The "That Really Grinds My Gears" Thread

[Pal Joey]

First topic message reminder :

by Big Daddy Bee on Sat Jan 29 2011, 05:39
So then people what really annoys you.

No matter how big or trivial it is, this is the thread to vent your anger and annoyance.

Last thread: https://www.606v2.com/t199p950-the-that-really-grinds-my-gears-thread

[Biltong]

I tried helping a former employee of mine a few years ago.

I saw him at the pub which was in the same complex as my office, so I went over to talk to him and he admitted to me that he had a serious problem, but have not been able to stop.

He was looking really bad.

So I found out where there was a local AA meeting nearby and took him myself as he didn't have a car.

We sat throguh the first session together and it did open my eyes toward the reality that is alcoholism.

Anyway I arranged with him to pick him up every thursday to take him there, and by the second meeting he simply were not home when I had to fetch him.

I realised there and then, even when you know you have a problem, working through it is one of the toughest things you will face in your life.

Fortunately for me, I have never had a big thirst (apart from coca cola of course)

[Pal Joey]

You're a good bloke BB.

I had a similar situation with a family member and I'll never forget the day I went out to this place in the mountains where we were told that out of 20 people... 18 would never make it. Now 21 years later - I am very lucky that the action taken proved to be successful. It's had a huge influence on me.

As for the student 'bludger' with the weed problem I would most likely take the hard line approach. If they don't heed your kind advice (don't assist them with their coursework) then I would make it clear you want nothing to do with them. If you are in charge of the lease... then I would seriously look at getting rid of them because sooner or later their life will become a bigger drag on you and you don't need that.

That damn leaf blower is here again.... it serves me right for living in a bloody jungle.

[Luckless Pedestrian]

I've moaned about this before, but it's happened again!

When the BBC give an update on the news headlines, they have a little bit of text along the bottom of the screen summarising the stories; now, the Spanish bank, Bankia, is in a load of trouble and is going to be part-nationalised. The scrolling text for this story was 'SPAIN BANK DEBT CRISIS' (it was debt crisis or something like that). Why on God's green earth didn't they put 'SPANISH BANK'? Everyone knows what 'Spanish' means and it's a Spanish bank, for crying out loud! If the bank was called Spain Bank, fair enough, but it chuffing isn't!

[Cari]

I'm not keen on those scrolling headlines along the bottom of the screen anyway. Just as you're reading through it, they remove it to move on to something else.

[Luckless Pedestrian]

Either that, Cari, or you catch the end of a story and mean to read how it starts the next time it comes around, then you get distracted and only catch the end of it again.

[Pal Joey]

Either that, Cari, or you catch the end of a story and mean to read how it starts the next time it comes around, then you get distracted and only catch the end of it again.

I'm notorious for doing that!

[Biltong]

Those scrolling headlines irritate the hell out of me.

Sometimes that is only one part of it, you have a pop up screen on the right hand side showing you some log of some competition, and on the left hand side they show something else.

You start thinking you need three tv's, one for all the pop ups, another for the scrolling rubbish and one for actually watching the news or sports highlights.

[Luckless Pedestrian]

They reported on the news this morning that an MP is going to make an official complaint about some schools in England, where teachers are told to correct a maximum of three spelling mistakes in pupils' work because to point out and correct all the mistakes would upset and demoralise them. WHAT THE Flip?! If a mistake isn't corrected, how is the pupil supposed to know they've made it? Jebus wept!

Also, on the headlines this morning: 'SYRIA VIOLENCE' and 'EGYPT TV DEBATE'.

[Cari]

Oh the irony! I don't envy being a teacher these days. I wish MPs would just leave them to do the teaching and look into problems that are very important to the general public.

[Luckless Pedestrian]

In this case, Cari, I'm glad the MP's getting involved - he wants a return to proper marking.

I hope it's only a handful of schools where this 'maximum of three mistakes' nonsense goes on.

[Cari]

The thing is Lucky, it's interference from the government that's undermining education, and forcing governors to come up with these silly ideas. There's probably some target or other that isn't being met or they're bowing to pressure from a sponsor's complaint.

[liverbnz]

Agree totally Cari. Teaching should not be straight from a manual else you end up producing real-life robots who haven't a clue how to think for themselves.

The University of Cambridge produced a pretty damning report on the British education system a few years back which was of course dismissed by the then Labour Government. Irony was that is was also commissioned by the same government.

[Cari]

Anyway, getting back on topic. Sponsorship ads at the beginning and end of each ad break during a programme on ITV are really annoying.

[Luckless Pedestrian]

It's annoying when you get the same adverts every advert break. The most recent example was on Sky One, for at least a month, every advert break had a trailer for that Steps reunion show. It's bad enough that they're reforming and that there's a programme about it, but there's only so many times you can listen to 'H' and the others wittering on about how scared they are before you start to wish them misfortune.

[Cari]

Lucky - that must've been TV Hell. It's more irritating that certain things almost subconciously get stuck in your head. Like that awful Confused.com advert song.

[Luckless Pedestrian]

Oh, you mean the YMCA rip-off one? That was ridiculous, it must have been on every advert break for months on end. Surely there was no one left in the whole of the UK who didn't know about them and their chuffing Nectar points?!

[Cari]

That's the one. I'll never be able to listen to the Village People again! They're as bad as the Go Compare ones.

[Luckless Pedestrian]

It's just overkill, isn't it? Everyone's aware of the service you offer, now give it a rest!

[liverbnz]

Comedy Central are kings of advertising saturation. 30 Rock is on every Friday for example. As soon as one episode in finished, they immediately show clips for the next one and then continue to do so in every ad break they have right up until the next Friday night. Painful.

[Hero]

The newest one for in regards to adverts is teaser adverts about another advert.
Seriously need to tell me within an advert that you will have another advert at a given time?

[Luckless Pedestrian]

Another advert that annoys me is the Cow & Gate one, where the voiceover lady coos in a stupid voice, "because healthy babies are happy babies." You're selling to the parents not the child, talk properly woman!

[Luckless Pedestrian]

The caption for one of the Beeb's stories this morning was, 'MEXICO MASS KILLINGS'; I thought to myself, why didn't they just put 'Mass Killings in Mexico?' Then, lo and behold, the caption for the next story was, 'CIVILIAN DEATHS IN LIBYA'. So these clowns aren't even consistent.

N.B. I don't mean to make light of either of these stories.

[Cari]

The media's obsession with everything being "British" at the moment. Do they honestly think we're going to eat more bread or yoghurt cause it's got a Union Jack on it or because it's made from British ingredients? I know the Olympics are in London this year, but it's all bollix.

[as1079]

In a Law exam today, furiously writing away, and someone let off a silent but deadly. I swear I could have killed him (or her!).

[Luckless Pedestrian]

My puppy does those. I've honestly never smelt anything like them. It's like there's been a death at the sewage plant.

[Il Gialloblu]

Seems to me the BBC are just using 'newspaper English', Luckless. Apologies if that link appears condescending but it's for English learners (or should that be learners of English? ).

I came across this in my line of work having never previously thought about the structure of it and how it differs from everyday spoken English, apart from being a lot more to the point of course.

Anyway, something that annoys me is when a friend calls and answers the how's it going/where are you/what are you doing small talk with "I'm on the toilet".

I find it disgusting. Just call me when you've finished, or if you really must call me at that moment, please lie when I ask what you are doing.

[Luckless Pedestrian]

I don't think it's even newspaper English, Gialloblu. I'd expect them to keep things concise for the headline captions. They're just plain weird and wrong. Which strikes you as the more proper, 'FRANCE PRESIDENT' or 'FRENCH PRESIDENT'? I honestly don't know why they have this reluctance to use adjective form.

P.S. I'm on the toilet.

[Kenny]

Fans on rival clubs who cant just have a decent discussion about a subject , they have to try wumming with derogatory comments either about teams/players or other posters .

[Guest]

My boss.

The list is too long for me to type as to why she drives me nuts.

I have one day left in this place, and I swear it might be one day too many! Counting down the hours till I no longer have to work here

[littleswannygirl]

And that day is done Dreamer, it's behind you now

Women who put their make-up on using their rear-view mirror whilst on the commute to work Yes young lady in a cream Mini Cooper heading into Wilmslow this morning, I am talking to you. Thanks for confirming that particular stereotype, just what I needed You're in control of over a ton of metal, please concentrate on that instead of your reflection and lip gloss

[Pal Joey]

And that day is done Dreamer, it's behind you now

Women who put their make-up on using their rear-view mirror whilst on the commute to work Yes young lady in a cream Mini Cooper heading into Wilmslow this morning, I am talking to you. Thanks for confirming that particular stereotype, just what I needed You're in control of over a ton of metal, please concentrate on that instead of your reflection and lip gloss

it sounds so much better when you say it, Swanny.

I've noticed an upsurge of P-plated young women in Sydney driving around like maniacs.
This idea of trying to steal the jump on a green light by sneaking up on the left hand lane (with cars parked up ahead on the left lane) and then wedging back into the right hand lane in a dangerous, selfish and arrogant manner. They're obviously in a hurry to get somewhere important but honestly.... driving is not a bloody video game competition, sport!

They usually have number plates like "KAZ-696" or "ZOE 777" and usually have frizzy hair which gets backlit when they overtake you.

[Luckless Pedestrian]

People who drive right up behind you. It happened to me on the way to work this morning. I'm doing 30, the speed limit is 30, you can ping off.

[littleswannygirl]

That happens here too LB, I flatly refuse to let them in on principle.

Lucky, tap your brakes lightly, the sight of your brake lights sometimes makes them Poopie themselves and back off. Or stick your rear fog light on. That usually works

[TopHat24/7]

People that drive at or just below the speed limit and refuse to pull over or change lane so others who are more busy can get past.

Some of us have places to be!!

[liverbnz]

Back seat drivers. Just shush!

[eirebilly]

I used to drive to and from Amsterdam alot (massive traffic) and one of the saddest but funniest things i have ever seen was a woman puting makeup on oneday and manage to have 3 accidents within seconds.

I was next to her and she was looking in the rear vision mirror applying make up. My line in the traffic went forward, she then stepped on the gas because she thought her line was moving. She promptly ran up the back of the car in front of her, in panic, she went into reverse and hit the car behind her. She the proceeded to open then door (to step out) only to open it just before a bigger car that was moving and pretty much lose her door.

Sad to see someone panic like that but it was hellishly funny.

It really grinds my gears to see men shaving and women putting make up on in traffic.

[Pal Joey]

She was lucky not to get swiped by that car!

There's been a few really unfortunate accidents here where people have broken down on a motorway and then got collected by trucks, etc. So if you do have to stop on some high speed road... weather permitting, it's best to get out of the car parked on the side of the road.... and walk away from it a bit.

Unfortunately, this guy was just doing that, sitting next to a tree when he was struck by a lorry which had gone out of control on a motorway. He was very unlucky... but it's also best to have a clear view of what's coming and an escape route if possible.
You need to be completely aware of what's going on all around you in those situations.

Not really a grind my gear but a real incident which happened about 25 years ago. I was a young bloke at uni and was going down to Canberra with my Dad. He was driving. We had been behind trucks for a while and stopped off as usual at the Paragon Cafe in Goulburn.
We had just passed the little town of Collector (ominous name now I think about it.... or have for 25 years) and we were talking about "how low Lake George was". This is a strange lake... very old geologically. It's either an inland sea or you can graze sheep on it. As we went up this long incline with cuttings of dusty orange soil on both sides... about 2.5m high bevelled back.

Just as we reached the crest.... about 200m away and travelling at 120km/h directly towards us were two massive lorries in both lanes. Dad veered off onto the dirt and we were on our side like a stunt car. We planed across the dirt for about 30-50m it seemed. There were objects showering us through the car and I could see the road at the bottom of Dad's window. I was suspended in the passenger seat using the armrest to keep myself from falling down. The car then came to a rest and we hopped out the top of the passengers door like astronauts opening a hatch in the lunar module. There were a couple of people already there saying: "great driving... you're so lucky to be alive!"

It turned out that the truck involved didn't even stop. It was intercepted by helicopters trying to sneak through the back roads. Witnesses said the trucks had been doing this overtaking for hours leading up to the accident we had.

So what sort of grinds my gears is when I see the 2012 version of those same trucks on the roads today and I think of the great escape my Dad made in that narrow window of time to react to an unexpected situation ... faced with some mad truck drivers about to kill us all on the Hume Highway in 1986!

[eirebilly]

Thats a lucky escape for you there breaker.

I used to work alot in the Iraq oil fields and you take your life in your hands driving there. There is no such thing as staying on your own side of the road there, the Lorries there will drive head long into traffic if it gets them to their desination quicker.

Road rules are non existant there

[Pal Joey]

Yes. Saigon is the same. There are lines of trucks for about 10km at a standstill yet all the traffic seems to weave around them. It's crazy to experience all the things going on at the same time... mind boggling.

You just had to trust the taxi driver to get you there. It was like this every day... all throughout the day. Endless near misses but some accidents too.

These kids used to run up in between the oil trucks with containers and siphon some stuff off. I saw this kid nearly get impaled but he just turned and smiled and slipped away through the traffic again with his can full of oil.

[alfie]

Sounds like a frightening experience there , Linebreaker... Glad you made it

I recall years ago coming rather close to an early exit up north of Katherine ...one of those huge road trains suddenly appeared around a bend about three quarters across my lane...as luck had it there was just enough space between the edge of the road and a rather nasty drop...
Those road trains don't stop for anything.

[eirebilly]

We went past a road train once on a dirt road. It took about 30mins for the dust to clear

[eirebilly]

Right, what really grinds my gears is how that totally unfunny Robert Webb keeps popping up on my tv screen.

He would have to be the most annoying person i have ever seen on tv and i simply cringe as he try's to make jokes and end up switching channels.

[Cari]

I tell you what peed me off this morning. On the bus going to work, the ticket machine conks out on the way around. Sh*t happens. Passengers can pay their fare, but have to have an emergency ticket which the driver has to tick some boxes on and sign/date because the machine can't print them off as normal. Everyone else is happy to get an emergency ticket, except this one ninny who just starts giving the driver grief about it because he can't have a printed ticket, although he can still make his journey and get a return. It's not the driver's fault these things go wrong, and if he'd cancelled the bus service altogether because of the broken ticket machine, that would've been more inconvenient. I just hate it when people moan to others when it clearly isn't their fault. What was he supposed to do, stop and fix the machine? We were already running ten minutes late because of it.

[eirebilly]

What grinds my gears is people in parking lots that open their car door onto your car and dont even acknowledge it with a sorry or even a look for possible damage.

[liverbnz]

People that constantly talk in work. It's not a bloody social gathering. Earn your bloody money (he says whilst typing on an internet forum during working hours)

[Biltong]

What grinds my gears is people in parking lots that open their car door onto your car and dont even acknowledge it with a sorry or even a look for possible damage.

Ah, that A8 seems more trouble than it is worth billy.

[Luckless Pedestrian]

I just hate it when people moan to others when it clearly isn't their fault.

Agreed. It happens to me when someone phones me at work (I'm the 'customer care line' amongst other things) and and goes off on a rant. Now, if you're angry or annoyed at a company for the service it's provided (or not provided), fair enough, but the person taking your call won't be personally responsible for what's happened. It's possible to make a complaint and remain polite.

[Biltong]

The fact of the matter is a good moan is just not that satisfactory whilst being polite.

[TopHat24/7]

There's been a few Not really a grind my gear but a real incident which happened about 25 years ago.

It turned out that the truck involved didn't even stop. It was intercepted by helicopters trying to sneak through the back roads. Witnesses said the trucks had been doing this overtaking for hours leading up to the accident we had.

I think that's a very fair gear-grinding subject! I don't have to do much motorway driving anymore but I find truck/lorry drivers INFURIATING!

They're generally morons that couldn't get a proper job that just hog the road, over taking at 1mph more than the next truck, running over cyclists (tho all motorised road traffic gets the blame from cycling groups).

Would love to make over-taking illegal for big trucks/lorries with massive fines for anyone caught doing it!

[Luckless Pedestrian]

That's true, Biltong, but the best approach is the British approach in restaurants: complain about the food amongst yourselves, then when the waitress comes round, smile and say everything's fine! Then, of course, you go back to grumbling about the food.

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