# 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:** 7
**Author:** ![MizQuirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/94ad74/32.png) [@MizQuirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MizQuirk)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/121 "2012-01-05T15:40:45Z")
> [@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.” When someone tries to ‘help’ me this way I often intentially appear to bury my head in my purse looking for something until the person moves on. Then I feel guilty for being so unappreciative, but it _does_ seem to be the right thing to have done. ---
**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 5, 2012, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/122 "2012-01-05T17:11:10Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > - 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. The supermarket near me has those magnetic locks so that you can’t remove them from the lot, the wheels lock up. So all these brilliant people wheel the carts to the edge of the lot until the wheels lock, push them a few times more just to make sure, and then take their bags out and abandon the cart there making it unusable by anyone else until an employee comes around to unlock and retrieve them. Pure selfishness, that… if you have so much buy you can’t carry it comfortably, get a little wheeled cart and bring it with you. If you can carry it, do so! ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/123 "2012-01-05T17:16:47Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > I don’t really decorate for Christmas much, but I concur that Epiphany is the proper deadline. The proper deadline for me is when I’ve either finally seen everyone to give them their gifts or after a party I have with friends which, due to the fact that we live far apart, can be scheduled anytime between Dec 1 and Jan 31. It’s a Christmas tradition that simply needs to be accommodated. OTOH, I only decorate indoors anyways, so it’s not like my trees are bothering anyone. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/124 "2012-01-05T17:30:42Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally Posted by Cat Whisperer > > - 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. Oh, me too–I will confront them (I am going to get shot someday) and lie, “You’d better be careful, the local cops are ticketing people for stealing those things.” They invariably cry, “I’m not \*stealing \*it!” And I laugh and say, “Of \*course \*you are.” They always leave them laying about town, too, like it’s their personal garbage dump. _Grrrr_. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/125 "2012-01-05T17:47:18Z")
INLINE AUDIO of any kind in a website, where I can’t see which of my tabs and windows it’s coming from. Oh Lord if there’s a Chrome plug-in or something to prevent any audio I didn’t specifically click on, please let me know, I will love you forever. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/126 "2012-01-05T17:50:38Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > I don’t really decorate for Christmas much, but I concur that Epiphany is the proper deadline. Me too. And I’m not even Christian. But Epiphany (Jan 6) is the right and proper date because the hangover from New Year’s Eve is no longer an excuse, and I’m starting to get annoyed with all the Christmas Clutter in here. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/127 "2012-01-05T17:53:58Z")
People who don’t turn off their turn signals after they turn or change lines. It’s potentially unsafe since people can’t be sure what they’re trying to do. DVD players in cars. First, they distract me as I try to figure out what they’re watching (I know, I have problem). Second, really?! God forbid your kids not have something distracting them every second of the day. My parents drove across the country with two grade school children and we made our own damn entertainment! Now get off my lawn! ---
**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 5, 2012, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/128 "2012-01-05T18:19:29Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > Oh, me too–I will confront them (I am going to get shot someday) and lie, “You’d better be careful, the local cops are ticketing people for stealing those things.” > > They invariably cry, “I’m not \*stealing \*it!” And I laugh and say, “Of \*course \*you are.” They always leave them laying about town, too, like it’s their personal garbage dump. _Grrrr_. I trundle them back to the store whenever I come across one that’s been abandoned, but I feel like hanging a sign on it that says, “Returning it to the store - I’m not the asshole that stole it.” ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/129 "2012-01-05T18:46:01Z")
> [@PandaBear77](#): > > 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! Some of us leave them up until January 7, the eastern othodox Christmas. ---
**Author:** ![kath94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/67e7ee/32.png) [@kath94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kath94)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/130 "2012-01-05T19:33:50Z")
> [@Lancia](#): > > 1. The sound of someone whistling. Not a tune, mind you, that doesn’t bother me. No, whistling for a dog or to grab someone’s attention. Every time I hear someone whistling for a dog my only wish in the world is for that person to lose their lips. My god, I hate that sound. I have a problem with whistling of any type, but mostly tunes. There is something about the pitch of a whistle that just hurts my ears. > [@MLS](#): > > 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. I mostly deal with people over the phone in my line of work. Look, if you’re going to talk, don’t eat. If you’re going to eat, don’t talk. It’s one of the other, people! I HATE the sound of someone talking with food in their mouth. My mother is a big offender. She’ll talk for hours with her friends by phone, and snack on whatever is nearby. I’ve actually moved the food out of her reach. My biggest peeves are incorrect grammar & sounds that I can’t identify. Like, if I hear an unusual ticking or buzzing sound at work. It will make me CRAZY until I find the source of it. Then I’m good. I know what it is, I can deal with it. The use of “your” when meaning “you are.” Okay, so vocally “your” may sound a lot like “you’re,” but THEY’RE NOT THE SAME! “I hope your feeling better.” NO! The ubiquitous use of “'s” when pluralizing any noun. JUST ADD THE S. No apostrophe necessary! “Giant hotdogs’s.” “Guitar lesson’s.” Motorcycle’s." AARGH! I am SO on board with sign vigilantes who carry paint & wipe out unnecessary apostrophes or correct spellings. It’s a community service! Yaay! ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/131 "2012-01-05T20:11:26Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > When we get new cars, the dealers transfer the tags, and that’s when the frames are put on. As soon as we get home, they come off - I’m not going to be a rolling advertisement for anyone! I’d rather my tag be unframed than whored… :eek: I bought a car once from a dealership that didn’t just use license plate frames; they had installed a chrome logo (or chrome-plated plastic, I don’t know) on the back. I made an offer on the car and said it was contingent on removing their logo. They said it wasn’t removable. I said they could either take another thousand off the price to repay me for advertising their dealership, or remove the logo. They balked. I started to leave. They removed it. > [@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. I’m very curious where you live. People there actually get _mad_ at courteous drivers. That’s just … wow. You’d rather I run you off the right shoulder than let you merge on the freeway? You’d rather sit on a side street for five minutes than have someone stop and let you in? This boggles my mind. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/132 "2012-01-05T20:42:10Z")
> [@PandaBear77](#): > > 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! While I agree that the Christmas decorations should not go up before Thanksgiving (I actually set the date at the beginning of Advent, which happens to be the Sunday after Thanksgiving) it is actually proper to leave Christmas decorations up throughout the twelve days. > **[Twelve Days of Christmas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_Days_of_Christmas)** > > The Twelve Days of Christmas, also known as the Twelve Days of Christmastide, are the festive Christian season celebrating the Nativity. > Christmas Day is the First Day. The Twelve Days are 25 December to 5 January, counting first and last. The Octave, or Eighth Day, is New Year's Day and the Feast of the Circumcision, the day Jesus was circumcised in accordance with the Jewish faith. The evening of the last day of the Twelve Days of Christmastide is Twelfth Night or Epiphany Eve, with the next... It’s generally the weekend after New Years that they come down. ---
**Author:** ![Sally\_Mander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@Sally\_Mander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sally_Mander)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/133 "2012-01-05T20:53:12Z")
[quote=“Gary “Wombat” Robson, post:131, topic:607986”] I’m very curious where you live. People there actually get _mad_ at courteous drivers. That’s just … wow. You’d rather I run you off the right shoulder than let you merge on the freeway? You’d rather sit on a side street for five minutes than have someone stop and let you in? This boggles my mind. [/QUOTE] I look at it this way. If there’s no disruption to other drivers, fine, be courteous. That’s great. On the other hand, take this example: You’re on a four-lane road (two lanes in each direction), and you are trying to turn left into a side street. There’s no light, so you have to wait till the on-coming traffic is clear. Some kind soul decides to stop and let you go. The problem is, the people behind him and in the other lane of on-coming traffic have no idea what’s going on and go around him. You might have trouble seeing those cars, people behind you are swerving out to pass your half-turned car…it’s a mess. It’s fine to be a courteous driver, but don’t give up your right-of-way when it causes problems for others. It’s like the people at 4-way stops who have the right-of-way, and try to wave you on. No, it’s your turn, so take it! ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Woo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7c8e57/32.png) [@Dr.Woo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Woo)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/134 "2012-01-05T23:48:58Z")
These stupid eyeglasses. They don’t stay on my face. I don’t know what’s wrong with them or with my face, but they’re only barely perched there. A faint breeze, like the output of a laptop fan, will blow them right off. I have to HOLD them on when I go downstairs, and that means I can’t carry anything (or I have to take the stupid glasses off) because then I have one hand on the rail (I’m pretty uncoordinated too) and the other hand holding my flippin’ glasses on. I wear an old, dog-chewed pair to clean the house because the real ones fall off into the toilet or trashcan or garbage disposal. Even worse, the damn things _grab my hair at the temple_. Now, I have long hair and I pretty much always have, so I’m used to things and people pulling on my hair, but this? This infuriates me beyond belief. That feeling of having one or two individual hairs caught where the ear thingy meets the frame is like nails on a chalkboard and I swear I say the word FUCK (mostly silently, thank goodness) whenever they grab a hair, which is about 50 times a day. My New Years resolution is to fix all the stupid little things that are bugging me, and this is next on the list. I need new glasses! ---
**Author:** ![Becky2844](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Becky2844](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Becky2844)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2012, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/135 "2012-01-06T05:28:26Z")
> [@Dr.Girlfriend](#): > > :shudder: > > Even worse is when their hand is moist too. Ugh. omg Yes, and now I’m going to puke. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2012, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/136 "2012-01-06T05:46:36Z")
Misplacing things around my house. This (inexplicibly) causes me to just _flip out_ with rage; only to be wondering what the hell I was upset about when I find my (keys) lying on top of the dryer. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2012, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/137 "2012-01-06T05:46:46Z")
> [@Sally\_Mander](#): > > I look at it this way. If there’s no disruption to other drivers, fine, be courteous. That’s great. It’s even more infuriating when you’re a pedestrian waiting to cross the street and they stop and wave you along. WTF? Now everyone behind you has to slam on their brakes and if the other lanes don’t stop what good does it even do me? I’ve actually screamed: “GOOOO!!!” at people doing this. Morons. Seriously. I can wait 20 seconds for the light to change. Another egregious offense is when there is a two way stop and cross traffic has the right of way. I swear 80% of the time I’ll be waiting my turn and some dork coming from my right will stop and give me the wave. YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG! People, please. We are trying to have a society here! Do it right or stay home. ---
**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 6, 2012, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/138 "2012-01-06T06:07:10Z")
People with car alarms, and especially the ones who set them with a pants-filling HONK! just as I walk by the car. Like friggin’ nails on the friggin’ chalkboard. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2012, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/139 "2012-01-06T18:16:14Z")
Has anybody mentioned slooowww wwaallkerrrs yet? Actually I don’t mind if people walk slowly; one never knows who has arthritis or some other problem that keeps them from moving more quickly. But lordsakes, if you’re just gonna mosey along in the supermarket or parking lot, please go directly to your goal. Don’t mosey diagonally across the lane at a snail’s pace or, even worse, directly down the center so that nobody can move any faster than you are. Every time I have this reaction, I try to tell myself it’s not that important. If I arrive at my destination one entire minute later because someone is taking his time, will it really matter? No, it won’t. ---
**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 6, 2012, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986/140 "2012-01-06T18:57:26Z")
I know every New Yorker will join in on this one: groups of people who walk all abreast on the sidewalk. Slowly. To say it makes us stabby would be way too understated. Thermonuclear, perhaps? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tiny-things-that-annoy-irritate-to-a-far-greater-degree-than-they-should/607986.md?page=8)