"Five Pet Peeves"
I'm going to have a lot of fun writing about this, if only because of the crazy stories that accompany some of these.
Most of these come from my work in either retail or catering. I've worked in retail since I was 16 and done catering (volunteer and paid) since I was about 12. So, I've worked with the public for over half my life. Some come from life and observing people. None of these are in any kind of order. Just as I think of them.
1) Unnecessarily Rude People- You know who I mean. Those people who, no matter what you say or how pleasant you try to be, just are mean and nasty. When I first started my current grocery job, a man came through my line with a few things. I smiled and greated him with an enthusiastic "Hi, sir. How are you today?" As sure as I sit here and recall this, I swear he looked me in the eye and said, "What the hell are you so happy about?" Well, after I picked my jaw up off the floor, I said "I got up this morning and the sun is out?" He grumbled something under his breath. I finished ringing him out and he went right to the desk to complain about me! Yeah! He said I got an attitude with him. Really?!
Now, this doesn't just cover your everyday grumps. There are many people who are discriminatory when they speak, too. And it drives me crazy. I'm probably going to get a rant from someone talking about free speech or how some people don't know better. Whatever. The not knowing better is an excuse used for children. If you haven't been living under a rock for 50 years, you know certain things just are inappropriate and shouldn't be said in public. Especially in a culture of Political Correctness, where smiling wrong can get you hit with a lawsuit. Being blatantly racist or homophobic is one of those things that makes my hair stand on end. If I were a cat, my ears would be back, too, but I'm going on a tangent.
I was talking with one of my regular customers about how I would love to go back to Key West. It's beautiful there and everyone is so nice. And now I have a pen pal who lives there so it would be nice to meet her in person. A customer next in line asked, "Why do you want to go there? Everyone there is gay." This irked me to no end. So, I decided to throw the lady for a loop. Being a writer, and a history geek, I know that the old timey meaning of the word gay is also "happy." It's in the old Christmas Carols. So, I said, very deadpan, "Yes, everyone is very happy in Key West. It must be the perfect weather." She didn't know what to make of that comment. So she didn't say much to me when it was her turn.
I could go on for a whole entry with stories but it's time to move on.
2) Drivers on icy roads- With the winter we've had in my region, I'm going to just lump everyone together. I can't stand driving in winter! If I'm the only one, either late night or early morning, I'm uncomfortable but I can avoid the onset of a panic attack. Other people make me nervous.
People seem to get amnesia every winter when it comes to driving. You would think it was common sense. When the roads are icy, SLOW THE HELL DOWN! Not to the point of being a major risk to other people. But, use a little extra caution. I see too many people zip around me on icy, snow covered roads because I'm not going fast enough. Usually this is accompanied by the oh so considerate person giving me the bird as they fly by.
Also, do they not teach what assured clear distance is anymore in Driving School? Or are the drivers of big trucks or fancy brand vehicles exempt from that part of the course? Because I have lost track of the number of times I have been driving on an icy road and some big SUV is right on my bumper. And not just during bad weather, either. Big SUVs, trucks and people who drive expensive brand cars (Cadillac, BMW, etc.) seem to love to ride bumpers of other cars. This isn't NASCAR, people! No bump drafting on the regular roads! I'm always afraid a deer is going to run out in front of me and I would get rear ended. And it would not be my fault, either. (I know that firsthand, because I rear ended someone and I was the one with the ticket.) And if I get hit by a top brand car, guess who's getting a new car!
Also, people who don't use their turn signals. I'll just say it is a good thing I pay attention because I can not count the number of times I've been driving down the road and someone just slams on the breaks and makes a turn without giving any indication they were going to turn. It's a blinking light, people! Not a bomb!
3) Drama Starters- This could be bundled with number 1 but I'm counting it separately because I am surrounded by these in my life. These are the people who live to cause crap in people's lives. Whether they're bored or that desperate for attention, I don't want to know. But they love causing drama unnecessarily. Something happens at work, they raise hell. A coworker gets sick and they have to pick up the slack, the coworker is doing it intentionally to screw them over. The slightest foot-in-mouth moment is blown out of proportion. They have such a high school mentality. They'll talk about people within earshot or when not around. First to nit pick the most minor mistake made and blow it out of proportion.
Oh, and don't you dare try to make a joke with them. They are the first one to file a complaint.
They also fall under the "fake nice" category. They act all nice, gain your confidence and when you say the wrong thing, say venting about another coworker, they're the first to run to that person and say "Do you know what (insert name) said about you last night?"
4) Belligerent people at parties- This goes back to my catering days. You know there's always "That Guy" or "That Girl" at every party. First one to the bar and last one to stagger out at the end of the night. They're loud, rude, obnoxious. They shamelessly hit on the catering staff.
I was working a wedding one night and encountered one of these. The bride's father. When midnight arrived, it was time to go. So we started to clean up and this man would not leave me alone! Kept asking me to hit the bars with him. I wasn't old enough yet. Probably 18 or 19. I was tired and would probably be there until 3 A.M. cleaning up. He would not leave me alone! I had to get the police officer acting as security to get him to back off.
5) And finally, people who have their cell phones permanently attached to their ears! I will not talk to them when they come through the checkout. I scream when I see them on the roads. I avoid them while out somewhere, shopping or the movie theater line. They are annoying. They are rude. When driving, it's a hazard. I can't deal with them! If your conversation is so important, go off to the side somewhere and chat. Especially in the grocery line or driving. Because your attention is diverted from what you should be doing, like paying attention when maneuvering that truck cart with $300 in groceries and a screaming toddler. And don't get mad when you're in a store and a clerk ignores you. Say you're at the deli counter. If you're on your phone, chances are the clerk won't know you're waiting to be helped because whoever your talking to is far more important than taking 2 minutes to give your order and being polite. Heaven forbid we do that anymore. Or if something is marked wrong, don't blame the cashier after the fact. You should have been paying attention and then the problem could have been solved right away. Instead, you'll have to wait in another line at customer service to get the issue fixed. And chances are you will be on your phone complaining about the "stupid employees" and how rude they are when you were too absorbed in your own little world to realize it was you who was the problem.
Okay, I think I've been pretty ranty today. But it felt good getting all that off my chest.
Thanks for reading and I am looking forward to reading your feedback.
Have a good night.
Carey
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