Here is a way in which I’m old-fashioned and judgmental. First of all, I am a sucker for shows about babies being born. I must have been a midwife in another life. Yesterday I watched a show on one of the health channels called “Birth Day”.
It was about an absolutely gorgeous, nineteen (!!) year old woman who had a uterine deformity. She had already had two miscarriages and was now pregnant. There was no father in sight. I kept thinking they’d mention who the father was, or he’d show up for the birth, but no. Only her female relatives were there.
So, at nineteen, instead of going to college or trade school, or trying to improve herself in anyway, so she could be a good provider for a future child, she was having a child. Her baby boy, would not have a male role model at all.
I understand the desire to have a child. But at nineteen, I can’t see somebody saying, “I just haven’t met the right person so I’m going to do it all on my own, regardless of whether I have a stable lifestyle or income.”
And, **SurrenderDorothy,** as a fellow vegetarian, I agree with you. I haven't eaten meat in over four years, I still don't think I would say I didn't like the taste of it. I didn't give up meat because I didn't like it.
[ul]
[li]Litterers. Especially if thrown from a car.[/li][li]Smokers who throw their butts on the ground. The world is their ashtray! And the odd thing is, most of them would never toss a napkin or a plastic fork on the ground, but somehow, cigarette butts are okay.[/li][li]People who think the world owes them something. Grow up. Just because you’re poor/white/black/orange/parents/disabled/whatever doesn’t mean the world has to dance to your tune.[/li][li]People who blame someone else for their own choices. You’re suing the tobacco companies, why? Take some responsibility for your own actions![/li][li]People who use religion offensively. I don’t give a tiny yappydog turd what religion it is, but if you’re using it as an excuse for doing/saying horrible things, you’re not just an ass, you’re either a brainwashed minion or a hateful manipulator.[/li][li]People who accept whatever they’re told, uncritically. Most of this healthcare brouhaha is founded on nothing but lies, started by people who don’t give a crap about your health, just about their bottom line. Be for or against it, but decide based on the facts, not hot air that’s been blown up your ass.[/li][li]As already mentioned, tattoos on public parts of your body. A little rosebud on your ankle isn’t too bad, but kid, I think a few years down the line you’re going to regret those full sleeves and the rad skull and crossbones on your neck. Unless you’re going into the body modification business, those aren’t assets.[/li][li]People who cannot seem to function without a cellphone attached to their body. Unless you’re waiting for an organ transplant, I don’t see the need.[/li][/ul]
There are probably more, but I’ve got to get back to work. Otherwise, people might think poorly of me.
People who let their cell phones RING in public instead of having them switched off or switched to ‘vibrate’.
People who let their damn cell phones KEEP ringing while they stare at the caller ID and contemplate the possible outcomes of answering or not answering and the impact that either choice might have on them, their children, and their children’s children before finally answering the damn thing.
People who let their goddamm annoying cell phones keep ding-a-ding a whoopee jinging out some HORRID rage-inciting bloody RING TONE while they stare at the caller ID and consider the metaphysical implications of unanswered calls and diverging lines of probability.
People who ANSWER their goatfelching cell phones and then HAVE A BRIGHT LOUD PERSONAL AND INVARIABLY INANE AND NON TIME-SENSITIVE, NON-EMERGENCY CONVERSATION right there in public even if they’re on the bus or in a restaurant instead of back behind the building by the dumpsters in the alley where people with cell phones should be going if they’re going to talk on the damn things in public.
Things of an unpeakable nature wearing the faces and skins of people who go onto public conveyances such and trains and buses in demonic pairs and take out their cell phones and proceed to PLAY EVERY RING TONE THEY OWN, listening to each one at top volume and making comments about each other’s ring tones and deciding which ones to use.
I have a friend who tries to do this, but he’s wank at it. It only really works on the one friend of ours who you could probably tell anything to, and she’d believe you. Genius, she ain’t.
So whilst I know he’s doing it, I do however find it extremely fucking irritating, and find lowering my voice, staring him in the eye and making violent threats seems to work the best to get him to shut the fuck up.
Other annoyances;
People who act drunk when they haven’t drank enough to be drunk, just to pretend to be as drunk as everybody else, so they don’t have to drink as much.
People who talk during movies. Even at home it annoys me, especially if someone insists on talking to me rather than the room at large so I can’t just block it out.
People who ask questions about the plot of the movie, whilst watching it. Shut the fuck up, pay attention and you’ll find out anyway!
People who don’t indicate when they turn at a junction. If they’re moving slowly enough and I’m waiting to cross the road, if I can tell they’re going to turn, by the angle of the car etc, I’ll cross anyway, and make them stop. When they beep the horn at me I turn round and shout abuse about not using indicators, and they drive off sheepishly.
It probably only happens in the UK, seems to be more of a northener thing too, but when people say ‘I’ll learn you to’ rather than ‘I’ll teach you turn’, it really lowers my expectations of them. Equally when ‘will you borrow me a…’ rather than ‘will you lend me a…’
People who read spoilers for movies before seeing them. What, you don’t like to be surprised? How fucking entertaining is it if you know what’s gonna happen?
If I’m walking on a path and you’re on a bike, LET ME KNOW when you’re coming up behind me. Don’t just assume I’ll look back for you. If you hit me I WILL sue your ass.
People with more than 2 kids. Three seems like more trouble than it’s worth. As the number goes up, my opinion of you goes down.
People who feel the need to shout to each other or who can’t control the volume of their own voice.
People who stand in the way and talk and have no sense that others want to get by.
Making fun of/mocking someone’s tastes if you haven’t tried what you’re being critical of. Yes, I like Spongebob. You might, if you tried it, but don’t stand there and talk about something you don’t know anything about.
I read summaries before I see the movie. As in, “This is what the movie is going to be about”. Trailers tend to suck in delivering the true content of a movie. I don’t read a plot synopsis, though.
Yes, I walk often and tend to have to angle out of the way as a bike barrels down my path. If I wasn’t so paranoid and looking behind me all the time I likely wouldn’t catch them before they ran me over.
Sometimes in stores I do this. My friend E has a habit of asking me nonsensical questions one right after the other, and in stores they are particularly distracting. Often they lecture me on staying out of people’s way even though when they are not around I am considerate just fine. Which brings me to another beef.
People who think that since you’ve done something once you’ve always done it. Like, if you were to forget to say thank you one time, the next time they might go, “Well you never say thank you!”. It is ridiculous. Which brings me to the NEXT thing -
People who think they’ve helped you learn some valuable lesson just because they happened to be there when you forgot to do a courtesy. Such as, “You need to not stand in the middle of the aisles. You’ll get in people’s way.” No, really? And the other times I managed to avoid this? Those don’t count? Thank you, Manner Master, for teaching me the error of my ways.
Grr.
~S.P.I.~
[I tried putting this in the post above but I missed the five-minute window. Sorry!]
Hmmm. Throat cancer two and a half years ago(never once smoked), radiation pretty much wiped out my parotid glands. Still have some sublingual gland function left. Chew gum constantly to keep from having a bone dry mouth. Think I am a little better than a cow.
I don’t even ride, but yeah, this. My uncle was a serious motorcyclist, and he wouldn’t even let us come down to the garage without long pants and real shoes, much less go for a ride with him. Summer is a time that drives me especially batshit, because that’s when you see morons out on the road in cut-offs and flip-flops. You can’t even put on some real goddamn shoes? Really?
The disabled I’ll give a pass to, but mothers? Fuck no. You have arms, carry the damn kid back to the car.
That’s okay, I look down on people who have strong Yankee accents. Especially New Yawk accents. Most especially the word “youse.” Most most especially anyone with such an accent who talks about how dumb a Southern accent makes someone sound. “Y’all” is at least grammatically correct, ya know?
People who walk around with one of those bluetooth ear things on their head, ESPECIALLY if they’re yapping away having a conversation while standing in a public place. Makes me stabby.
I know it’s some sort of hipster affectation, and admit I’m more puzzled than irritated, but I judge young men who never, ever remove their hats. Especially those wooly knit numbers worn in 95 degree heat.
My judgmental self has this dialog on a brain loop: “What does that thing smell like? Is he losing his hair and trying to hide the bald spot? Or is he just too lazy to wash his hair? Eeewww. What does his head smell like?”
People who speak with grammatical errors (i.e. saying “less” instead of “fewer” when fewer is the correct word to use), and the judgment from me increases if someone corrects them and they get angry.
People who dress very provocatively and then complain when they receive negative/unwanted attention.
When people at the drive through at fast food restaurants do not speak English well enough that I don’t have to repeat myself three times and still run the risk of having my order be incorrect.
People who drive significantly slower than the speed limit and think that doing so is any better or more acceptable than speeding.
People at the grocery store who have gigantic orders and stand there watching the cashier bag when there is no bagger, and then complain about how they are holding up the line and that the order is taking too long.
Whew! I’m glad you think one should take being corrected with grace, because you are wrong about this. Saying ‘less’ is fine when it comes to singular nouns.
