@HowardGradly I grumpily growled at some teens last week who were a little too eager to get on an elevator in NYC before I got off on the ground floor (I was chaperoning a group and perhaps I was taking my chaperoning duties a little too enthusiastically as I growled at a group that wasn’t from my school… but they did need to hear that it was good manners to wait for people to get off of the elevator before trying to get on… I just hope I didn’t come across TOO grumpy 
).
Oh I have another one… because I’m turning into a total curmudgeon in my old age (50!) ;-)… people who think it’s a good idea to cross El Camino not at a pedestrian crossing. No, that’s not a good idea. (Think… major major road that has intersections every few blocks so yes you can cross it but maybe you have to walk a couple of blocks out of your way to do so).
I agree with so many of these that it’s becoming clearer why I am more and more of a homebody as I age.
@NorthernMom61 I hear ya!
Where I live, certain restaurant bathrooms are now ‘all gender’ - I cannot tell you how aggravating it is to walk in, especially when you’re 'desperate, and have to replace the seat and navigate the splashes on the floor!
Screen-addicted dolts, anywhere. Don’t camp on the machines at the gym. Don’t text at a stoplight. Don’t stand in the middle of a sidewalk. Don’t.
@Gourmetmom I’m with you on the rude treatment of service people! There is no excuse for that.
@Massmomm On that note, little kids watching tv on iPads / phones at the mealtime table.
^10X that!!! I alway smack Mr. when he pulls his cell to check out the latest political news when I am trying to pick just the right cartoon of strawberries at Costco. Can’t you wait for 1 minute next to the cart without looking at the screen?! I deliberately walk into folks who are engrossed in their screens. I am that mean. ?
@momo2x2018 Yes! My daughter is expecting our first grandchild in June and she and her husband have decided not to introduce screens to their child until they absolutely have to for school.
Agree with just about all these comments. Mostly, I can’t stand when people aren’t thoughtful about their behavior. Whether it’s thoughtless driving, particularly driving slowly in the fast lane, blocking an aisle with a cart smack in the middle, talking too loudly, using a speaker while on the phone in public, not holding a door or acknowledging someone who does, not preparing when there’s a long line (have your credit card out or whatever is logical to keep things moving along)…the list goes on and on. I wish these things didn’t bug me because I find myself annoyed too many times a day over these things.
I like seeing the local references in this thread…Palo Alto, Cupertino, El Camino–nice to see Peninsula folks here!
Finally, my BIL is visiting this weekend and he explained that he has become hard of hearing and really appreciates it when SIL lets him know that he’s speaking too loudly because he can’t tell. Reminds me to be more tolerant…
I’m assuming you mean at the top of up escalators? I always have to stop at the top of down escalators because I have a problem with getting on them and have to adjust my brain to the moving steps before I do. I suppose I’ve irritated a few folks there. I work with someone who has a strange OCD about going through doorways. He generally takes a bit of time to do so.
People who sit in the quiet car of the train and then talk the whole time. There are plenty of other cars they can sit in. People who leave their dogs outside barking. I don’t want to listen to your dog bark when I am inside my house. People who walk slowly down the middle of the sidewalk fixated on their phone.
Four pet peeves…
- People who are critical of others in public forums
- People with no sense of ironic humor.
- People that are bad at math
Grumpy old people who are so easily offended as to reveal an inflated sense of self-importance even greater than those they label as inconsiderate of others.
Just kidding…I dislike most people, especially the selfish and clueless dolts with no awareness of the impact of their behavior and decisions upon others. Also…I wish they would stay off my lawn.
The tourists, the summer people, and the second homeowners who burst in with a big “We’re back!” as if we all should be celebrating their return. They display incredulity that yes, we are still here, and have been, all winter long. (As if our village is Brigadoon, or something… and comes to life again just in time for their return.) These are the people who display many of the behaviors mentioned in the above posts. Those of us who live in our small NE town all know one another… and are generally very thoughtful and polite.
Overheard at the local high-end grocery store: “This line is so long. I don’t understand. You’d think these locals could shop during the week so we wouldn’t have to wait in line like this when we’re here for the weekend. We have so many other things we want to do when we’re here.” Yes, someone actually said that. UGH
If I were a brave person, I’d have been tempted to turn around and say something along the lines of "we locals look forward to the return of the rich city folk; watchin’ y’all shop in the rich folk market on weekends, is a form of entertainment for us. Praise be the rich folk’
@washugrad ah yes, El Camino. I remember when El Camino/The Alameda was right in the middle of my alma mater and the powers that be demanded a bypass. And got it. Remembered a student cutting through the middle and getting hit by a car because she didn’t use the crosswalk.
Another pet peeve-don’t drive through a crosswalk when there is somebody in there. Nearly got hit by an SUV when I was in a crosswalk back when I worked in downtown Palo Alto. Stupid driver was even accelerating towards me. Double single finger salutes and NSFW language from me and if that SUV was coming any closer, I would have tossed my laptop bag with my machine at the windshield.
One of my coworkers got hit a few weeks later in roughly the same area.
More about pedestrians and crosswalks. I was dropping my wife off at SFO last Friday when I saw a car come within 18 inches of hitting 2 pedestrians in the crosswalk on their way to the terminal.
The surprising thing was given that there is a major police presence at all airports, the driver didn’t get pulled over. Hopefully somebody got his license plate number and reported him.
I Hate the all gender restrooms too. The yellow puddles on the floor, the seat up. Hate them.
And yes, I meant people who stop at the top of an up escalator or the bottom of a down escalator. Keep moving forward people!
Another one from a curmudgeon: I dont like it when women , yes it’s mostly women in my experience, who continue to shop while their baby or young child is screaming. Take the poor kid home. The kid is tired or hungry and the rest of us dont want to hear the screaming. But there are women who continue to look at clothes as if they can’t hear the poor kid.
Anything surrounding smoking.
Right now it’s spring so that means my next door neighbor will be outside with his loud lawn tools all day long on any nice day until late fall. I have a pool and sitting by it is not as pleasant because of it.
I have an issue with smells. Getting stuck by people who either don’t shower, smoke or pass gas.