# Minor rants, the (late) April edition **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 20, 2006, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minor-rants-the-late-april-edition/353414 "2006-04-20T02:24:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [April 24, 2006, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minor-rants-the-late-april-edition/353414/41 "2006-04-24T22:06:09Z")
Listen fellas - why do you ask me why someone else is doing X or thinking Y or saying Z? Why don’t you ASK THEM YOURSELF??? Bob: What does Chris mean when he asks me this? Me: I dunno, ASK CHRIS! Dad: Why does your brother take 30 minute showers? I mean, my gas bill is getting so high. I work hard all day and I come home and I don’t even shower here, I shower at work, and then I see the gas bill and it’s so high. It’s because he takes such long showers. What is he doing in there? Me: I DON’T EVEN LIVE HERE. WHY DON’T YOU ASK HIM WHY HE TAKES SUCH LONG SHOWERS? Chris: Why did Bob send that email? Me: ASK BOB GODDAMMIT PEOPLE (is it just men?) JUST ASK THE PERSON YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT, DON’T ASK ME. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minor-rants-the-late-april-edition/353414/42 "2006-04-24T22:22:33Z")
Oh, and **Stop giving me free candy**! I’m trying to lose weight! Arrived into London on the train this morning. Went into Krispy Kreme to get a coffee. As I walked out the girl chased after me with a bag and said “here’s your free doughnut!” I didn’t want a doughnut! (Of course I ate it.) Went to meeting #1 and they put a big bowl of hard candy on the table. (Of course I ate it.) Went to meeting #2 and they had a bowl of Fox’s Glacier Mints on the table, which is my favorite hard candy ever. (Of course I ate it.) On my way back, at the station, I bought a copy of the Evening Standard and the guy at the register said “congratulations, you get a free chocolate and hazelnut bar with every copy of the Evening Standard”. (Of course…) I think I’d just better avoid London, unless I’m broke and hungry. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minor-rants-the-late-april-edition/353414/43 "2006-04-24T23:25:32Z")
Mr. Salesman, if I tell you I don’t need help finding something, then I mean leave me alone! I had an amazing reversal of fortune from two months ago. Instead of being massively in debt I am not flush with some cash. After investing most of it, I contemplated getting a big screen TV. I only use it really for US football, but hey, I love my football and usually have a gang over. So I go to a local dealer. I make sure to not meat the eye of the salesman as I go in. He asks me on the way in “Can I help you find something?” I try to be polite most of the time and usually say no thank you. But I was grumpy and didn’t want any ambiguity so I DO look him in the eye and say NO. Not no thank you, which may leave some room for doubt for an agressive salesman, but a firm NO. But of course, as I often say, if this is the worst thing to happen to me all day, life is pretty good. 🙂 He follows me anyway. When I get to a set of TVs he pulls up beside me and says “Those are some of my best prices.” As I said, I’m grumpy, so I say “Good for you.” And leave. Sadly for him, had he left me alone, I may have bought something yesterday, as I have been contemplating it for a few weeks. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2006, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minor-rants-the-late-april-edition/353414/44 "2006-04-24T23:51:04Z")
If you want to be left alone when you shop, go to Macy’s. If you want to buy something, your best bet is to stand in the middle of the sales area, wave some money around and holler “Anybody want some? Hello! I’d like to buy something, please!” Of course, that’s assuming you can find something amongst the tumbled mess that is the clothing department. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2006, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minor-rants-the-late-april-edition/353414/45 "2006-04-25T20:06:20Z")
**khadaji** , that is one of my ongoing, low-level peeves, too. When I come into a store, I don’t want to talk to anyone - I want to go find what I’m looking for, have the price clearly marked on or around it, and buy it if it fits my needs. I don’t want to say hi, tell you how my day is going, tell you I’m just looking, tell two more salespeople I’m just looking, discuss the merchandise, discuss the weather, or discuss any other damned thing. I realize it’s not completely the salespeoples’ fault that they have to pester me, and I try not to be rude to them, but I just vant to be lefft alone. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2006, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minor-rants-the-late-april-edition/353414/46 "2006-04-25T20:16:25Z")
**Khadaji** , I don’t like being pestered overly much by sales people either. But you said if they hadn’t pestered you, you might have bought a big screen TV. Just curious, after you chased all the sales people away, who exactly would have sold the TV to you? You know, I’m not sure how it’s done where you are, but where I live, you can’t just unplug the display TV and walk out the door without at least a little assistance. I’m picturing you standing in the middle of the TV sales department going “I want this one! Hello? Hello? Anyone here?” ::chirp, chirp:: ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2006, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minor-rants-the-late-april-edition/353414/47 "2006-04-25T20:27:46Z")
[QUOTE=Khadaji] … I love my football and usually have a gang over. So I go to a local dealer. [/QUOTE] :eek: 😉 ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2006, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minor-rants-the-late-april-edition/353414/48 "2006-04-25T20:31:10Z")
Bottom line is, when I come into a store, it’s nice if someone greets me. “Is there anything I can help you with?” Because sometimes they can. Sometimes I just want, say, a pair of cotton cargo pants that are my size, normal waist and not cropped. If somebody can tell me “Yes, they are over here,” or “No, we don’t have anything like that,” it’s fine. If I tell them, “No, I’m just browsing but I’ll come get you if I need anything,” then yes, they should leave me alone. If they keep bugging me after that, well, I might just leave. A really good salesperson will leave you alone but will notice if you’re trying to get their attention if you have a question, etc. Nordstrom’s is my very favorite store, because they do all those things. Plus, if you tell them you do want some assistance, they will go all out to help you. As in, you try something on and want another size, they will go fetch it for you so you don’t have to dress, search, undress repeatedly. Now, for a new minor rant: Don’t you hate those stores that make you take a plastic number indicating how many items you are taking into the dressing room? As in, “We just know you’re going to steal something by putting another pair of pants on under your own clothes.” ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2006, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minor-rants-the-late-april-edition/353414/49 "2006-04-25T21:23:39Z")
levdrakon, it aint rocket science. In all the other stores I go to, when I want help, I just go to the counter and say “I’ve made my choice, I want \*that \*one.” Or “I have had a chance to look around and now have a few questions.” Sometimes no one is at the counter. I then look for someone on the floor. They usually are identifiable in that they have some sort of smock or badge associated with the shop. I find it rather easy. But then, perhaps I have more experience at that sort of thing than you… The folks at Radio Shack for instance, always approach me upon entering, but then usually leave me alone when I say “no thanks, I don’t need help.” Once I make a choice, they then get a chance to go into sales mode. If you still find it confusing, perhaps you should take people with you when you shop. ---
**Author:** ![Large\_Marge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/50afbb/32.png) [@Large\_Marge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Large_Marge)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2006, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minor-rants-the-late-april-edition/353414/50 "2006-04-26T00:22:34Z")
[QUOTE=MLS] Now, for a new minor rant: Don’t you hate those stores that make you take a plastic number indicating how many items you are taking into the dressing room? As in, “We just know you’re going to steal something by putting another pair of pants on under your own clothes.” [/QUOTE] Yes! I hate this! The stupidest part is that **rarely does anyone check to make sure you bring the same number OUT** , so what’s the freakin’ point of making us go through that?! :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Fat\_Chance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8baadc/32.png) [@Fat\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fat_Chance)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2006, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minor-rants-the-late-april-edition/353414/51 "2006-04-26T13:54:56Z")
I’ve been waiting for a minor rants thread: People on this board who refer the major corporation they work for as something like “Ryhmes with Blycrosoft” or “sounds like Fallmart” Either, A) you really are trying to be secretive about the name of the company with this tactic, in which case you’re an idiot or B) you are trying to be funny and clever by re-using the same lame joke that thousands before you have, in which case you’re an unfunny idiot. (there, I feel better now) ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2006, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minor-rants-the-late-april-edition/353414/52 "2006-04-26T14:13:09Z")
Okay, “Baby NASCAR Onesies” is about the strangest combination of English words I’ve seen in a long time. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2006, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minor-rants-the-late-april-edition/353414/53 "2006-04-26T15:10:19Z")
[QUOTE=Dung Beetle] I’m 35 and came to bitch about pimples! Actually it’s cystic acne, and the kicker is that I’ve been taking tetracycline twice a day for about six months and it’s Not. Fucking. Working. My doctor keeps wanting to reduce my dose, then he sees my face and says, “Uh…why don’t you just keep on doing what you’re doing for now.” Because it’s not working! Trying to keep my cats from aggravating my husband is getting to be a full time job, and I’m getting sick of it. I can’t find any clothes that A. fit B. I would be caught wearing in public [/QUOTE] I know it’s a hot subject but I’ll say it anyway - Accutane. I used it in 1985 and it worked like a charm! ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2006, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minor-rants-the-late-april-edition/353414/54 "2006-04-26T15:35:08Z")
[QUOTE=Large Marge] I don’t think they’re actually trying to be assholes (not most of them, anyway), but they truly are NOT thinking about others, and that, IMO, is what’s missing in society today–just a basic consideration for others, in everything we do. [/QUOTE] Ah, but I equate “Not thinking about others/consequences” with being an asshole. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minor-rants-the-late-april-edition/353414.md?page=2)