Pet Peeves

I think it's time for a little poll. I want to know your pet peeves. I mean the common ones, as well as the ones that get you upset.

From the start I'm going to stipulate that the many of these pet peeves are universal pet peeves, shared by many people. Please feel free adding your own to this list. I promise not to take it personally if you add "People who have gray roots showing" or "People who allow their husbands to have ponytails" to the list. I won't even get upset at "People who hog message boards," "People who can't remember anything anymore" or "People who use too many commas and quotation marks."

I'm going to start with the Pet Peeves that I'm assuming some, if not most, of you share with me.

- People talking loudly on cell phones. This includes people who have bluetooths and you think that they are either talking to themselves or to you (Please tell me that I'm not the only one who has answered someone who was actually speaking to someone on the phone).

- People who chew gum loudly, cracking it and/or blowing bubbles. That's fine in the privacy of your own home or car, but not when you are checking me out at the supermarket.

- People who talk on their cell phones in the car and forget that they are driving. I was at on a side street last week, trying to make a left turn on a main street. That's stressful enough, but there was a person directly across from me, with her left turn signal on, talking on the phone. She was there before me. I saw that there was going to be a break in the traffic, but only long enough for one of us to go. I figured that, since she was there first, she should have that opportunity (even though I live in New England I still drive like a Midwesterner). I tried to get her attention but she was to involved in her phone conversation to even notice me. When the break came I looked at her again and noticed that her hands weren't even on the wheel. So I started to go. All of a sudden she looked up, saw the break in traffic, but not me. She stepped on the gas. I was already in the intersection so I tooted my horn at her. Instead of thanking me for saving her from hitting me she gave me the finger.

- Sexual/violent/scary commercials that are shown during shows that I allow my kids to watch. This is most common with movie advertisements. Abby has a weak constition when it comes to things like that. The frequent advertisements for Prom Night (I think that's the name of it) scare the living daylights out of her.

Now here are some of my personal Pet Peeves, or as Geoff calls them, "Michisms." They upset me, but the average person (make that most sane people) doesn't even notice.

- People who say "irregardless" or "I could have cared less." That just makes my ears hurt.

- When people use the word "decimate" to mean more than one in ten. I'm pretty sure that this is one distiction that will disappear within a generation, but I'm keeping it alive for the time being.

- Telemarketers, when asked what country they are in, replying "The USA." I'm sorry, I can tell that you are in India or the Philipines. I am not an idiot (usually). BTW - I refuse to do business with any company that calls me from another country because I know that Americans have lost jobs so that money can be made by stockholders.

- Speaking of phone calls I get at work. If you call and ask for "Geoff" as if you are best friends with him and then, when asked what the call is concerning, you say "He'll know" you will not get put through. Heck, I won't even take a message and, depending on my hormone levels that day, I might even hang up the phone on you.

- This one may be specific to my own children. I cannot stand it when the word "like" is randomly inserted into every single sentence. Like do you know what I like mean?

- People who make attorney jokes. ('nuff said)

As anyone who knows me well knows, this is only a partial list. A lot of things upset me. Please add your own to my list. I reserve the right to add to this list too.