# Really mundane stuff that shits you. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 13, 2013, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-mundane-stuff-that-shits-you/655578 "2013-04-13T06:47:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-mundane-stuff-that-shits-you/655578/41 "2013-04-16T15:22:03Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > With much annoyance, I sadly conclude that you are wrong about this. Getting into the _absolutely totally indisputably uncontrovertibly closest parking space_ is _the_ all-time greatest all-time all-American activity. Major-league baseball and NFL are but distant runners-up. Where this behavior really makes me laugh is in the parking lot at the gym. Looks like one would want to park as far away from the building as possible to burn a few more calories walking in and out, but noooooo. ---
**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 16, 2013, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-mundane-stuff-that-shits-you/655578/42 "2013-04-16T16:03:53Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > I’m not even sure why this bothers me so much, but it’s people that park right in front of a store, in the fire lane. I see it all the time, much more so now that I’ve moved to the south. I see empty cars, and cars with the driver still in them, waiting for the passenger to come back. I guess the drivers think that if they’re still in the car, then they’re not really “parked” so it’s okay. A couple weeks ago I saw an on-duty firemen go up to one of these dimwits and ask them to move (there was no emergency, he just didn’t want them to park there) and it was very satisfying to me. Seriously, how much hubris do you have to have in order to park right under a sign that says “No Parking”?? I am convinced these folks read all signage with an asterisk attached, that indicates “\*except you.” I see it every single day at our Rec Center. There’s a huge sign that says “NO PARKING. Pick up or drop off only” and people park their cars their every day. The people that don’t ignore those signs, they instead ignore the handicapped parking signs. Regular parking is somewhat far away but there is a small handicapped lot next to the pick up/drop off area. I see people roll in there and park so they can go retrieve their kids from day camp. No, I don’t report them or say anything because I can’t see their plates or whether or not they have a tag. I don’t want to be that jerk who assumes OUT LOUD that if you wear a business suit and walk you are not handicapped. I keep that grumbly judgement to myself. > [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > Where this behavior really makes me laugh is in the parking lot at the gym. Looks like one would want to park as far away from the building as possible to burn a few more calories walking in and out, but noooooo. I’ll park close at our gym (the aforementioned rec center) without shame because when I’m done with my workout, I’m spent. I’m not interested in a few more calories, I’m interested in sitting down. It’s a far walk no matter where you park so I’m sure I paid my appropriate dues. ---
**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:** [April 16, 2013, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-mundane-stuff-that-shits-you/655578/43 "2013-04-16T16:50:36Z")
People who [commit](http://www.southernliving.com/home-garden/gardens/crepe-murder-00400000005718/)crape [murder](http://www.plantdelights.com/Crape-Murder-The-Unkind-Cut/products/504/). I live in Dallas, so it’s fairly ubiquitous, but \*\*_da-yum_ \*\* it’s irritating to see. (For non-gardeners: it’s basically “topping” or chopping off all the tops of crape myrtles. STOP DOING THAT! The plant was fine as it was, and now you’ve gone and ruined it!) ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-mundane-stuff-that-shits-you/655578/44 "2013-04-16T16:56:53Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > Another little thing that annoys me out of all proportion, and I’ve mentioned it before, is when I see ‘‘every day’’ spelled as ‘‘everyday.’’ About 2% of the English-speaking Internet population knows when to use ‘‘every day’’ and when to use ‘‘everyday.’’ I’ve been reading a bunch of 19th century literature from Project Gutenberg, and it’s interesting to see that “every one” and “every thing” used to be two separate words as well. So it’s not surprising that “every day” would go down the same path. ---
**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 16, 2013, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-mundane-stuff-that-shits-you/655578/45 "2013-04-16T17:44:07Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I am convinced these folks read all signage with an asterisk attached, that indicates “\*except you.” I see it every single day at our Rec Center. There’s a huge sign that says “NO PARKING. Pick up or drop off only” and people park their cars their every day. \ I was in a terrible mood yesterday when I walked past a car that was parked like that - I wanted to knock on the car window and ask the passenger just what it was that made her so damned special. I do make a point of staring at the people in these cars - public shaming, baby! ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-mundane-stuff-that-shits-you/655578/46 "2013-04-16T18:52:18Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > People who [commit](http://www.southernliving.com/home-garden/gardens/crepe-murder-00400000005718/)crape [murder](http://www.plantdelights.com/Crape-Murder-The-Unkind-Cut/products/504/). I live in Dallas, so it’s fairly ubiquitous, but \*\*_da-yum_ \*\* it’s irritating to see. > > (For non-gardeners: it’s basically “topping” or chopping off all the tops of crape myrtles. STOP DOING THAT! The plant was fine as it was, and now you’ve gone and ruined it!) Oh god I HATE that. ---
**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 16, 2013, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-mundane-stuff-that-shits-you/655578/47 "2013-04-16T18:54:25Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > People who [commit](http://www.southernliving.com/home-garden/gardens/crepe-murder-00400000005718/)crape [murder](http://www.plantdelights.com/Crape-Murder-The-Unkind-Cut/products/504/). I live in Dallas, so it’s fairly ubiquitous, but \*\*_da-yum_ \*\* it’s irritating to see. > > (For non-gardeners: it’s basically “topping” or chopping off all the tops of crape myrtles. STOP DOING THAT! The plant was fine as it was, and now you’ve gone and ruined it!) Oh yeah. We don’t have crepe myrtles here, but people love to chop the tops and bottoms off of pines and spruces here - the result is also a crime against trees. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-mundane-stuff-that-shits-you/655578/48 "2013-04-16T19:08:43Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > I’m not even sure why this bothers me so much, but it’s people that park right in front of a store, in the fire lane. I see it all the time, much more so now that I’ve moved to the south. I see empty cars, and cars with the driver still in them, waiting for the passenger to come back. I guess the drivers think that if they’re still in the car, then they’re not really “parked” so it’s okay. A couple weeks ago I saw an on-duty firemen go up to one of these dimwits and ask them to move (there was no emergency, he just didn’t want them to park there) and it was very satisfying to me. Seriously, how much hubris do you have to have in order to park right under a sign that says “No Parking”?? This is my all time favorite stupid move. I find that the people sitting in the drivers seat while parked under the “No Parking” sign always have the exact same look on their faces - I call it sheepishly defiant. They know they are in the wrong, but dammit they are going to do it anyway! ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-mundane-stuff-that-shits-you/655578/49 "2013-04-16T20:30:57Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > Where this behavior really makes me laugh is in the parking lot at the gym. Looks like one would want to park as far away from the building as possible to burn a few more calories walking in and out, but noooooo. It’s 110 F outside. Inside is considerably cooler. And after a workout, that 110 might be too much. ---
**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 16, 2013, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-mundane-stuff-that-shits-you/655578/50 "2013-04-16T22:29:16Z")
I saw another really mundane thing today - people who park on the street so that the ass end of their car is sticking out a little bit into the driving lane. Yes, I know it is the driver’s responsibility not to run into parked cars, but people parking their cars don’t have to be jerks about it, either - straighten that shit out! ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2013, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-mundane-stuff-that-shits-you/655578/51 "2013-04-16T22:46:12Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > I love my husband, and it’s nice sometimes to go to the grocery store with him, but he WILL NOT LEAVE THE CART. Wherever I go, whatever I do, he’s right behind me with the cart. Like, you don’t go through the whole produce section with a cart! Park that shit! But he is determined. This is his cart. There are others like it but this is his. And he is not leaving it ANYWHERE. When I was ~18 and doing my first real supermarket shopping trip on my own, I left my cart neatly parked out of the way at the edge of the produce department while I walked down the bread aisle to stare indecisively at the plethora of less healthy cottony white bread choices ( at last, I thought! no more crumbly, disintegrating, texture like cardboard, colon-healthy, wheat-berry crap ). While I was doing that some supermarket drone decided my cart with its five items was abandoned and whisked it away, leaving me befuddled and lost. I wandered around in circles in a daze for about ten minutes trying to figure out where my cart was. Ever since then I have obsessively stuck to my cart like glue, hunching over it protectively less someone try to snatch products out of it :D. When I do work up the courage the leave it unguarded for ~3 seconds, I keep one wary eye on it, ready to lunge back to defend it against unwanted intrusion. Youthful trauma can have quite the impact ;). ---
**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 16, 2013, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-mundane-stuff-that-shits-you/655578/52 "2013-04-16T23:59:12Z")
Speaking of shopping carts, these two older ladies in Wal-Mart shitted me today - they were completely blocking the aisle with themselves and the cart. After I said, “Excuse me,” they moved enough for me to squeak through, then moved right back to blocking the aisle again. It’s Wal-Mart, ladies - you KNOW someone else is going to want to get through the aisle you’re blocking. I think we need to make it acceptable to smack other people who are being stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-mundane-stuff-that-shits-you/655578/53 "2013-04-17T00:15:18Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Nope, that’s not the same - these people are pulsing the gas like you would at a stop light, except they’re doing it repeatedly, driving down the street. Every 50 feet - RRRrrrrr, RRRrrrrr. Either their vehicle is working very badly, or they are driving very badly - my money’s on the second. 🙂 Every. Single. Taxi. In. LA. Seriously, I can’t think of a time when I’ve been in a cab in this city where my driver hasn’t done this. There is no reasonable explanation for it. It has nothing to do with traffic patterns because I have often had to take a cab home from work late at night, and this involves long miles on a wide-open freeway. I just don’t get it, and it drives me up the fucking wall. For my personal contribution, it’s people at the McDonald’s in my building who decide that the best place to wait for their order is IN THE DOORWAY. I think this might fall into the category of folks who are just clueless about being in the way, but why, when there are all kinds of perfectly good places to stand and wait, do you need to put yourself in the only position that will block people from coming in or out of the store, forcing folks to say “Excuse me!” to get by you? WHY??? ---
**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 17, 2013, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-mundane-stuff-that-shits-you/655578/54 "2013-04-17T00:22:34Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > Every. Single. Taxi. In. LA. > > Seriously, I can’t think of a time when I’ve been in a cab in this city where my driver hasn’t done this. There is no reasonable explanation for it. It has nothing to do with traffic patterns because I have often had to take a cab home from work late at night, and this involves long miles on a wide-open freeway. I just don’t get it, and it drives me up the fucking wall.\ My brother! I don’t know why it bothers me so much, but it does. I can’t think why people drive like that, either - how can you possibly think that constantly pushing on the accelerator is better than a smooth acceleration up to speed and then maintaining? I feel like I’m missing a piece of the puzzle here - is it just that people are _that_ badly trained on how to drive? ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-mundane-stuff-that-shits-you/655578/55 "2013-04-17T00:36:07Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > My brother! I don’t know why it bothers me so much, but it does. I can’t think why people drive like that, either - how can you possibly think that constantly pushing on the accelerator is better than a smooth acceleration up to speed and then maintaining? I feel like I’m missing a piece of the puzzle here - is it just that people are _that_ badly trained on how to drive? Ugh - I had a friend who drove like this. It wasn’t very noticeable in city driving, but I once (once!) went on an hour highway drive with her. I really thought I would scream. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-mundane-stuff-that-shits-you/655578/56 "2013-04-17T00:40:58Z")
The last guy we had working for us at the deli was a really nice fella and a pretty good worker, but he always talked with mucus in his throat. Not a pleasant sound and especially around food. ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-mundane-stuff-that-shits-you/655578/57 "2013-04-17T01:16:40Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > This is my all time favorite stupid move. I find that the people sitting in the drivers seat while parked under the “No Parking” sign always have the exact same look on their faces - I call it sheepishly defiant. They know they are in the wrong, but dammit they are going to do it anyway! But, well, it’s not parking. It’s stopping. And legally, there is a very big difference. The signs do not say “No Stopping.” When there is no stopping, the sign says “No Stopping.” If someone is stopped in the fire lane while someone jumps out real quick and grabs something, it’s not like the driver can’t move immediately if a fire truck comes along. Sitting there for 10 minutes is wrong, and could be considered parking. That said, I don’t tend to do it. I have stopped very quickly there to drop off my wife, but I will usually do circles in the lot (if the place is really crowded and a spot is either near impossible to find, or really far away so my wife wouldn’t be able to find it when she comes out in 2 minutes), or I’ll park if there’s an available space open. Then, I keep my eye on the door, and if I’m circling, I’ll pull up to the front while my wife jumps in. I don’t stay there, but I don’t really have an issue with people who are stopped there for a minute or two, as long as they don’t leave the car. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-mundane-stuff-that-shits-you/655578/58 "2013-04-17T01:36:27Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > My brother! I don’t know why it bothers me so much, but it does. I can’t think why people drive like that, either - how can you possibly think that constantly pushing on the accelerator is better than a smooth acceleration up to speed and then maintaining? I feel like I’m missing a piece of the puzzle here - is it just that people are _that_ badly trained on how to drive? I knew someone that drove like this, and he said he did it because he had moved from NYC, and there’s so much traffic there that he just got used to doing it. It didn’t really make sense as an explanation, but that’s what he said. Very annoying. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-mundane-stuff-that-shits-you/655578/59 "2013-04-17T02:07:41Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > I love my husband, and it’s nice sometimes to go to the grocery store with him, but he WILL NOT LEAVE THE CART. Wherever I go, whatever I do, he’s right behind me with the cart. Like, you don’t go through the whole produce section with a cart! Park that shit! But he is determined. This is his cart. There are others like it but this is his. And he is not leaving it ANYWHERE. \*This is my cart. There are many like it, but this one is mine. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me my cart is useless. Without my cart, I am useless… \* ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2013, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-mundane-stuff-that-shits-you/655578/60 "2013-04-17T02:15:04Z")
I don’t get worked up on a lot of the grammar errors that occur. I’m so used to having seen “your” for “you’re,” “loose” for “lose,” “its/it’s” confusion, and so many others that I’m immune to most of them. But not one. It really irritates me when I see “yeah” spelled “yea.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-mundane-stuff-that-shits-you/655578.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-mundane-stuff-that-shits-you/655578.md?page=4)