# Too Damn Hot or Not Hot Enough: July Minirants **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 1, 2011, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-damn-hot-or-not-hot-enough-july-minirants/587516 "2011-07-01T15:43:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-damn-hot-or-not-hot-enough-july-minirants/587516/221 "2011-07-13T01:40:16Z")
Not often, but yeah, sometimes it is necessary. I stop, plant my feet (right slightly behind me so I can’t be pushed back), and lean my left shoulder forward. If they hit me, unless they seriously outweigh me, they bounce off. Unless there is a family with kids on bikes coming straight at me, I don’t feel that I should have to step off the sidewalk for inconsiderate people that “charge” at me on my side, or who walk several abreast and expect me to move. “I get to use this sidewalk too” “Drive on the right side, walk/run/jog/bike on the right side, ok?” And my response to “watch where you’re going” from these same people; “I was. You were not.” ---
**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:** [July 13, 2011, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-damn-hot-or-not-hot-enough-july-minirants/587516/222 "2011-07-13T01:52:11Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > \ > Unless there is a family with kids on bikes coming straight at me, I don’t feel that I should have to step off the sidewalk for inconsiderate people that “charge” at me on my side, or who walk several abreast and expect me to move.\ This really winds me up; there’s that entitlement again, that people think that they are entitled to more than their fair share of the sidewalk. When I’m walking with my little shopping cart, I’m careful to pull it behind me if necessary so it doesn’t get in other people’s way. Where do people get the idea that because they’re a large group or they’re biking on the sidewalk, that everyone else is required to get out of _their_ way? ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-damn-hot-or-not-hot-enough-july-minirants/587516/223 "2011-07-13T03:21:49Z")
This morning I had to step off the sidewalk to make room for a woman who was jogging with a stroller. A double-wide stroller, which took up the entire width of the sidewalk. With only _one child_ in the stroller. ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-damn-hot-or-not-hot-enough-july-minirants/587516/224 "2011-07-13T13:25:52Z")
I need to pit the idiot we saw in the dog park yesterday. It’s a small off leash area in our neighborhood and it has an asphalt walkway running through the middle of it. We have our dog and our foster dog off leash and are about halfway through the park. Heading towards us is a guy about 18 or 20, on a longboard (like a skateboard) with his Golden on leash, flying down the pathway. I looked at my husband and said something to the effect of ‘That doesn’t look like a good idea’. Sure enough, as he gets close to us, his dog zips in front of him to say hi to our dogs, causing the guy to fly off his longboard. Luckily, he tucked and rolled, and landed on the grass. But THEN, he starts REEFING on the fucking dog, who is in a choke chain, lifting it off of it’s feet - and it’s a full grown Golden - and yelling at it. My husband runs up and starts telling him to take it easy on the dog. He doesn’t listen and continues to yank HARD on the dogs neck until it jusy lays there. My husband is about to restrain the guy when he takes out his headphones and realizes my husband is yelling at him. The guy starts yelling that the stupid dog shouldn’t have run in front of his board, and my husband replies something to the effect that YOU’RE IN AN OFF LEASH PARK AND YOUR DOG IS GOING TO ACT LIKE A DOG but he just doesn’t get it. The guy eventually picks up his board and walks the rest of the way through the park. Poor dog. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-damn-hot-or-not-hot-enough-july-minirants/587516/225 "2011-07-13T13:29:18Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Yup. > > What you do when you encounter someone who can’t figure out the incredibly difficult concept of “Walk on the right, pass on the left” is spread your feet to about shoulder’s width apart, bend your knees to get your centre of gravity low, and put your shoulder forwards. As they bounce off of you, growl, “Walk on the right. Pass on the left.” I’ve done almost that exact thing and almost got my ass kicked. I was walking down 7th Ave and this young woman was walking towards me right in my path (the sidewalk is huge too). I moved over slightly but she wouldn’t give, so I just kept walking straight at her. I connected with her shoulder pretty hard, and because I was prepared for it, she took the brunt of it. And then she started yelling at me, calling me names, saying she going to fucking kick my ass, etc. I kept walking and she followed me for a block. Scared the shit out of me. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-damn-hot-or-not-hot-enough-july-minirants/587516/226 "2011-07-13T14:18:19Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > What you do when you encounter someone who can’t figure out the incredibly difficult concept of “Walk on the right, pass on the left” is spread your feet to about shoulder’s width apart, bend your knees to get your centre of gravity low, and put your shoulder forwards. As they bounce off of you, growl, “Walk on the right. Pass on the left.” Now I am prepared for next time! > [@EmAnJ](#): > > I’ve done almost that exact thing and almost got my ass kicked. That’s the main problem with this. Assholes who don’t move out of the way are sometimes trying to make a point, and they will continue to make it if you act in a way that suggests you don’t acknowledge their inherent superiority and dominance. ---
**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:** [July 13, 2011, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-damn-hot-or-not-hot-enough-july-minirants/587516/227 "2011-07-13T14:38:20Z")
Now I’m picturing someone doing the shoulder-check thing at some sidewalk-hogging douchebag while yelling “I acknowledge your inherent superiority and dominance!” at the top of their lungs. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-damn-hot-or-not-hot-enough-july-minirants/587516/228 "2011-07-13T15:05:48Z")
Ooh! Best idea yet! ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-damn-hot-or-not-hot-enough-july-minirants/587516/229 "2011-07-13T15:59:50Z")
> [@alice\_in\_wonderland](#): > > I have a suspicious mole. I have to have a dermatologist inspect it. Ugh. Benign thoughts headed in the direction of your mole. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-damn-hot-or-not-hot-enough-july-minirants/587516/230 "2011-07-13T17:08:20Z")
All I’ve done lately is clean up other people’s messes. I helped a neighbor write letters to both a mobile phone carrier and a local newspaper over what were basically breaches of contract and runarounds that had lasted more than a year. We got one resolved. The other will not cooperate. My mom has been dealing with paperwork snafus as well, so I’ve been as supportive as possible. I had to hire a handyman to fix or replace the back yard sprinklers that were spraying badly and leaving four huge dry spots in the grass; previous landscapers had done a half-assed job on them. Saving the best for last… The local p.o. sent idiotic carriers who kept misdelivering mail all over the place. They even sent my neighbor’s mortgage payment down the street to another resident instead of to its intended destination! Pleas for help locally went unheeded, so I had to call the Postmaster General’s office and get them on the case. It worked, and the mail is now being delivered more efficiently. However, I found a card in my delivery the other day that read “special notice: Exercise extreme care regarding this situation,” my name and address, route #, instruction: customer misdelivery problem; double check before you deliver." And the kicker is at the bottom of the card: Do Not Deliver this card. (Obviously, they delivered it!) I put it back in the mail. We’ll see if it comes back again. _Sigh_ I call this sort of thing “trying to fix the world one idiot at a time.” ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-damn-hot-or-not-hot-enough-july-minirants/587516/231 "2011-07-13T17:09:50Z")
I have never in my life… I am dumbounded. I just tried to call and cancel my Shell account. The rep would not take “please close this account” as a confirmation that I wanted to close the account. The rep insisted that I had to answer “yes” to the question “do you want me to close the account?” They also held me hostage for a $25 membership fee they wouldn’t reverse. God, please God, let me be rid of Shell. ---
**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:** [July 13, 2011, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-damn-hot-or-not-hot-enough-july-minirants/587516/232 "2011-07-13T18:15:33Z")
> [@EmAnJ](#): > > I need to pit the idiot we saw in the dog park yesterday. > > It’s a small off leash area in our neighborhood and it has an asphalt walkway running through the middle of it. We have our dog and our foster dog off leash and are about halfway through the park. Heading towards us is a guy about 18 or 20, on a longboard (like a skateboard) with his Golden on leash, flying down the pathway. I looked at my husband and said something to the effect of ‘That doesn’t look like a good idea’. Sure enough, as he gets close to us, his dog zips in front of him to say hi to our dogs, causing the guy to fly off his longboard. Luckily, he tucked and rolled, and landed on the grass. > > But THEN, he starts REEFING on the fucking dog, who is in a choke chain, lifting it off of it’s feet - and it’s a full grown Golden - and yelling at it. My husband runs up and starts telling him to take it easy on the dog. He doesn’t listen and continues to yank HARD on the dogs neck until it jusy lays there. My husband is about to restrain the guy when he takes out his headphones and realizes my husband is yelling at him. The guy starts yelling that the stupid dog shouldn’t have run in front of his board, and my husband replies something to the effect that YOU’RE IN AN OFF LEASH PARK AND YOUR DOG IS GOING TO ACT LIKE A DOG but he just doesn’t get it. The guy eventually picks up his board and walks the rest of the way through the park. > > Poor dog. ☹ Poor dog, indeed. I don’t think it is exactly a secret that it is a bad idea to have your dog on a leash while you’re roller-blading or biking (apparently dogs will run so much that they hurt themselves), and then there’s the whole, “Hurting your own by pulling him off the bike/blades/board,” too. > [@EmAnJ](#): > > I’ve done almost that exact thing and almost got my ass kicked. I was walking down 7th Ave and this young woman was walking towards me right in my path (the sidewalk is huge too). I moved over slightly but she wouldn’t give, so I just kept walking straight at her. I connected with her shoulder pretty hard, and because I was prepared for it, she took the brunt of it. > > And then she started yelling at me, calling me names, saying she going to fucking kick my ass, etc. I kept walking and she followed me for a block. Scared the shit out of me. Hmm, haven’t thought of that. Well, that’s when I’d take out my dog repellent spray and threaten them with it. THAT oughta make things better! (Not really. That really would be scary.) ---
**Author:** ![curlcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@curlcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curlcoat)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-damn-hot-or-not-hot-enough-july-minirants/587516/233 "2011-07-13T20:33:21Z")
> [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](#): > > They also held me hostage for a $25 membership fee they wouldn’t reverse. > > God, please God, let me be rid of Shell. Membership fee? ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-damn-hot-or-not-hot-enough-july-minirants/587516/234 "2011-07-13T20:41:01Z")
AKA annual fee. ---
**Author:** ![curlcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@curlcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curlcoat)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-damn-hot-or-not-hot-enough-july-minirants/587516/235 "2011-07-13T20:44:23Z")
> [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](#): > > AKA annual fee. Huh. I don’t have an annual fee on mine - maybe because the account is so old? ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-damn-hot-or-not-hot-enough-july-minirants/587516/236 "2011-07-13T20:48:48Z")
Yes, it was a Texaco card waaaay back in the day when I opened it. I never use it, so I can see why they’d charge me a fee. But they are total fucking dicks for refusing to credit it. ---
**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:** [July 13, 2011, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-damn-hot-or-not-hot-enough-july-minirants/587516/237 "2011-07-13T21:11:15Z")
Hey, stupid local nursery - the rush to get plants is OVER! Everyone else has their plants on deep discounts (or hardly any plants left at all), so why do you not have any of your perennials on sale? No, wait, they have ornamental grasses on sale. :rolleyes: On the plus side, I love getting plants for a buck that look like hell, then you take them home and put them in the ground and they just thrive. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-damn-hot-or-not-hot-enough-july-minirants/587516/238 "2011-07-13T21:19:48Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > On the plus side, I love getting plants for a buck that look like hell, then you take them home and put them in the ground and they just thrive. 🙂 Heh. I used to take home “strays” from the greenhouse section…the sickly little stick of an orchid or the few yellowed leaves of a spathiphyllum for a dollar or two. It was usually a 50/50 chance but for a buck it was worth the try. ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-damn-hot-or-not-hot-enough-july-minirants/587516/239 "2011-07-13T21:56:00Z")
I’m sick of my back playing up. I’ve been working on this festival show since November, I’ve been giving about half my evenings up for months, and this is the gig I was most looking forward to; we’ve finally got the gig confirmed, and it looks like I’m going to be too broken to do it. ☹ Got to do a few shows before it got too bad, but this was supposed to be a summer of awesomeness, not the summer of walking like an 8 month pregnant Quasimodo. And my upstairs neighbours are disgusting slobs who keep dumping bags of smelly rotten rubbish in the front yard, just outside my window. And clothes moths are taking over my bedroom. And I’m nearly out of beer. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-damn-hot-or-not-hot-enough-july-minirants/587516/240 "2011-07-13T22:01:17Z")
It seems like everywhere I look in my house there are ants. Not huge swarms or anything, just a handful. Not just in the kitchen where you might expect. In the bathroom, the bedroom, the front room. Just some ants. Not a trail, just maybe 6-10 crawling around randomly. I cannot even figure out where they are getting in. My husband got some stuff to spray around the outside of the house, so we’ll see if that helps. It says you can spray it inside, but I don’t know how I feel about that, especially in the kitchen. I just don’t understand why we have them. It’s not because food is left out or anything, because I am finding them all over the house! UGH!!! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-damn-hot-or-not-hot-enough-july-minirants/587516.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/too-damn-hot-or-not-hot-enough-july-minirants/587516.md?page=13)