Innocuous things that make you irrationally angry (a list thread)

aged 10 or so I had phosphorescent corrected to fluorescent. Fuck you teacher.

I was put on detention for telling my English teacher that I wasn't wrong for using "all right" instead of "alright".

Question: outside the US do people have some limit on data / pay certain amounts for data with their ISP? If so, sounds like an annoying thing to keep in the back of your mind...has anyone in the US ever come across this?

My mom had my back on that one, Laurel - she thought teacher was being weird. OTOH, the following exchange happened between me and my mom when I was seven:

Mom: Where have you been? You're late and missed dinner, so your chicken Kiev is in the dog and you're grounded for a week.
Suzy: DO I LOOK LIKE AN AIRPLANE TO YOU?

I think I mentioned it way back in this thread, but since it continues to happen, it bears mentioning again - if you are going to wear a giant backpack strapped to your back, be aware if the dimensions! I got nailed in the face this morning, hard enough to make my nose bleed, by some doofus that kept spinning around in the train aisle with no regard for the giant weapon on his back.

omg did he at least apologize??

it's too late

(it's tooo laaaaaaaaaaaate....)

No, he didn't even notice because of his headphones. Immediately I gave a startled "what the..." and before I could say anything to him the girl sitting oppisite me tapped him and goes, "you just hit that guy in the face". No reaction and he bopped off at the next stop.

ahhhhhhhhh... infuriating

I've begun hating bands that don't put the name of their album on their album cover, especially when the cover art sucks.

yeah, at least let us know what band with shitty album artwork we should avoid

Once I was late to a science class because I couldn't get my gym locker open after PE. The science teacher gave me a one-hour detention, but he was routinely a prick to everyone, so.

17 years later we had a reunion, all of us now 32-33yo balding parents in nice suits. Science teacher was there, stood in a corner for a couple of hours, nobody talked to him and he left. That's the best revenge you can have.

Question: outside the US do people have some limit on data / pay certain amounts for data with their ISP? If so, sounds like an annoying thing to keep in the back of your mind...has anyone in the US ever come across this?

In Australia the usual thing is a certain GB per month, after which you're strangled to dial-up speed, but these days the number of GBs is getting so high that it's not usually a problem in most areas

Question: outside the US do people have some limit on data / pay certain amounts for data with their ISP? If so, sounds like an annoying thing to keep in the back of your mind...has anyone in the US ever come across this?
Yes, there's a limit where I live in Canada. I get a reminder when I reach 75% and 100%. Theoretically, ISPs in the States have limits, but they're super-high and I never got anywhere near it when I lived there.

- Being called 'sir/madam' by shop assistants

You get called both?

I didn't want to leave out ladies, cross-dressers &c.

I quit calling customers sir and ma'am after calling one woman "ma'am," and she said, "I will not be called 'man' by some young pot smoker."

hahaha

• My pet peeve is related to that. It's the trend of referring to "superiors" as Mr. First Name. I guess it's popular in middle school, but IRL, I prefer not to be called "Mr. Tre". It sounds like something you'd call an arthritic racehorse. But even other folks, Mr. Paul, Mr. Steve, Mr. Jason, Mr. Mike. There's nothing wrong with adding a little dignity to Mr. Baker, Mr. Thornton, Mr. Klondike or even Mr. Johnson.

Same thing goes for tha' ladies. "Oh, Miss Joanna? Will you be seeing Corporal Billy tonight?"

Also, "Mister President"

President is already a title. You sound 8 years old, presidential aide person.

Aw, I like Mister President.

if I'm ever a manager I will insist on being called Mr Manager.

I would like to be Madam Secretary of something

Yeah, how about:

Saying thanks to the bus driver when you get off the bus is good.

Saying "Thanks, Driver" is not. He is a person.

A bit like "Thank you, Farmer's Wife"...

"Cheers Drive" is a standard Hull expression. They don't wear name badges.

'nah mate, cheers drive aint my route mate, you want the 67b mate'

^^^ this is also appropriate in the SW, although it's more like "churrs droive".

xpost

I just started noticing "thanks, driver" (and v occasionally "cheers drive") about 2 years ago - suddenly went from never hearing it to hearing it every day. It makes me a bit uncomfortable too, like "thanks, nameless servant", but eh

what's wrong with 'thanks' on its own?

Yeah I just say "thanks" or "thanks mate" but then as I live in London I usually opt for scowling instead.

and mugging them

London, so I'm not usually exiting within earshot of the driver. Usually just use 'thank you', but will use 'Driver!' if I want to catch their attention, eg 'Driver, Excuse me Driver! You're trying to close the back doors on a little old lady's arm + shopping trolley'. Does feel quite 50s know-yr-place britain.

Whereas in the viaage I live in, I get on at the depot and the driver sings "Who's going to drive you home, tonight?" and we all reply "You are, in yer big shorts..."

i don't ride buses until I've downloaded the full dossier of every driver, so that I can call them by name when I get off the bus.

'thanks, Dexter Mapplewhite'

if I'm ever a manager I will insist on being called Mr Manager.

― Not the real Village People, Wednesday, December 22, 2010 1:47 AM (7 hours ago) Bookmark

Please tell me that's an Arrested Development ref.

Same thing goes for tha' ladies. "Oh, Miss Joanna? Will you be seeing Corporal Billy tonight?"

See around here, I've understood this to be a form of respect when referring to older black women.

I used to get called "Miss Lady" by kids pretty regularly, when I lived in a neighborhood that had some kids.

Sunny and I discovered that we share a mutual favorite scene in the Blues Brothers, where Jake and Elwood are walking back to their car after not finding one of their bandmates, and a woman comes out of the house with a business card going "Mr. Man! Oh, Mr. Man!"

Again, the bus driver scenario is a good place to be using Sir or Ma'am. Since the English language doesn't really have a formal usage like "usted" in Spanish, we make the best with what we've got.

Would any UK speakers use the expression "ma'am"?

UK speakers saying "ma'am" sound to me like they're addressing everyone as "Mom." Noticed this again on a recent Dr Who ep. Used to confuse the heck outta me in old movies til I caught on?

Yes!! I find it really annoying tbh.

film discussions

UK speakers saying "ma'am"

Stop now.

It reminds me of Ben Elton addressing the Queen at some Royal Variety thing.

one that really really drives me mental, is when people going through airport security don't move their basket away from the conveyorbelt while they sort their shit out at the other end. it's just so selfish and ignorant.

if i've ever used 'madam' i'd never have omitted the 'd'

Use the term of respect that most comfortably fits your speech, whatever.

no one besides me thinks "fucko" is a term of respect, though

unless you're round my way and mess up 'me foine bucko'