# Your relationship with your pests **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 18, 2011, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-relationship-with-your-pests/575180 "2011-03-18T18:12:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-relationship-with-your-pests/575180/21 "2011-03-21T13:43:43Z")
I treat the pests no different from anyone else. Because _all_ of you are pests. ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lisa_Simpson)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-relationship-with-your-pests/575180/22 "2011-03-21T13:48:42Z")
I am trying to get better at just live and let live, as QtM so wisely espouses. For me the hardest are the people we occasionally interact with due to my Beau’s business/promotions work. People who have screwed us over in the past and tend to cause problems. The Beau is much more forgiving than I am and he tends to give people chances to work for/with him and then when it blows up in his face I have a hard time not saying I told you so. Or telling him before the fact that I think it is a bad idea and when everything becomes a clusterfuck because he trusted this (addict, backstabbing schemers, egotist, flake…) with something important. In my personal life I have spent the last few years de-cluttering my friendships with people I consider pests. Sometimes I am a bit lonely, and I miss my messed up crew, but it is better this way. At work, I am a supervisor and I just deal with pests as I deal with everyone. On this board, usually even the people who annoy me I can tolerate. I have no one on my ignore list, if I don’t like what they say I either don’t read it, or chose to think differently. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-relationship-with-your-pests/575180/23 "2011-03-21T13:51:33Z")
> [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](#): > > I am trying to get better at just live and let live, as QtM so wisely espouses. Quoth the marmot? ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lisa_Simpson)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-relationship-with-your-pests/575180/24 "2011-03-21T14:42:27Z")
> [@Darth\_Panda](#): > > Quoth the marmot? I fully expected to be called on my post, somehow by somebody. My abbreviation of \*\*Qadgop the Mercotan’s \*\*name, however, was not expected. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-relationship-with-your-pests/575180/25 "2011-03-21T15:00:37Z")
> [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](#): > > I fully expected to be called on my post, somehow by somebody. > > My abbreviation of \*\*Qadgop the Mercotan’s \*\*name, however, was not expected. Life is like a box of chocolates… ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lisa_Simpson)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-relationship-with-your-pests/575180/26 "2011-03-21T15:11:31Z")
I will pass on the chocolate covered Marmots, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-relationship-with-your-pests/575180/27 "2011-03-21T15:40:19Z")
If they’re small enough and not yucky (where “yucky” = flies and roaches, mostly), I coax them onto a piece of paper or into my hand and toss them out of the window - ah, you mean the human-sized ones? That’s one of the reasons I don’t want to use my official name to post, being able to whine about them! ---
**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:** [March 21, 2011, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-relationship-with-your-pests/575180/28 "2011-03-21T17:00:35Z")
> [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](#): > > \ > > For me the hardest are the people we occasionally interact with due to my Beau’s business/promotions work. People who have screwed us over in the past and tend to cause problems. The Beau is much more forgiving than I am and he tends to give people chances to work for/with him and then when it blows up in his face I have a hard time not saying I told you so. Or telling him before the fact that I think it is a bad idea and when everything becomes a clusterfuck because he trusted this (addict, backstabbing schemers, egotist, flake…) with something important.\ You know, there’s giving people a chance, and then there’s just being stupid. It’s nice to be nice, but you still have to recognize people for who they are, and what they’re likely to do. I read a Buddhist thing once about compassion being not allowing people to hurt themselves by hurting you - I think your beau might need to take in a bit of that idea. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2011, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-relationship-with-your-pests/575180/29 "2011-03-21T18:32:55Z")
> [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](#): > > I will pass on the chocolate covered Marmots, thanks. Racist. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-relationship-with-your-pests/575180/30 "2011-03-22T03:33:56Z")
Out here on the SD, I used to put people on my ignore list, but I don’t bother anymore. However, if the ignore option were available IRL, life would be so much more enjoyable. Can you imagine? What a wonderful world it would be. ---
**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:** [March 22, 2011, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-relationship-with-your-pests/575180/31 "2011-03-22T05:22:20Z")
Hah - no one would ever hear a supervisor ever again! ETA: Ever! ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lisa_Simpson)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-relationship-with-your-pests/575180/32 "2011-03-22T13:36:56Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > You know, there’s giving people a chance, and then there’s just being stupid. It’s nice to be nice, but you still have to recognize people for who they are, and what they’re likely to do. I read a Buddhist thing once about compassion being not allowing people to hurt themselves by hurting you - I think your beau might need to take in a bit of that idea. The funny thing is, he is a business person and I am not. He is an assertive, confident person, I have nerves of glassnoodles. But when we had the office, he was a cream puff. I was the bitch. Sadly I was mostly right, but it didn’t stop our business from failing. His second chances can be a good thing though. Some have worked out awesome, others not so much. Also: > [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Hah - no one would ever hear a supervisor ever again! > > ETA: Ever! ☹ I am a supervisor. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-relationship-with-your-pests/575180/33 "2011-03-22T13:49:39Z")
> [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](#): > What? ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lisa_Simpson)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-relationship-with-your-pests/575180/34 "2011-03-22T17:35:58Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > What? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-relationship-with-your-pests/575180/35 "2011-03-22T19:12:29Z")
I curse their houses. No, really. I hold grudges and hope their kids are born with extra limbs and stuff. ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-relationship-with-your-pests/575180/36 "2011-03-23T16:28:17Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > My pests ARE my cats - they pester me unmercifully. **Well, while they’re awake.** I can’t wait until spring so I can start opening the back door and they can hang out in the yard instead of bothering me. So for an average cat that’s what, 20 minutes a week? My pests are pretty minor, just boring people at the pub. I’ll put up with them for a bit then ignore them. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-relationship-with-your-pests/575180.md?page=1)