# Truly stupid things that annoy the hell out of you **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 11, 2003, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truly-stupid-things-that-annoy-the-hell-out-of-you/218362 "2003-12-11T14:59:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truly-stupid-things-that-annoy-the-hell-out-of-you/218362/1 "2003-12-11T14:59:18Z")
For me, it’s people running their windshield wipers at a faster speed than they need – fast, when regular speed would do, or regular speed when intermittent would be fine. The worst is when someone doing this is in the car behind me, and I see it every time I glance in my rearview mirror – because every time I glance in my rearview mirror, I get irritated all over again. What does the speed at which someone else runs their wipers have to do with me? Absolutely nothing. Somehow, the very fact that it has nothing to do with me merely increases my ire. So – what stupid stuff sets you off? ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truly-stupid-things-that-annoy-the-hell-out-of-you/218362/2 "2003-12-11T15:04:07Z")
I scream at the radio every time I hear someone say _“different than”_ Makes me nuts! In the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t even make a teeny tiny blip on the screen, but I can’t let it pass unscreamed-at! ---
**Author:** ![Chicago\_Faucet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chicago_faucet/32/13910_2.png) [@Chicago\_Faucet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicago_Faucet)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truly-stupid-things-that-annoy-the-hell-out-of-you/218362/3 "2003-12-11T15:13:36Z")
When someone giving a speech to the media, usually a politician, reads word for word their prepared speech. It annoys me, but usually means that nothing at all useful is being said by the speaker. But, moreover, when the speaker uses the following grammar formula to describe something: “The allegations are unfounded, untrue, and wrong.” The focus I’m trying to make is on the “something, something, and something.” part. It almost seems that they feel they have to give exactly three adjectives. One isn’t good enough. Two is just tacky. Three is perfect. Four is too many! Whoa! This is a very common pattern of grammar. I probably use it and am not even aware of it. But do these people throw a random word in there if they initially can’t come up with three adjectives? If they have too many, how do they decide which one to prune away? ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truly-stupid-things-that-annoy-the-hell-out-of-you/218362/4 "2003-12-11T15:54:32Z")
I’ll tell you what gets under my skin…those short white socks that people have been wearing for the past few years. They’re not peds and they’re not ankle socks. They come just to the ankle bone. It drives me insane to see these socks on ANYONE, but on men…well, I nearly come unglued. The ankle should be completely covered or you should be wearing sandals. No middle-of-the-road socks for me. I want a commitment! I also hate watching someone walk through the weaving roped-off area at the bank, when there’s no one else in line. Just step over the ropes, please. You won’t get so dizzy. And the guards won’t draw on you, either. Traffic lights that haven’t been properly timed. The North/South road near my work has virtually no traffic, but the East/West road is very busy. But both lights are the same length! Grrrrrrrr! Just activate the North/South light when a car is actually there. What’s so hard about that? ---
**Author:** ![OneYogini](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b9e5f3/32.png) [@OneYogini](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneYogini)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truly-stupid-things-that-annoy-the-hell-out-of-you/218362/5 "2003-12-11T16:09:09Z")
WHERE DO I BEGIN…I’ve got several…but I’m learning to just let things like this go…breathe in the good, breathe out the bad… Okay, it bothers me that people in “the merge lane” trying to get into the regular flow of traffic either (a) don’t use their turn signal (which is polite; to ask permission to merge because as we all know, the regular flow of traffic has the right of way and YOU are merging into us…so speed up and put on your signal!) or (b) speed up from the beginning of the merge and try to get as far as they can to the front of the merge lane and cut in…WTF…why are YOU so important and the rest of us waited our turn and got in. rat bastards. Then there’s the “one line, two cashiers” thing they have going on at some stores or restaurants. Everyone waits in one line and as the cashier becomes available, they help the next person in line. It annoys me that people don’t “get” this concept and feel the need to go stand in line behind a person who is being helped…meanwhile the rest of us are waiting in line for our turn!! Hello?! Pay attention much? Entitlement issues seems to be the theme here I guess. Thanks for letting me vent. harumpf!! Off to breathe in…breathe out… Namaste. Yogini 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![abba21](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f4b2a3/32.png) [@abba21](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abba21)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truly-stupid-things-that-annoy-the-hell-out-of-you/218362/6 "2003-12-11T16:27:01Z")
**OneYogini** I have a similar complaint. On the way home from my daughter’s school, there is a very busy intersection where, as soon as you go through the light, the right lane merges into the left. I always get in the left lane before the light, but there are other people who will get into the right lane on purpose, then floor it to try and merge in front of all the cars in the left lane as soon as the lights change. It isn’t people who didn’t know the lanes merge and just happened to get in the wrong one, it is the same people (who just picked up their kids) every day. Now, I’m sure this is a legitimate driving maneuver, but it just makes me want to ride the bumper of the person in front of me so the mergers can’t get in and then flip them the bird as I pass. Of course, I don’t, but why does this irritate me so? ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truly-stupid-things-that-annoy-the-hell-out-of-you/218362/7 "2003-12-11T16:33:54Z")
Supermarket checkout, the woman\* in front of you has waited five minutes in the queue without realising that once she’s bagged all her chockies, scented candles and quilted bog-roll she is gonna have to pay for it -with money or card- this will involve possibly (no, definitley) poking around in a handbag and purse. This poking around is _never_ done in the standing waiting in the queue slack-time. There’s this sort of sudden realisation _“Ooh gosh so I have to pay now!?”_ sometimes they look like they’ve just been cattle-prodded. Didn’t they have to pay last time? How many checkouts have they gone though and done this “Oo I need to pay?” Argh! Just get your freaking purse out, is it so hard? \*I have only ever seen _one_ bloke do this ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truly-stupid-things-that-annoy-the-hell-out-of-you/218362/8 "2003-12-11T16:36:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Chicago Faucet \* > \*\*When someone giving a speech to the media, usually a politician, reads word for word their prepared speech. It annoys me, but usually means that nothing at all useful is being said by the speaker. > > But, moreover, when the speaker uses the following grammar formula to describe something: > > “The allegations are unfounded, untrue, and wrong.” > > The focus I’m trying to make is on the “something, something, and something.” part. It almost seems that they feel they have to give exactly three adjectives. One isn’t good enough. Two is just tacky. Three is perfect. Four is too many! Whoa! > > This is a very common pattern of grammar. I probably use it and am not even aware of it. But do these people throw a random word in there if they initially can’t come up with three adjectives? If they have too many, how do they decide which one to prune away? \*\* A sentence like that would work great if the alliteration was there. I’m not sure what the third u-word would be, but it would sound a lot better than wrong. In my opinion, either go for alliteration or don’t, but don’t go two for three, because that just sounds stupid. ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truly-stupid-things-that-annoy-the-hell-out-of-you/218362/9 "2003-12-11T16:49:58Z")
It makes my eyes narrow and nostrils flare when someone posts something like > [@](#): > > I really hate it when people ask, “[x, y, or z?]” and the next post is > [@](#): > > [x, y, or z?] 😃 How the fuck is this funny? Are you six? Does this ever get a chuckle out of anyone? Ever? ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truly-stupid-things-that-annoy-the-hell-out-of-you/218362/10 "2003-12-11T17:23:47Z")
I hate it when people tell **me** how **I** feel about something, or when they do the same to my children. I love my MIL, but she does this all the time. Two examples: Once I said to her that I’ve never weighed under 200 pounds in all my adult life. She said “Sure you have! You didn’t weigh that much at your wedding”. “Yeah, I was about 215 at the wedding” “Oh, you weren’t that heavy”. Don’t freakin’ tell me how much I weighed! I know how much I weighed! Another time we were at her house at dinner time. She had beef stew. My then-youngest said “I don’t like beef stew” “Oh, sure you do!” said my MIL. “It’s good!” My daughter was, like, 7 years old. Certainly old enough to know she didn’t like beef stew. A small thing to raise my blood pressure over? Probably. It don’t stop me, though. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truly-stupid-things-that-annoy-the-hell-out-of-you/218362/11 "2003-12-11T18:08:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by norinew \* > \*\*I hate it when people tell **me** how **I** feel about something, or when they do the same to my children. \*\* Does my wife have a sister she ain’t telling me about? I’d swear we have the same Mother-in-Law! Drive me up the wall, this woman does! She adds another little twist: She projects how she feels onto others, for example, the other day she said, “Oh, Gato, your mom just loves her grandson _so much!_ She just thinks he’s wonderful!” How the hell would you know? 😕 Gum Chewers and Smokers are stupid things that annoy the hell out of me, too. * * * BCS stands for (illegitimate child) + (crowing rooster) + (Tootsie Pops) ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truly-stupid-things-that-annoy-the-hell-out-of-you/218362/12 "2003-12-11T18:29:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by norinew \* > \*\*I hate it when people tell **me** how **I** feel about something, or when they do the same to my children. I love my MIL, but she does this all the time. \*\* Your MIL is my mother? Wow, small world. 😉 My mom does that all the time, too and it makes me crazy. > [@](#): > > \*\*FairyChatMom: > I scream at the radio every time I hear someone say “different than” \*\* On a recent _Trading Spaces_ one of the homeowners kept saying her dining room was “adjacent from” her living room. I nearly threw the remote through the screen. It’s adjacent “to,” not “from.” Also on TV: Redundant newscasters. “There were _approximately about five to six_ shots fired…” Ugh! **Kalhoun** , those socks bug me, too, and my daughter has suddenly started wearing them. She likes them! I hate them! They’re so uncomfortable! I can’t stand looking at her feet when I know she’s wearing them. ---
**Author:** ![OneYogini](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b9e5f3/32.png) [@OneYogini](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneYogini)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truly-stupid-things-that-annoy-the-hell-out-of-you/218362/13 "2003-12-11T18:29:50Z")
BCS LMAO! ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truly-stupid-things-that-annoy-the-hell-out-of-you/218362/14 "2003-12-11T18:41:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by OneYogini \* > \*\*Okay, it bothers me that people in “the merge lane” trying to get into the regular flow of traffic either (a) don’t use their turn signal (which is polite; to ask permission to merge because as we all know, the regular flow of traffic has the right of way and YOU are merging into us…so speed up and put on your signal!) or (b) speed up from the beginning of the merge and try to get as far as they can to the front of the merge lane and cut in…WTF…why are YOU so important and the rest of us waited our turn and got in. rat bastards. > \*\* A hearty second for this one. I always have to take deep breaths and repeat “I am not the traffic police” as I sit in the slow traffic and watch mergers coming onto the highway and going as far as possible down the merge ramp and then making through traffic have to slam on our brakes as they squeeze in at the last moment. Also, huge groups that wait in line for one person to purchase something. Does the entire family really need to accompany you to the cashier to pay for your pecan log ther pal? Especially when there is already a long line and space in the store is cramped? ---
**Author:** ![shannablu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8baadc/32.png) [@shannablu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shannablu)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truly-stupid-things-that-annoy-the-hell-out-of-you/218362/15 "2003-12-11T18:46:33Z")
I can’t stand stupid drivers. You know, the kind that cut you off and then slow down, or the ones who don’t have any clue how to use a turn signal. If I remember correctly, they taught those type of things in driver’s training, or weren’t they listening? ---
**Author:** ![MinniePurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@MinniePurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MinniePurl)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truly-stupid-things-that-annoy-the-hell-out-of-you/218362/16 "2003-12-11T19:06:22Z")
LOUD EATERS. They make me want to kill. Or at least maim them good enough so that they have to drink from a straw. Of course these idiots would probably figure out a way to be loud with a friggin’ straw. Smack smack chew chew smack smack burp chew chew smack smack. Why are people so friggin’ clueless? ---
**Author:** ![DaveX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/96bed5/32.png) [@DaveX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveX)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truly-stupid-things-that-annoy-the-hell-out-of-you/218362/17 "2003-12-11T19:31:16Z")
While I agree with the traffic mergers being a nuisance, it irks me just as bad when people refuse to let them merge. They slow down, speed up, and basically screw up the traffic flow for everyone behind them. If they would just let the people in (yes, we know he’s an ass) it would go so much smoother for everyone. It’s not a race, and you don’t get a prize for finishing first… ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truly-stupid-things-that-annoy-the-hell-out-of-you/218362/18 "2003-12-11T19:31:34Z")
Oh, I just thought of one. One of the local “Lite-FM” stations is doing the 24/7 Christmas carols. They play some people’s requests on the air, and it drives me nuts how people screw up the names of the songs: “Can you play ‘Rudolph and the Red-Nosed Reindeers’ ?” “Can you play ‘Walking Through the Winter Wonderingland’ ?” “Can you play ‘Chestnuts Roasting In The Open Fireplace’ ?” I think they play the requests on the air just for laughs. ---
**Author:** ![cowgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truly-stupid-things-that-annoy-the-hell-out-of-you/218362/19 "2003-12-11T19:38:13Z")
> [@](#): > > Supermarket checkout, the woman\* in front of you has waited five minutes in the queue … There’s this sort of sudden realisation “Ooh gosh so I have to pay now!?” sometimes they look like they’ve just been cattle-prodded. Didn’t they have to pay last time? How many checkouts have they gone though and done this “Oo I need to pay?” OOH, me too ! And then they pull out their phone-book-sized wallet and undo all the snaps and zippers and pull out a twenty and hand it over, and then realize that their purchase has come to $5.56 and realize “Oh, I have a penny!” and then sift through the at least $20 worth of change in their wallet … pushing aside quarters, which would really be useful to the cashier and result in less change being returned to them … to dig out the penny from the bottom … all the while muttering about how annoying it is to have so much change to carry around all the time … that makes me so mad !! I have seen blokes do it too, though. Growl. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truly-stupid-things-that-annoy-the-hell-out-of-you/218362/20 "2003-12-11T19:48:15Z")
The stupidest things? • People who swing their arms like semaphores as they walk down ther street. I swear I bump into them on purpose. And I have _no idea_ why this pisses me off . . . • When the _New York Times_ puts the obits in the Business Section. _It belongs at the end of the Metro Section, you blocxkheads!!!_ (I have to go have a cup of tea now . . .) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/truly-stupid-things-that-annoy-the-hell-out-of-you/218362.md?page=2)