# Things that infuriate you well beyond their actual importance **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 4, 2024, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712 "2024-09-04T02:18:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2024, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/121 "2024-09-05T22:39:18Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Yeah, they miss ALL the construction signs to move left. They are oblivious, or just feel entitled. I don’t believe they missed the signs. Whether they felt entitled or not, I think they just thought they’d get a leg up on every patient driver on the road. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2024, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/122 "2024-09-05T23:20:18Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > I think they just thought they’d get a leg up on every patient driver on the road. Ah yes, screw everyone else on the road. ---
**Author:** ![Apodder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apodder/32/17727_2.png) [@Apodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apodder)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2024, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/123 "2024-09-05T23:42:54Z")
People smoking/vaping/whatever in public. I don’t want to smell that shit. Go home. Not putting on your headlights when it’s raining. Not leaving enough space between you and the person in front of you when merging onto the freeway. Irritates me if I’m in the right lane and I have to get out of YOUR way. Terrible grammar. In any situation. I could easily go on. And now GET OFF MY LAWN. ---
**Author:** ![Nyvaak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Nyvaak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nyvaak)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2024, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/124 "2024-09-06T00:27:56Z")
Many of the things discussed above are righteous causes of fury. Here’s an item more in keeping with the “_well beyond their actual importance_” part of the thread title. When I drive rental cars, they have all kinds of modern safety features my older car does not, including - and this is the one that fills my soul with loathing and rage - a device that detects another car beside you and sounds a shrill alarm if you turn on your directional signal on that side. “I SEE IT !” I invariably shout, “I’M NOT STUPID !” But it persists until the other car is far enough ahead or behind. Sorry, I like to signal lane changes well in advance, but apparently that’s not allowed these days. Wait until you’re actually beside the opening, give your turn signal about two blinks and zip into the space with no other warning - is that what we’re supposed to do? Sheesh ! ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2024, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/125 "2024-09-06T00:33:46Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > When you are with a coworker at their computer and you have to watch them try to navigate around but they’re so bad at it. I had a co-worker who refused to learn ctrl-c or ctrl-v. Infuriating. ---
**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:** [September 6, 2024, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/126 "2024-09-06T12:02:58Z")
> [@Apodder](#): > > Not putting on your headlights when it’s raining. Pennsylvania added a law a few years ago that requires drivers to turn their lights on _when using their windshield wipers_. The wording of the law is very specific. I comply, but always wonder about the situation where the driver’s windshield is coated with a hydrophobic substance like RainX. “But officer, I wasn’t using my windshield wipers”. ---
**Author:** ![Apodder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apodder/32/17727_2.png) [@Apodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apodder)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2024, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/127 "2024-09-06T12:28:57Z")
Ohio does, also. But it’s a secondary offense, so no one’s getting pulled over for that. So lots of folks just ignore it, if they even know about it. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2024, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/128 "2024-09-06T12:36:01Z")
When I want to buy a case of soda at the store, but it’s “But 3, get 1 free.” Yes you read that right. Logically, I can use the situation to stock up and sometimes I do. But otherwise, I often only want 1 of the item. I’m getting most annoyed because this is how the grocery store has started almost exclusively doing sales on items. It’s all “Buy X, get 1 free” It’s getting harder and harder to find anything just plain marked down to a lower price. And even when it is, it’s shown as “2 for $X” to subtly influence you to get 2 of them. ---
**Author:** ![Mops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mops/32/16494_2.png) [@Mops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mops)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2024, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/129 "2024-09-06T12:47:33Z")
> [@dasmoocher](#): > > It doesn’t infuriate me (more like annoyance) and it’s usually trivial, but people who walk or cycle all the way to their left on a sidewalk or bike path (in US). > > I have almost taken out people with my bike who were all the way on their left on hairpin turns on densely wooded paths where you can’t see what’s on the path after the turn until you get there. I’ll outnitpeeve you here: What annoys me is people walking or cycling _in the middle_ of a combined foot/bike path that is just wide enough for one person walking/cycling slowly and another one overtaking. Or slowly walking/cycling abreast while talking, so one cannot interrupt them. See from about 26:50 here: \_[https://youtu.be/boizBK5dY78?t=1612](https://youtu.be/boizBK5dY78?t=1612) (link intentionally broken so the video does not display unless you click on the link) ---
**Author:** ![veryfrank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/87869e/32.png) [@veryfrank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/veryfrank)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2024, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/130 "2024-09-06T13:03:53Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > People who say “there’s” in the singular, when they mean “there are”. > examples: > “there’s a million reasons why…” > “there’s five people waiting to meet you” > > No, No, No! > There ARE a million reasons, > There ARE five people THANK YOU! For some reason this really bothers me when I hear it in a British news podcast (I’m a UK politics fan, so I listen to a bunch of them). When someone who’s got a posh accent makes that mistake, all I can think is, from the rest of your speech, you went to a school where they drilled Ancient Greek, Latin and how to talk in RP, but I guess you were sick the day they covered pluralization? As well, the phrase “on accident” in place of “by accident” or “accidentally” makes me want to throw hands. Not to mention “a lot of times” in place of “often.” (I know this is starting to sound classist, but at this time of the morning, IDGAF…) People pick up the weirdest sentence structure. A million years ago when I worked at a video store, a customer came in one day and started asking for movies (I’m pickiing these era-appropriate tapes at random). “Hi. You don’t have _Erin Brokovich_, do you? You don’t have _Almost Famous_, do you? You don’t have _Cider House Rules_, do you? You don’t have…” and I could only wonder how that learned behaviour managed to stick. ---
**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:** [September 6, 2024, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/131 "2024-09-06T13:31:53Z")
> [@veryfrank](#): > > As well, the phrase “on accident” in place of “by accident” or “accidentally” makes me want to throw hands When someone talks about “standing on line” instead of “in line” I shudder. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2024, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/132 "2024-09-06T15:10:16Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > When I want to buy a case of soda at the store, but it’s “But 3, get 1 free.” Yes you read that right. Logically, I can use the situation to stock up and sometimes I do. But otherwise, I often only want 1 of the item. I’m getting most annoyed because this is how the grocery store has started almost exclusively doing sales on items. It’s all “Buy X, get 1 free” It’s getting harder and harder to find anything just plain marked down to a lower price. And even when it is, it’s shown as “2 for $X” to subtly influence you to get 2 of them. This happened to me a couple of weeks ago. Only wanted 1 12-pack of Coke, but it was 3 for the price of 1. So I got 3 and then gave the 2 I didn’t want to the people behind me in line at the cashier. Soda storage at my house is the garage, and when it’s 110+ in there, soda doesn’t last long. If I buy more than a 12-pack it will go bad before I drink it. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2024, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/133 "2024-09-06T15:25:06Z")
People standing around yacking on their phone on speaker, holding it like a Pop Tart in front of their mouth. If they do this inside a public place, then it goes beyond the scope of this thread (trivial stuff that annoys). However, I also find it annoying to see them doing so even when they are fifty feet away from me in a park and I can’t hear the conversation. I’m judging them in my mind, thinking “Of course you do that everywhere you go, in line at Starbucks…wherever.” And they don’t know that the person they are calling hears terrible sound because bozo is talking an inch away from the microphone that is intended to be used while the phone is sitting on a table. On to deeper sins, beyond this thread’s scope, are the people who watch TikTok or YouTube videos on speaker in a restaurant. Especially in a sit-down restaurant. Last month I went to lunch with my dad and we had one lady to my right showing her friend a video she just had to watch, and there was a family to my left who had handed an iPhone to a child so they could watch videos during lunch. Grrrrrrr! We asked to be moved to another table. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2024, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/134 "2024-09-06T15:32:12Z")
Whenever I’m riding a bike I always think “damn drivers, honking and cutting me close when they pass. They think they own the road…” Whenever I’m driving and see someone on a bike, I think “damn bicyclists, out in the middle of the lane, making it difficult to go around them. They think they own the road…” 🙄 ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2024, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/135 "2024-09-06T15:38:27Z")
Ah yes, similar to the classic George Carlin “maniacs and idiots” situation. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2024, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/136 "2024-09-06T15:38:49Z")
Morning drive radio shows, when they’ll interrupt the music to invite listeners to “Call in and tell us about a time you found a feminine hygiene product in a crazy place!!!” or some such inane shit. Then the people calling in are sooooo excited to get on the radio thinking anybody actually cares about their stupid story. But hey, as a bonus maybe they also got tickets to see REO Speedwagon at the county fair. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2024, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/137 "2024-09-06T15:40:23Z")
> **[Motor Mania](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_Mania)** > > Motor Mania is a cartoon released by Walt Disney Productions on June 30, 1950. In this short, Goofy is a Mr. Hyde-type split personality, who gets behind the wheel and shows the dangers of not driving safely. > The cartoon shows how the character, as the pleasant, friendly, and good-natured "Mr. Walker" who "wouldn't hurt a fly nor step on an ant", undergoes a Jekyll-and-Hyde-like change in personality to the violent "Mr. Wheeler, motorist" when he gets behind the wheel of his yellow car. As Mr. ... ---
**Author:** ![MagicEyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@MagicEyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MagicEyes)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2024, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/138 "2024-09-06T15:43:25Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > When I want to buy a case of soda at the store, but it’s “But 3, get 1 free.” Yes you read that right. Logically, I can use the situation to stock up and sometimes I do. But otherwise, I often only want 1 of the item. I’m getting most annoyed because this is how the grocery store has started almost exclusively doing sales on items. It’s all “Buy X, get 1 free” It’s getting harder and harder to find anything just plain marked down to a lower price. And even when it is, it’s shown as “2 for $X” to subtly influence you to get 2 of them. I’ve been seeing this a lot lately! 🙄 Some stores will give you the sale price on one item, but I can’t remember which stores do that. Or it’s a special deal that you have to use the app to get. No thank you. I’ve already signed over my firstborn to get good deals, and now they’re adding another layer of complication. I would like to go back to when stores just put things on sale and you didn’t have to do anything to get that lower price. ---
**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:** [September 6, 2024, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/139 "2024-09-06T17:47:07Z")
At least once a day I get stuck behind somebody who refuses to turn right on red. Even when no traffic is coming from the left. Even when traffic from our right is turning left with a green-arrow light, meaning traffic from our left definitely has a red light. They sit there with their blinker on, waiting and waiting for their own dedicated green light. Every now and then I work up the nerve to honk at them, and then it’s 50-50 as to whether they’ll actually go or not. I feel like Hans Moleman from the Simpsons: “You took four minutes of my life, and I want them back! Oh, I’d only waste them…” ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2024, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/140 "2024-09-06T18:06:47Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > At least once a day I get stuck behind somebody who refuses to turn right on red. I learned to drive in Washington, and turned right on red lights all the time. Now I’m in Massachusetts and it’s much more rare. It seems like ~90% of intersections here have “no turn on red” signs. Even if I’m at an intersection where it’s probably legal, I have to look in all the places where the sign might be, just to make sure I’m at one of those needle-in-a-haystack places. So, Elf, it’s possible that the people who are annoying you picked up their driving habits in a place where right turn on red isn’t common. My extra caution is probably annoying the drivers behind me. I’ve even been honked at for not turning on red at places where there was a sign prohibiting it. (Someone told me once that Massachusetts used to prohibit right-on-red by default. Then there was a federal mandate that it be legal unless a sign was posted. So Massacusetts made it legal, and put up signs at every traffic light. I don’t know if that’s literally true.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712.md?page=8)