# 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:** 9
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2024, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/161 "2024-09-07T07:04:25Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I wonder what their software would do if you tried to buy 4. They ring up three you get one free and a sharp clerk will tell you you can get another fo free= unless the line is long. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2024, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/162 "2024-09-07T07:16:07Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > I’m irrationally infuriated by jerks who park too close to my driveway. The thing is that there’s more than maybe 50 or 60 feet of empty space that they can pull forward into, but no, they have to park with the rear end of the car literally on the edge of my driveway. This makes it awkward for me to back out and turn around, and even more awkward if I need to back in, and virtually impossible if I ever needed to back a trailer in. You and me both. Fercryingoutloud, I’ve got a fifty foot frontage. You can easily park a car in that without blocking or even getting near my driveway. But nope, to save an extra ten feet of walking, they have to park as close to my driveway as possible, when they visit the next-door neighbour. I’ve never understood Albertans’ aversion to walking after parking. Jeez, when I lived in Toronto, I’d consider myself lucky if I could find a parking spot three blocks away from my destination. I’d walk the rest of the way, no big deal. Here, even ten feet seems to be a big deal. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2024, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/163 "2024-09-07T07:19:07Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > I’ve seen quite a few that have about 3 MINUTES of preview at the start of the show. Getting that way here, what with the decline in “linear” viewing and all. I mostly watch stuff I’ve recorded so I can skip the preview/recap - usually around 1m30s - and the commercial breaks and trailers for good measure. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2024, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/164 "2024-09-07T08:17:10Z")
> [@minor7flat5](#): > > yacking on their phone on speaker, holding it like a Pop Tart in front of their mouth. umm…Pop Tarts generally go IN the mouth. Holding one in front of your mouth ain’t the most satisfying way to eat breakfast. Also, I believe that current research has shown that most people don’t talk to their Pop Tarts. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2024, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/165 "2024-09-07T08:26:06Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Toilet paper roll the 'wrong way"-It doesnt matter.Get a life. or get rid of the cat. Hang it the wrong way, and you’re gonna find a trail of paper dragged down the hallway. With claw marks. Hang it the other way , and her little kitty brain can’t figure out to unravel it. 🙂 ---
**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 7, 2024, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/166 "2024-09-07T10:29:43Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > They ring up three you get one free and a sharp clerk will tell you you can get another fo free= unless the line is long. That’s what the system should do. Unless you’ve tried it, we don’t know for sure. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2024, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/167 "2024-09-07T11:51:41Z")
My family has learned to not only leave the house, but depart for another country whenever I have to navigate stupid interfaces on websites. I had to use a website to make an appointment. Not only does it require you to register a username and password, there isn’t a way to recover your password if you have forgotten your username. Just having your email isn’t enough. The appointment page can only be reached through one other particular page and not from the front page, and you have to remember which page their web designer arbitrarily decided to make the gate. If you play around with it for a bit, then you can find things. I just hate poor designs well beyond what is good for my heart. ---
**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 7, 2024, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/168 "2024-09-07T12:20:18Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > umm…Pop Tarts generally go IN the mouth. > Holding one in front of your mouth ain’t the most satisfying way to eat breakfast. > Also, I believe that current research has shown that most people don’t talk to their Pop Tarts. > 🙂 Heck, there are people in this world who do not even know what a Pop Tart is, but I trust that the main point was not lost. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2024, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/169 "2024-09-07T12:27:32Z")
> [@minor7flat5](#): > > Heck, there are people in this world who do not even know what a Pop Tart is, but I trust that the main point was not lost. Here’s one, I had to google it (and no thanks, I won’t taste them, they look horrible). But I knew before googling what style of phone use you meant. ---
**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 7, 2024, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/170 "2024-09-07T12:29:25Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Huh, i feel like the YouTubers i watch who have paid content are pretty clear about it. “And while we are waiting for the water to boil, to I’d like to thank my sponsor, superpots, who gave me this awesome pot we are watching right now…” Those don’t bother me at all. I don’t mind the honest “and now a word from our sponsor” types. Some even show a progress bar for the advert. Better still is when it is in its own “chapter”. My beef is with content creators trying to sneakily slide into the advert. It feels underhanded and as soon as I realize I have been tricked (i.e. the last sentence was a sneaky segue) I feel like the kid from “A Christmas Story” who carefully applied his decoder ring only to find out that the secret message was an advertisement. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2024, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/171 "2024-09-07T13:13:22Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Yeah, they miss ALL the construction signs to move left. They are oblivious, or just feel entitled. > > Yes I know about zipper merge. That works in crowded conditions. But if you can just move over to a through lane while traffic is moving fine, and not crowded, you won’t get your ass stuck when the lane ends. The zipper merge is actually the most efficient in all cases because it uses up all of the available lane space as well as providing a single consistent place for people to merge instead of people doing it in a bunch of random spots in the approach to the merge point. If you refuse to use the open lane, I will be happy to use it for you. If you think that makes me entitled, so be it. I put it in the same category as people who refuse to take their right-of-way and try to wave me on at a crossing situation when they can’t see all of the other traffic. They think they are being courteous, but they are actually gumming up the system and making it more inefficient and unsafe for everyone (including themselves). ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2024, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/172 "2024-09-07T14:03:20Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Yes I know about zipper merge. That works in crowded conditions. But if you can just move over to a through lane while traffic is moving fine, **and not crowded** , you won’t get your ass stuck when the lane ends. Bolding of me quoting myself mine. Did you read the above @robby ? In the case of free flowing traffic that is not crowded and there is plenty of room to move over, it works better. A zipper merge in that condition needlessly brings everyone to a STOP. With my way, traffic keeps moving. I’m not talking about a crowded freeway. The zipper works better there. I’m talking about a two lane highway that is not crowded. Why bring everyone to a stop when you can merge ahead of time and not slow anyone down? I see it again and again. Three or four signs that says right lane closed ahead. Merge left. And people wait until they are completely blocked from moving, seeming to be surprised. Now they have to merge from a standing stop. It’s no different then the idiots that stop at the end of an on ramp. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2024, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/173 "2024-09-07T14:06:51Z")
People who return to their cars, from a cafe on the corner, start the car, then sit in it, (in front of my house AND a half block from a primary school!), and surf their phone for twenty minutes, or more, while spewing fumes into the neighbourhood. You can piss right off! Shut your damn car off! (Yes! Even in the winter! Go spew fumes at your house, see how your neighbours like it!) It’s not right to foul the air with car fumes period. It’s incredibly tone deaf to do so, because you’re just in the habit of turning your car on. A minute or two, I’m cool with, no worries! Ten minutes? Shut your damn car off! ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2024, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/174 "2024-09-07T14:24:45Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > > [@enipla](#): > > > > Yes I know about zipper merge. That works in crowded conditions. But if you can just move over to a through lane while traffic is moving fine, **and not crowded** , you won’t get your ass stuck when the lane ends. > > Bolding of me quoting myself mine. > Did you read the above @robby ? In the case of free flowing traffic that is not crowded and there is plenty of room to move over, it works better. A zipper merge in that condition needlessly brings everyone to a STOP. With my way, traffic keeps moving. > > I’m not talking about a crowded freeway. The zipper works better there. I’m talking about a two lane highway that is not crowded. Why bring everyone to a stop when you can merge ahead of time and not slow anyone down? > > I see it again and again. Three or four signs that says right lane closed ahead. Merge left. And people wait until they are completely blocked from moving, seeming to be surprised. Now they have to merge from a standing stop. It’s no different then the idiots that stop at the end of an on ramp. I guess my thinking is that if traffic is that light then they should have no trouble smoothly merging in at the merge point. But I see your point and agree that doesn’t always happen. I also agree that it is stupid to get to the merge point and abruptly stop. However, in my experience this often happens because someone in the left lane is actively blocking them from merging in out of some misguided attempt to punish them for waiting to merge. This is why when traffic is relatively light and moving along well, I will indeed often merge in when an opening presents itself well before the merge point to prevent myself from getting into this situation. It might not be the most efficient, but it prevents me from getting boxed in and stopped. But if traffic in the left lane is also stopped or moving very slowly, this isn’t usually an issue so I will wait until the merge point. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2024, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/175 "2024-09-07T15:04:14Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > But nope, to save an extra ten feet of walking, they have to park as close to my driveway as possible, when they visit the next-door neighbour. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ylVWBvgL7tQ/hqdefault.jpg "30 seconds L.A. Story") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylVWBvgL7tQ) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2024, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/176 "2024-09-07T15:05:41Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > umm…Pop Tarts generally go IN the mouth. > Holding one in front of your mouth ain’t the most satisfying way to eat breakfast. _Now_ you tell me. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2024, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/177 "2024-09-07T15:12:43Z")
> [@robby](#): > > This is why when traffic is relatively light and moving along well, I will indeed often merge in when an opening presents itself well before the merge point to prevent myself from getting into this situation. The studies all say that the zipper is always best. They are wrong. The studies assume heavy traffic. Not everyone lives in LA. You can ‘zipper’ much sooner, sure, because of following distances traffic will slow down a little. But if there is plenty of room, do it. Everyone keeps moving. So, what ‘infuriates’ me is people that are so clueless when driving that they don’t see the merge left signs. The flashing lights. The flashing arrows. And then try to merge at the very last minute, screwing up the whole process. After all of those signs, they seem surprised that their lane is gone. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2024, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/178 "2024-09-07T15:56:00Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > The studies all say that the zipper is always best. They are wrong. On a website dedicated to “fighting ignorance,” I’m a bit astonished at this reaction. Maybe you could consider reading @Cervaise’s [excellent post](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yelling-at-each-other-about-9-11-split-from-the-how-has-trump-pissed-you-off-today-thread/1005482/251) in this thread. It’s one of the best posts I’ve ever read on this board. > [@enipla](#): > > …The studies assume heavy traffic. In short, no, the studies don’t all assume heavy traffic, and traffic is less intuitive than you might think. For one thing your well-intentioned act of merging well before the designated merge point may cause effects that you never even see, like if the person behind you reacts to your merge by tapping on their brakes thereby causing a slowdown that ripples backwards, possibly for miles. With a single merge point, this is relatively contained. With a bunch of random merge points, you can inadvertently create constructive interference (like with waves) and create much, much worse slowdowns. You also might consider reading this book: > **[Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us): Vanderbilt,...](https://www.amazon.com/Traffic-Drive-What-Says-About/dp/0307277194)** > > Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us) \[Vanderbilt, Tom\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us) The prologue is entitled: “Why I Became a Late Merger (and Why You Should Too)”. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2024, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/179 "2024-09-07T16:01:19Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > At least once a day I get stuck behind somebody who refuses to turn right on red. Can we combine that with people making a left turn that refuse to pull into the intersection on a green to wait for a gap? With extra ahole points if as soon as the light turns red, they gun it and make THEIR turn. > [@enipla](#): > > So, what ‘infuriates’ me is people that are so clueless when driving that they don’t see the merge left signs. I bet they’re the same drivers that know their offramp is coming up but sit in the #1 lane then realize, “I’m passing my offramp. Only one thing to do …” ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2024, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712/180 "2024-09-07T16:23:38Z")
@robby I’m talking about people that miss those right lane closed, **Merge Left Now** signs and wait until the last minute, and generally screw everything up. If I see a sign that says wait until the merge point, that’s fine. Another rant. Passing lanes in the mountains. I drive the speed limit. Or adjust to traffic. But in Colorado anyway, they create a passing lane but have the right lane close down. Ya end up with a person going .01 mph faster than you in the passing lane. Now ya got to make a choice. should I pass them back? Or slow down and get behind them. CDOT screws this up again and again. It should be the passing lane that must merge into the travel lane. The person chose to pass. Do it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-infuriate-you-well-beyond-their-actual-importance/1006712.md?page=10)