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

Annoying guy would also be the same guy fuming into his cell phone when a crowded bus flies by his stop without picking him up, so no win situation there for King Entitled.

But yes, people who refuse to move to the back (or away from the doors on train cars) need to be forced to sit through a remedial public transportation etiquette course.

Also people who won't take off their giant backpacks on a crowded bus. It's easy! And more pleasant not to carry it! Why do they do this...?

104. People who walk around crowded urban areas and ride the subway with huge backpacks but have absolutely no concept of the room they are taking up, thus cluelessly banging into people and blocking pathways without even a second thought.

― he's always been a bit of an anti-climb Max (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, September 30, 2010 2:07 PM (11 months ago) Bookmark

134. People who wear backpacks but have no sensory awareness.

― Bob Six, Saturday, October 2, 2010 9:46 AM (10 months ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

^^^^
This is me sometimes. I have been shouted at a few times.

― rhythm fixated member (chap), Saturday, October 2, 2010 9:47 AM (10 months ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

In my defense I actually have a minor condition similar to dyspraxia which makes me less spatially aware than most people.

― rhythm fixated member (chap), Saturday, October 2, 2010 9:48 AM (10 months ago) Bookmark

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.

― one pretty obvious guy in the obvious (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Tuesday, December 21, 2010 1:01 PM (8 months ago) Bookmark

People that insist on crowding on the first bus that comes by, even if there's another one visible behind it. I mean, in a city it's a gamble whether the next one is less crowded, but when I was at the Montreal airport there were several buses literally lined up and the guy ushering people on was packing it until it was literally standing room only. I kind of hovered back a little and ended up on the next bus, which left a scant ten minutes later, and was 3/4 full.

people gotta be at a place by a time, mh.

oh, i guess the backpack thing is a 'thing'

every now and then I become that dude with the backpack, usually because no one will move out of my way to let me onto the train so I can squeeze into the empty spot away from the doors so why should I show those dicks any courtesy in return? you get what you give, transport fucko

104. People who walk around crowded urban areas and ride the subway with huge backpacks but have absolutely no concept of the room they are taking up, thus cluelessly banging into people and blocking pathways without even a second thought.
― he's always been a bit of an anti-climb Max (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, September 30, 2010 2:07 PM (11 months ago) Bookmark

― kkvgz, Wednesday, 31 August 2011 15:20 (6 minutes ago) Bookmark

Yes, but also - arseholes who, when one is carrying a massive heavy backpack full of camping equipment and that, insist on breathing down your neck and walking round you especially on your blindside, then get all uppity if you accidentally touch them with your bag while in one of those crowded little corridors.

xp

Okay, so maybe someone can clarify this one for me. Last night I was walking down a relatively narrow sidewalk and a guy on a bicycle was approaching me from behind. As he approached he said, "on your left", so I stepped to my right to allow him room to pass. Turns out that was the way he was going and he had to swerve to avoid hitting me, then started cursing me out being an idiot. So I guess my question is, was I wrong? I would imagine when someone says "on your left" and you are both facing the same direction, that means they are wanting to pass you on your left, so stepping to the right should work. Or as he said, am I truly a "fucking idiot"?

Yeah, I would take "on your left" as "I am going to be passing on your left, please step over and make room". If he had said "to your left" that would be more confusing, as he could mean "I am going to be passing to the left of you" or "please move to your left", but even then you wouldn't be an idiot.

It is definitely supposed to mean "I am going to be passing on your left, please step over to the right and make room".

You were definitely right and wtf was he doing on the pavement anyway? Peds should always have right of way there.

The problem with taking your backpack off is that generally if the bus/train is full you can't reach the luggage rack to put something in, never mind grab it again in a hurry just before your stop

so you then have to hold your rucksack in your hand (where it is still kind of in the way and stops you holding onto something) or prop it between your feet to try to stop it rolling around the aisle, except then you can't move out of people's way very well

my rucksack is pretty small and I usually take it off, but sometimes I wonder whether I've actually made anything easier by doing so

imo that cyclist is the fucking idiot

You are right on this one, jon. He should have been on your left, UNLESS he misjudged the timing and thought you weren't going to move so he went for the other side instead. Poor choice on his part. You know what else was a poor choice on his part? RIDING ON THE CHRIST ALMIGHTY SIDEWALK.

That guy sounds like the fucking idiot. "On your left" is a really common phrase that means "Look out, I am on coming around on your left." I don't even think it means that you need to move so much as it is a way of alerting the other person to the cyclist's presence so they don't go veering to the left.

Jon, he is the fuckwit, not you. He is saying he is on your left - there's not even any room for confusion. And yeah, you have right of way so screw him.

The problem with taking your backpack off is that generally if the bus/train is full you can't reach the luggage rack

let me stop you right here: LUGGAGE RACK????

now I am IA at our shitty trains/buses

That's really weird. I wonder what he thought "On your left" meant? "[I am going to pass you, but not] on your left"?

Chicago's regional commuter train (Metra) has luggage racks, and our city buses usually have a space over the front wheel well where one or two people can fit their luggage.

That's really weird. I wonder what he thought "On your left" meant? "[I am going to pass you, but not] on your left"?

don't overthink that one; dude doesn't know his left from his right

Our commuter trains might have luggage racks, now that I think about it

Thanks, I was sure I was in the right here, but his level of vitriol made me second guess myself. I thought about pointing out that he shouldn't be on the sidewalk in the first place, but didn't really want to push him considering how pissed off he was.

And, yes, luggage racks on our trains would eliminate about 10% of train related annoyances. I can totally understand not having room to remove your backpack, that can happen during rush hour crowds, but then I just ask that you be aware of your dimensions and try not to smack people.

how much room do you need to remove a backpack???

More than you often get when travelling on the train.

I just ask that you be aware of your dimensions and try not to smack people.

Or at least HOLD STILL. People with backpacks on have forfeited their right to turn around and be like, "What, huh?!" when their friend across the car says something, because their turning arc carries that mass right into the small of my back.

... Am I a weird contortionist for being able to remove my backpack while crushed in a train, then? Or does everyone keep their straps way tighter than I keep mine?

there's at least one joke in there, right?

obviously the awkward solution is to shift the backpack to your front (frontpack, lol) before getting on the train and awkwardly standing around with it on

A big backpack (like a camping rucksack) can take an awful lot of effort to take on and off. Also the amount of swing required isn't conducive to the average underground coach.

I don't even think it means that you need to move so much as it is a way of alerting the other person to the cyclist's presence so they don't go veering to the left.

this, really

Oh yeah SEE ALSO: kitchen warnings like "hot pan" and "right behind"!! Those things mean, "Stay where you are and don't make any sudden movements." They emphatically do not mean TURN AROUND REALLY FAST TO SEE WHAT I'M CARRYING.

Maybe the cyclist was callin' the ChaCha Slide.

Or maybe he wasn't.

lol I don't take a camping backpack to work with me!

for real though, it is VERY easy for me to slide the pack off of my shoulders and let it slip down my back so I can stick it between my shins, clamped between my legs and resting on top of my shoes completely out of everyone's way

Dan, I feel like if you have room to slide it off and move it around your body to the front, that train isn't crowded enough for the backpack to be an issue in the first place?? One of the trains I take every day is sometimes so crowded that I can't hold a book or even my phone in front of my face because there's no room for my arm.

Yeah, what Laurel says. There are days when I can't even wiggle enough to pull my phone out of my pocket without elbowing someone in the ribs.

Well that's the thing; I'm not actually moving it around to the front. It slides down my back and then between my legs. Oh this is destined for the out of context thread isn't it.

I worked for a night as a kitchen porter where the French head chef would warn people IN FRENCH if he had a hot plate. It's a good thing I understand what "chaud devant" is supposed to mean, or I'd be sporting the scald burns to this day.

for extremely packed trains or buses, people just need to remove their backpacks before boarding, it's not terribly complicated

Yes.

Dan, what type of backpack do you take to work with you?

Well, yeah, but there are a lot of common courtesy things people should be expected to do, but don't bother when it comes to public transport.

Oh yeah SEE ALSO: kitchen warnings like "hot pan" and "right behind"!! Those things mean, "Stay where you are and don't make any sudden movements." They emphatically do not mean TURN AROUND REALLY FAST TO SEE WHAT I'M CARRYING.

Laurel OTM. Announcing "Behind you!" "On your left!" (or "behind!" and "left!") saves everyone a lot of grief, and they are good for use in daily life outside of restaurants. I also like the phrase a server at my last restaurant job popularized: "Watch your parts!" though it wasn't specific enough to be useful.

Dan, what type of backpack do you take to work with you?

A Tumi computer backpack.

BTW the slide maneuver usually only happens after 500 people suddenly cram onto the train and I've been too engrossed in a book to notice until someone sticks an armpit in my face.

DJP posts itt today are all ripe for "ILM quoted out of context".

DJP must have i: a naturally slouchy posture (bad in singers) or ii: shoulders he can dislocate at will (cool!)

I do slouch a lot but I think the real secret is that I keep my backpack straps very, very loose

People who don't understand the Law of Conservation of Stress. I know your emotional blowup was very cathartic, but you didn't ask my permission before you offloaded your stress into my brain, or thank me afterward. Couldn't you have just screamed into a pillow for ten minutes?

Oh yeah SEE ALSO: kitchen warnings like "hot pan" and "right behind"!! Those things mean, "Stay where you are and don't make any sudden movements." They emphatically do not mean TURN AROUND REALLY FAST TO SEE WHAT I'M CARRYING.

I know it's the most stupid thing you can do (and thus rationally annoying to the other party), but I get startled easily, so coming up from nowhere and saying anything abrupt will make me jump out of my skin. It's just inevitable.