Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Hell is bad days are other people

I seem to be in a bad mood. Why? Well, here’s a list of things that annoyed me today. (WARNING: contains rants, whining and bad language).

1) Slow cyclists who insist on coming around me and stopping RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME at a red light that I have reached first. Dude, I’ve now passed you TWICE, are you really gonna make me do it a third time? It’s not entirely safe, what with all the idiot drivers on the bike routes.

Which brings me to:

2) People who drive straight through a pedestrian crossing that is RIGHT OUTSIDE an elementary school when there is a KID on it, about one third of the way across and coming in their direction. And who then turn left without signalling, cutting off a cyclist (me) who has just started moving again after, y’know, STOPPING for the kid.

and

3) People (drivers and cyclists) who have no idea how to use a roundabout.
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4) Gym users who don't know how to use the circuit training area properly. It is NOT DIFFICULT, you do 30 seconds of weights, have about 10 seconds to get organised, do 30 seconds of cardio, another 10 seconds to get organised, do 30 seconds on the next set of weights, etc etc. There are gigantic flashing lights that say START, then STOP, then GET READY, then START again. But somehow, in an area with (I think) 12 sets of weights and therefore room for 24 people to pass around the circuits at the same time, even a much smaller group is enough to cause recurrent conflicts between 2 or 3 people trying to use the same piece of equipment at the same time. This is caused by people who a) jump into the middle of the circuits without checking which machines the cardio-doing users are about to move onto next, b) people who just want to use one piece of equipment, for like 5 minutes at a time, and only (resentfully) move off it when asked to by the person who is trying to get on, c) people who skip the cardio component, do double shifts on each machine, completely ignore the flashing lights and go at their own pace, go the wrong way round the NUMBERED circuit, or just generally DON’T GET IT. Oh, and d) people who put down a stretching mat and lie on top of the big stepping bench that runs the length of the room and that most people use as the cardio component. That didn’t cause any equipment conflicts, it was just really fucking annoying. But the guy was big and muscly and scowly, so what can you do? My circuit took about 8 minutes longer than usual (usual length: ~24 minutes), so I had to skip my usual short post-circuit rowing machine workout, and instead went to find a staff member to ask about official gym policy regarding circuit use, and what I should do the next time any of this stuff happens. (The “Circuit training only - no exceptions” signs would only prevent 2 of the 4 annoying behaviours listed above - IF they were actually enforced).

Which brings me to:

5) Gym staff who leave the reception desk unattended and who are generally nowhere to be found when you want to complain about something.
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6) People who are clearly retired but do their big weekly Safeway or London Drugs shop on a weekday between 12 and 1, when people who work (and there are a LOT of us in this area) are trying to grab a sandwich and some milk on their lunch break. ESPECIALLY if they decide that now is a good time to chat to the cashier / query a 3 cent discount they think they should have got / reorganise their handbag. Do you not SEE all the people standing behind you? (Same goes for tourists who use public transit during the peak commute / rush hour. Unless they are going to the airport, bus, train or cruise boat terminal. Which, if they are on my bus, they are most likely not. This didn't happen to me today, but does piss me off).
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7) People who suddenly stop dead or change direction in the middle of the sidewalk, or who stand right outside the doors of an arriving elevator so the people inside can’t get out. Extra points for giving me the evil eye if I walk into you.
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To summarise: if you want to avoid pissing me off, follow these two easy rules:

1) be aware of your surroundings
2) consider the effects of your actions on the people who currently share your surroundings

(Please note that I chose not to use my "bad people" tag for this post. With the exception of #2, I'm sure that all of these annoying people are perfectly pleasant members of the human race. They just need to WAKE UP and follow my rules).

Ooooh, I actually feel better now!

What annoyed YOU today?

19 comments:

  1. To summarise: if you want to avoid pissing me off, follow these two easy rules:

    1) be aware of your surroundings
    2) consider the effects of your actions on the people who currently share your surroundings


    Translation: "Stay the fuck out of my way!!"

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  2. I love your summary. Too many people don't ever consider that their actions do, in fact, impact those around them.

    My grumpy factor for today? Continue to lie to me, just spend more time covering up the lie. Seriously, wouldn't it just take less energy to tell the truth and deal with the consequences? What's with all the games?

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  3. PP, yeah, that just about covers it. And it would fit better on a t-shirt, too.

    Mermaid, tell me about it... is the lying work-related?

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  4. oh... today was a special bad one.

    Actually thinking the information you got on the phone last week when you called to ask how to solve one (bank related) thing today was correct. Nope. Nada. Not at all.

    Spending Friday trying to solve it all although it probably won't be?! yes.

    btw, I would've probably tried to move the man on the cardio thingy... or maybe mentioned half high to someone who was doing right "isn't this the NUMBERED order circuit where you follow the rules".

    then again, I turned into smiling bitch who says evil things today so I should probably be quiet...

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  5. Banks... yikes. Especially in Scotland for some reason. Sooo many wasted hours.

    Did I mention that the guy stretching on the cardio steps was really scary? ;) Although I did shout "HEY!" at the guy who drove through the pedestrian crossing when there was a kid on it. Maybe that's why he cut me off actually...

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  6. Have been reading for a while but this joyful rant finally made me hit the keys...

    Oh my, the stopping-in-front-at-red-ligths-cyclists is also one of my pet hates. However, I have been naive enough to think that it was only a problem in my very 'bicycle-heavy' home country - where it according to my own totally unscientific survey seems to mostly be women (sadly admitted from a gender perspective) with front baskets on their bikes!

    In addition to the arriving elevator problem: escalators! How on earth are arriving people to get of that thing if someone is blocking at the top?!! Grrrr!

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  7. Hi Lisbeth, great to hear from you!

    There doesn't seem to be any kind of gender bias with the rude cyclists here, but you can guarantee that it will always be the slowest, most unpredictably wobbly, and the wide riders who get in front of me. (I ride wide with pride myself, but I'm pretty speedy).

    Escalators only really annoy me in airports. Like when someone gets to the top and stops dead to extend the handle on their suitcase, making everyone behind them either walk right into them or try to run backwards...

    Incidentally I called my friend last night when I got home, and she was having a random annoying day too. People showing up unannounced all day, someone being arrested (by 5 cop cars) right outside her house, then getting into a confrontation with a woman whose head she accidentally "tapped" with her foot during a jam-packed yoga class.

    And it's not even a full moon!

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  8. Yup, it must have been something in the air yesterday. I was so annoyed that chocolate didn't help :).

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  9. Oh dear, that's not good.

    I bought some fabulous organic chocolate, flavoured with chillis and other good stuff, at the grocery store on the way home last night. That and feline cuteness really helped. Oh, and Mr E Man made dinner, although I chopped the veggies and did other prep work.

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  10. What's with people showing up at 11pm at my house and casually dropping "I am hungry and I am vegetarian these days"? Excuse me? I fed them without complaining (Hubby helped with prep work), I guess that makes us both pushovers. I think I need some chocolate now.

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  11. WHAT??!! OK, you win.

    The only correct answer to that statement is "there's a good pizza place 5 minutes drive away". Although if anyone came to my house at 11pm on a weeknight, they wouldn't even get that - I'd be asleep!

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  12. Excuse me... I hate to butt in like this but... where do you live, Sciencegirl ? You know, I am vegetarian for 19 years now :-)

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  13. Okham, you are supposed to be telling us what annoyed you recently. If you're stuck, how about this for starters?

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  14. I am sorry Cath, you know, Oilers fans don't really follow preseason games... we are more into stuff like, "playoffs"... if you know what I mean...
    But I did get annoyed by Stephane Dion, who, when asked whether he would ever consider forming a coalition with the NDP, he apparently replied that the allies of the NDP are the nudists and the pot smokers... which actually makes them sound pretty good, doesn't it ?

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  15. Cath - I was getting to the "too cranky to be cooking" time in the day myself, but it was Hubby's guest, so I let it pass. This time.

    Okham - think of a state famous for huge amounts of red meat; I live there (and its a rare vegetarian that can survive here). Besides, even with all the trash talk I see from you here, I am pretty sure you are not that rude in real life ;)

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  16. we are more into stuff like, "playoffs"

    how did that work out for you last season?

    ROFLMFAO

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  17. Okham - think of a state famous for huge amounts of red meat

    Sounds like the province of Alberta...

    Besides, even with all the trash talk I see from you here, I am pretty sure you are not that rude in real life ;)

    OK, that does it. 11 pm it is, then. Leave the light on for... er... us...

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  18. how did that work out for you last season?

    ROFLMFAO


    I know, I know, but it's OK, it does not work out every season... I am just happy playing for the Stanley Cup every five years... now lemme check, when was the last time the Canucks played for the Stanley Cup... hmmm... can't find anything... must have been before that "Big Bang" thing...

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  19. when was the last time the Canucks played for the Stanley Cup?

    Dunno mate, before my time! I think our last trip to the final series was 1995 or so though. So, yeah, fair enough... although I would say the Canucks have roughly the same chance of winning the Cup this season as the Oilers...

    Oh, and yeah, Dion clearly has no idea how to have fun. Although maybe that's not such a terrible thing in someone who's hoping to run the country.

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