Being Grumpy

I’m a positive person. I pride myself on that. But there are times – there are times – when frustration sets in, and I need to vent. I’ve shared pet peeves with you in the past, but I’m revisiting them now. Do you agree with any? Do you have your own?

First and worst, drivers texting. When someone darts out in front of you from a side street, then crawls along for a block before suddenly speeding up? Or when a driver slows on the highway, even weaves a little between lanes? You know that driver is using his phone for something that takes his eyes from the road. And urgency is fine. But put on a blinker and pull over, then text all you want. Or wait before barging out into traffic and holding up everyone while you do your thing.

Second, expiration dates. I understand dates on perishable items. They ensure that what I buy is fresh, and yes, once past the “Best by” date, milk begins to smell sour. But toothpaste? Vaseline? Underarm deodorant? Olive oil? Tea bags? Mustard? The temperature in my house is moderate year-round, and I store things in cupboards or the fridge. Does uncooked rice go bad? Pasta? Vacuum sealed pickles? Yet these have expiration dates, too.  Since my kids are watchdogs for what their kids eat, I regularly purge my shelves, tossing out what I consider to be perfectly good items. Does boxed mac ‘n cheese really go bad? I would give things like this to the local food pantry if it weren’t for that past date on the bottom. Are these dates for real?

Third, service “windows”. Lately, I’ve had dishwasher problems. The repair service gives me a half-day window, during which I’m expected to hang around. Oh, yes, they say they’ll call 30 minutes ahead of time. But what if you are a 45-minute drive from home? Or what if (as has happened multiple times) the service person calls when he is 10 or 15 minutes away. I understand the need for some kind of window, and don’t mind a two-hour one. But isn’t anything more than that a failure of “service”?

Breaking news. On tv. (Sigh.) Isn’t “news,” by definition, breaking? I also hate it when, repeatedly, a reporter uses the words “exclusive” or “reported first by us.” Or when reporters use bad grammar, which then perpetuates the badness.

Junk mail annoys me. Oh, I’ve gotten good at tossing it in the recycle bin on my way into the house.  Still, does my postman really need to break his back handling piles of unwanted — and unrequested — magazines?

Automated phone menus annoy me. Still.

Unsubscribe buttons that don’t work annoy me. Always.

Men who don’t return phone calls.  I’ve needed any number of plumbers, electricians, window people here before winter, and every woman for whom I’ve left a message has returned my call in a day.  None of the men did.  Why??????

I hate videos that automatically start, when all you want to do is to read an article.  And then when you can’t find which of the boxes on the screen is the one making the noise? Grrrr.

Am I right? Wrong? Just being a grump? What are your latest pet peeves?