**Author:** ![Kelevra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/97f17d/32.png) [@Kelevra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kelevra)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2021, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-we-have-a-new-mini-rant-thread/941217/129 "2021-05-12T13:23:13Z")
> Seriously, what can anyone do with a person’s city/state/zip that’s so nefarious I work with databases and statistics. I see how data is all used and misused all the time. It makes me wary of anything that can go in any database. Call it professional paranoia. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2021, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-we-have-a-new-mini-rant-thread/941217/130 "2021-05-12T14:39:53Z")
> [@romansperson](#): > > We had the same problem. I think ours were starlings. > [@wolfpup](#): > > When the neighbour had his avian problem dealt with, it was a similar solution, except they put a sort of metal grid over the vent cover. We’ve just discovered birds nesting in our attic. The pest removal folks want $1600 for removal and remediation – like, get real – but my wife now says instead of removing them ourselves _we should let the eggs hatch_ and allow them to be on their merry way in a few weeks. How terrible an idea is this? ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2021, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-we-have-a-new-mini-rant-thread/941217/131 "2021-05-12T14:45:09Z")
> [@Akaj](#): > > We’ve just discovered birds nesting in our attic. The pest removal folks want $1600 for removal and remediation – like, get real – but my wife now says instead of removing them ourselves _we should let the eggs hatch_ and allow them to be on their merry way in a few weeks. > > How terrible an idea is this? When we had a raccoon in our attic, we tried trapping it, but it didn’t work. What we did instead was figure out where it was getting in, and then waiting for it to be elsewhere. Then we sealed up the place where it had chewed through the soffit (we used a strong metal mesh). That solved the problem. Ditto when we had bats in the garage loft. So your wife’s plan, imo, is solid. Just figure out where they get in and wait until they are no longer there it seal it. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2021, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-we-have-a-new-mini-rant-thread/941217/132 "2021-05-12T14:46:31Z")
> [@Akaj](#): > > but my wife now says instead of removing them ourselves _we should let the eggs hatch_ and allow them to be on their merry way in a few weeks. Your wife is sweet. She gets to name the babies. I’d love to be living in a home that I knew was a haven for a bird family. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2021, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-we-have-a-new-mini-rant-thread/941217/133 "2021-05-12T14:49:34Z")
> [@romansperson](#): > > So your wife’s plan, imo, is solid. Just figure out where they get in and wait until they are no longer there it seal it. > [@digs](#): > > I’d love to be living in a home that I knew was a haven for a bird family. But there’s no danger that we’ll have a frickin’ aviary soon and need industrial strength removal services? > [@romansperson](#): > > Ditto when we had bats in the garage loft. We’re trying to get bats to control the mosquitoes. We mounted a bat house on the back of the garage but they’re staying away in droves. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2021, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-we-have-a-new-mini-rant-thread/941217/134 "2021-05-12T14:52:02Z")
> [@Akaj](#): > > But there’s no danger that we’ll have a frickin’ aviary soon and need industrial strength removal services? Birds are territorial about nesting sites, so I don’t think that will be a problem. Just find out now where they are getting in, and seal it up as soon as you know they are out. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2021, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-we-have-a-new-mini-rant-thread/941217/135 "2021-05-12T14:56:58Z")
Though you will have the leftover nest. I’d just ignore it, it’s just twigs and a couple of eggshells. But I wouldn’t mention that to my wife, or she’d want me to somehow get it out, which would be nearly impossible. I’d just say “Looks like the baby birds… Buffy, Jody Sissy, Sebastian and Cabot… have grown and gone. I’ll seal it up!” ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2021, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-we-have-a-new-mini-rant-thread/941217/136 "2021-05-12T14:59:59Z")
> [@romansperson](#): > > When we had a raccoon in our attic, we tried trapping it, but it didn’t work. What we did instead was figure out where it was getting in, and then waiting for it to be elsewhere. Then we sealed up the place where it had chewed through the soffit (we used a strong metal mesh). That solved the problem. We had (have) [flying squirrels](https://www.pgc.pa.gov/Wildlife/EndangeredandThreatened/Pages/NorthernFlyingSquirrel.aspx) in our attic. They are cool af to watch at dusk. My gf worked with our roofer guy. He “boxed in” the area we ceded to the squirrels with stainless plates and welded wire/hardware cloth. So, the flying squirrels can get in and out of our attic but are confined to one specific area where the wood is protected. ---
**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:** [May 12, 2021, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-we-have-a-new-mini-rant-thread/941217/137 "2021-05-12T15:01:23Z")
TurboTax told me that the IRS had accepted my 2020 return two months ago. Now the IRS tells me they can’t tell me anything about when it will be processed. In unrelated news, it turns out that I was supposed to enroll _myself_ in Medicare three months ago, instead of it happening automatically like it did for **kaylasmom** in 2018. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2021, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-we-have-a-new-mini-rant-thread/941217/138 "2021-05-12T15:10:51Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > We had (have) [flying squirrels](https://www.pgc.pa.gov/Wildlife/EndangeredandThreatened/Pages/NorthernFlyingSquirrel.aspx) in our attic. They are cool af to watch at dusk. My gf worked with our roofer guy. He “boxed in” the area we ceded to the squirrels with stainless plates and welded wire/hardware cloth. So, the flying squirrels can get in and out of our attic but are confined to one specific area where the wood is protected. Love this approach! But you know if if you ever try to sell the house the inspector will have a field day. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2021, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-we-have-a-new-mini-rant-thread/941217/139 "2021-05-12T15:19:11Z")
Well, _this_ was awkward. I left work a little early yesterday and stopped at the grocery store. In the parking lot I saw a friend, actually a friend’s wife. My gf and I occasionally would (pre-pandemic) go out drinking/eating/seeing bands with them. She is my friend’s wife, so I’m nice to her, but I wouldn’t say I (or my gf) _like_ her. She asked me if I always have free time in the afternoon; I told her I did, and she (long story short) told me that was great, because hubby is away from home for work this week and I can come over and we can fool around (her wording was more blunt)!! Totally out of left field! I’ve never even flirted with her, and I tend to flirt a lot, just goofing around. I told her I couldn’t, as my gf and I have an agreement, where we can have relationships outside of ours, but only if we tell the other person about it first. Neither of us have ever seriously contemplated this. She thought that was crazy, but we left it at that. When I got home my gf was working. She took a break for dinner, but then went back to work. I told her I had something to discuss, but she never had time, so I will have to tell her tonight. But _now_ what? I can’t imagine going out with the other couple, but he is a good guy and a good friend. Do I/we tell him what his wife suggested? Do I/we act like nothing ever happened? Dammit, I hate awkward shit like this. > [@Akaj](#): > > But you know if if you ever try to sell the house the inspector will have a field day. If we sell the house I can remove everything that was added, I guess. Or bribe the inspector. 🤪 ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2021, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-we-have-a-new-mini-rant-thread/941217/140 "2021-05-12T15:23:25Z")
Or just tell the inspector “Oh, yeah, we added another room. Turns out we suddenly have four families in a bidding war for our 3 Bedroom plus Flying Squirrel Refuge home!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-we-have-a-new-mini-rant-thread/941217.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/may-we-have-a-new-mini-rant-thread/941217.md?page=8)