# Tiny things that annoy & irritate to a far greater degree than they should... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 31, 2011, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986 "2011-12-31T22:26:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![slm2955](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c6cbf5/32.png) [@slm2955](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slm2955)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2012, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/101 "2012-01-04T14:58:55Z")
The sensitivity on my phone, I stay hitting the wrong links/buttons:mad:! ---
**Author:** ![SeaCanary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@SeaCanary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaCanary)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2012, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/102 "2012-01-04T16:38:11Z")
> [@Stoid](#): > > You know how, when you bang your head or stub your toe or do some other minor, but painful thing, and the person you are with instantly starts grilling you: “What’s wrong? Are you OK? Are you OK? Are you OK? WHat happened? ARE you OK? What’s wrong? Are you OK?Are you OK?Are you OK?Are you OK?Are you OK?Are you OK?Are you OK?Are you OK?Are you OK??” > > Coming on the heels of something which pissed me off to begin with, it’s a damn good thing I’m distracted by my pain because otherwise I might have to kill you if you don’t SHUT THE FUCK UP and give me a fucking minute… I sometimes say, “NO!” but that doesn’t stop the insane litany of “Are you OK?Are you OK?Are you OK?Are you OK?Are you OK?Are you OK?Are you OK?Are you OK?Are you OK??” I really want to punch the mo-ron. Dogs and cats that lick themselves? We’d turn it into a trick. 😃 “C’mon Fluffy. Lick your privates. Come on. You can do it. Goooood boooooy!! Good boy! Who’s a good boy? You’re a good boy. Yes you are.” ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2012, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/103 "2012-01-04T17:01:32Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Small things like this drive me mad beyond any sense of proportion, too. It’s just… that action didn’t work like it was meant to! :mad: E.g. I pull my keys out of my pocket and they pull something else out that then drops on the floor - if nobody else is around I will likely fling the keys on the ground too in a fit of rage for having the temerity to create this inefficient situation. Or when the towel slips off the rail onto the floor after I’ve used it and I have to bend down and pick it up. > > Another really annoying thing was the handle on the kitchen door which was at just the right height and orientation to snag sleeves, pockets, belt loops and other protruding bits of clothing as I walked past. If I was wearing my dressing gown it was nigh on impossible to walk into the kitchen without suddenly being stopped in my tracks and yanked backwards. :mad: When I redid the kitchen, that door was the first thing to go. Wow, you sound just like me with the throwing-the-keys-on-the-floor thing and the being-grabbed-by-random-drawer-pulls things. I would have posted them along with headphone yankage if I’d remembered at the time, but now I’ll just add “Yeah, me too!” ---
**Author:** ![KinkiNipponTourist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e9bcb4/32.png) [@KinkiNipponTourist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KinkiNipponTourist)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2012, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/104 "2012-01-04T17:21:18Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Small things like this drive me mad beyond any sense of proportion, too. It’s just… that action didn’t work like it was meant to! :mad: E.g. I pull my keys out of my pocket and they pull something else out that then drops on the floor - if nobody else is around I will likely fling the keys on the ground too **in a fit of rage** for having the temerity to create this inefficient situation. Or when the towel slips off the rail onto the floor after I’ve used it and I have to bend down and pick it up. bolding mine. Flinging stuff? Really? You mean I’m not the only one who flings shit? My god, you’ve made my day. > [@Colophon](#): > > Another really annoying thing was the handle on the kitchen door which was at just the right height and orientation to snag sleeves, pockets, belt loops and other protruding bits of clothing as I walked past. If I was wearing my dressing gown it was nigh on impossible to walk into the kitchen without suddenly being stopped in my tracks and yanked backwards. :mad: When I redid the kitchen, that door was the first thing to go. Motherfuck, I’d forgotten that one. I’m seething in sympathy right now. Let me just add my goddamn watch chain that gets caught on jacket/sweater buttons. I get so mad I yank it to free myself, but usually the buttons are sewn on tightly enough that the watch chain breaks, and I wear it dangling like that for a few days because I’m classy like that. And **infovore** ’s mention of headphone yankage. Just the memory triggers a brand-new flood of profanity, which I’ll keep to myself. Wow, I’m both enraged at the reminders of these off-pissing phenomena, and comforted that others share my ridiculous reactions…I think my head is going to explode. Which’ll probably piss me off all over again… ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2012, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/105 "2012-01-04T18:01:06Z")
> [@KinkiNipponTourist](#): > > bolding mine. Flinging stuff? Really? You mean I’m not the only one who flings shit? My god, you’ve made my day. I’m glad others do this. Occasionally my wife will observe one of these little tantrums, and unaccountably find it amusing. Which makes me even madder. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2012, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/106 "2012-01-04T18:07:52Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > I’m glad others do this. Occasionally my wife will observe one of these little tantrums, and unaccountably find it amusing. Which makes me even madder. :mad: My spouse observes mine occasionally and picks on me about it, because I rarely do things in frustration and he does them all the time. But when I’m trying to open the door to the house, I pull out my keys and they catch on my pocket or the key I want to use gets hung up in the keyring or I cascade change all over the ground, the next thing that invariably happens is that my keys hit the ground hard (in my defense, it often jars the stuck key loose faster than fumbling with it!) ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Righteous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Dr.Righteous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Righteous)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2012, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/107 "2012-01-04T18:12:22Z")
Mine are noise related: I don’t want to hear slurping, smacking or any other of these types of noises. I remember needing to mute the TV when watching Buffy because when Buffy & Angel kissed they made the most disgusting noises. I currently have to deal with a person at work who eats breakfast & lunch at their desk and makes maddening noises, no matter what they’re eating: soup is slurped, carrot sticks are crunched, all food is eaten with an open mouth and I often need to leave the area in order not to commit murder. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2012, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/108 "2012-01-04T18:44:06Z")
> [@saje](#): > > The inescapable TV noise everywhere is driving me quietly bonkers. At the post office, the bank, Wally-world, restaurants, and now HOME since my husband has been on vacation for the last 2 weeks :mad: > > WHAT is wrong with SILENCE?? (says she shrieking dementedly…) Really. Not to mention the “music” that apparently needs to be everywhere. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2012, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/109 "2012-01-04T18:52:45Z")
> [@Dr.Righteous](#): > > Mine are noise related: I don’t want to hear slurping, smacking or any other of these types of noises. I remember needing to mute the TV when watching Buffy because when Buffy & Angel kissed they made the most disgusting noises. > > I currently have to deal with a person at work who eats breakfast & lunch at their desk and makes maddening noises, no matter what they’re eating: soup is slurped, carrot sticks are crunched, all food is eaten with an open mouth and I often need to leave the area in order not to commit murder. Oh, yeah. My mother-in-law used to talk and eat at the same time and all that came out was garbled slop. Between that and her cooking, I don’t know which was worse. To be fair, my dad was one for slurping, which was just as disgusting. ---
**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:** [January 4, 2012, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/110 "2012-01-04T18:58:44Z")
- People in my neighbourhood who keep taking the shopping carts home with them. Knock it off, you idiots! That’s STEALING! You didn’t buy that cart for a loonie - you only rented it for use in the store and on the lot. - People in my neighbourhood who refuse to clean their sidewalks. - People who throw garbage anywhere other than a garbage can. This one seriously WTF’s me - what kind of filthy pig do you have to be to not realize that garbage goes in a garbage can? ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2012, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/111 "2012-01-04T20:48:19Z")
> [@MizQuirk](#): > > Oh yes, that’s very important to me too – saying things the right way. It amazes me that some don’t know the difference between bring & take or come & go. I’ve (briefly) known people who said things like “the next time you go to Paris you’ll have to bring me along” or “Bring this potato salad when you go to your next picnic.” I think this one is interesting because it’s the sort of common grammatical construction/mistake that I hear a lot in Québec; either the incorrect word is used when translating from French to English or a sentence will be constructed using French grammatical rules. I can’t even be sure that I haven’t used turns of phrases like this, even though I know the correct forms. If I’m hanging out with a lot of people who are primarily francophone but are speaking English, I think I might fall into linguistic patterns similar to theirs. I had a moment of irrational rage the other day. I was having a clumsy day, just dropping things and having trouble with fine motor skills. I had put on a pair of flip flops to grab something from the messy storeroom, and then knocked something over as I was setting it down by the front door. In a fit of rage, I kicked off the flip flops…and somehow managed to send both of them off to the _left_ across the room, where one hit the edge of the TV and the other slammed into the wall. I thought they’d only get kicked about a foot or two in front of me…:smack: Luckily, there was no damage to anything! ---
**Author:** ![Pabitel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbce88/32.png) [@Pabitel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pabitel)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2012, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/112 "2012-01-04T21:07:35Z")
> [@kopek](#): > > Drivers who do not acknowledge a kindness when you give it. Pausing to allow them into traffic or to merge, letting them make their turn before I go straight. Would it kill you to just flash your lights or raise a hand? Screw giving them a ticket – I want them to do jail time! Pardon me but you are the kind of driver that makes me froth at the mouth. Don’t stop traffic so I can turn. Don’t stop traffic and let me out of a parking lot. Don’t slow down an entire lane of traffic thinking that you are helping me merge. Just drive. The rest of us will get on just fine without you trying to direct traffic from your car. Also, for every person in front of you who you think you are helping there are several more behind you screaming at you for blocking traffic. Check your rear mirror for gestures if you really want to know how people feel about your “help.” ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2012, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/113 "2012-01-04T21:30:51Z")
> [@Pabitel](#): > > Pardon me but you are the kind of driver that makes me froth at the mouth. > Don’t stop traffic so I can turn. > Don’t stop traffic and let me out of a parking lot. > Don’t slow down an entire lane of traffic thinking that you are helping me merge. > Just drive. > The rest of us will get on just fine without you trying to direct traffic from your car. > Also, for every person in front of you who you think you are helping there are several more behind you screaming at you for blocking traffic. Check your rear mirror for gestures if you really want to know how people feel about your “help.” The spouse and I have a phrase for this, that we got from one of our British motorcycling buddies: C3, or Courtesy Causes Chaos. The helpful impulse is is nice, definitely, but traffic does flow a lot better when everybody just does what they’re supposed to be doing and doesn’t try to “help.” ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2012, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/114 "2012-01-04T22:11:12Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > The spouse and I have a phrase for this, that we got from one of our British motorcycling buddies: C3, or Courtesy Causes Chaos. > > The helpful impulse is is nice, definitely, but traffic does flow a lot better when everybody just does what they’re supposed to be doing and doesn’t try to “help.” Seconded. I don’t mind waiting my turn when I don’t have the right of way. Example: intersection has stop signs for north/south, not for east/west. I’m heading west, signaling to turn south, and stop because there’s a car coming toward me, heading east. The oncoming car stops, _where there is no sign_, and waves for me to turn. Internally I’m screaming, “If I accept your little ‘courtesy’, you’re making _me_ break the rules! And if you decide to gun it and crash into me, it’ll be _my_ fault!” Drives me nuts. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/115 "2012-01-05T03:40:46Z")
> [@MLS](#): > > Really. Not to mention the “music” that apparently needs to be everywhere. Ugh. Yes. ---
**Author:** ![PandaBear77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@PandaBear77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PandaBear77)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/116 "2012-01-05T04:28:39Z")
I have 2. 1. People walking around with a bluetooth earpiece in their ear. 2. The Christmas season pretty much starts the day after Thanksgiving, which is the 4th Thursday of November here in the US. It is not ok to put up your damn Christmas tree or outside Christmas lights BEFORE Thanksgiving. Christmas is December 25th. All of your decorations should be taken down and packed away by no later than December 31st. TAKE THEM DOWN DAMMIT! ---
**Author:** ![Trom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Trom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trom)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/117 "2012-01-05T04:53:39Z")
> [@Max\_Torque](#): > > Seconded. I don’t mind waiting my turn when I don’t have the right of way. Example: intersection has stop signs for north/south, not for east/west. I’m heading west, signaling to turn south, and stop because there’s a car coming toward me, heading east. The oncoming car stops, _where there is no sign_, and waves for me to turn. Internally I’m screaming, “If I accept your little ‘courtesy’, you’re making _me_ break the rules! And if you decide to gun it and crash into me, it’ll be _my_ fault!” Drives me nuts. There was a pretty busy 4-way street that ran through my college campus. Occasionally, the car in the lane closest to the curb would stop and try to wave pedestrians across. Not only did this interrupt traffic in that lane, but, as a pedestrian, you were now very difficult to see from the adjacent lane. If you accepted the courtesy and tried to walk, you were essentially walking blind into the middle lane. Then add in the concern that the car behind the courtesy car might not realize what’s going on and attempt to zip around the vehicle parked in the middle of the road. It’s amazing there weren’t more accidents - especially at bar close. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/118 "2012-01-05T14:11:24Z")
> [@PandaBear77](#): > > 1. The Christmas season pretty much starts the day after Thanksgiving, which is the 4th Thursday of November here in the US. It is not ok to put up your damn Christmas tree or outside Christmas lights BEFORE Thanksgiving. Christmas is December 25th. All of your decorations should be taken down and packed away by no later than December 31st. TAKE THEM DOWN DAMMIT! We take ours down at Epiphany, or the closest weekend thereto. They will come down on Saturday. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/119 "2012-01-05T14:43:06Z")
> [@PandaBear77](#): > > All of your decorations should be taken down and packed away by no later than December 31st. TAKE THEM DOWN DAMMIT! I don’t really decorate for Christmas much, but I concur that Epiphany is the proper deadline. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/120 "2012-01-05T14:54:13Z")
Watching someone eat with a wooden spoon. I have to go and get them a real spoon. I literally cannot stand it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986.md?page=7)