Stupid things that instantly piss you off

[Tri Girl]

I have the opposite issue. What bothers me is when my kids (older grades) call me Miss Brown. I'm a Mrs. dangit. I'm married. I wear an obvious wedding ring. My name tag says Mrs. Brown for crying out loud. The big name plaque on the outside of my door says Mrs. Brown. How hard is it to insert the *R* in my title?
It also really bugs me when parents send me e-mails and address it as "Dear Miss Brown." Makes me feel like they are instantly putting themselves *above* me by addressing me as a young person (and I'm as old if not older than many of them).

If you're really unsure if I'm married or not, address me as Ms. I'm damn near 40- I think I'm a little past the *Miss* phase in life.

[tulip]

Hmmm...those don't bother me. When I was called Mrs. HisLastName when I was married, it sounded funny because I kept my own last name, but I certainly didn't take any offense. I haven't really noticed if people call me Mrs. or Miss or Ms, although I work with alot of people who address me formally. Whatever, I usually just say, "Please, call me by my first name." But that throws them for a loop because I have a very unusual first name. Sometimes I shorten it for them.

When I worked for a company (as opposed to from home now), I could not stand the banter from new and expecting mothers (and a few dads) about constipation (if they were preggers), babies and poop and throwing up and all as if it was so cute...IN THE LUNCHROOM! My goodness, people! NOT WHEN AND WHERE WE EAT! In fact, not at work! WE DON'T CARE! And I always wondered if there were other people around who may have been trying to start families without success. The incessant babble was inconsiderate on number of levels.

[shootingstar]

I can see NBNwy how a guy near your age addressing you as "Miss" is ...well actually laughable, but quite patronizing when he knows you are married. You might remind him it is the 21st century.

As mentioned before, I did work for a German engineering firm. In configuring our database software, I had to explain to the rambunctious computer German support person that we needed a Ms. selection in the database field menu drop-down when drafting a letter.

He had never heard of 'Ms.' This is an university educated guy...in Germany. There is no German equivalent or at least not commonly known, if my dearie doesn't know by now.

I had to explain the basic (feminist) philosophy that the marital status of a woman in the workplace ..really is of no reflection on her competence/work performance.

Occasionally people refer me as "Miss"..it's not totally inaccurate. But if they know me, it's first name, for even the most heavily male-dominant organizations..and I've worked for 4 different ones out of several employers

What ticks me off which some other women might find complimentary, is when some men wink at me upon knowing me in the workplace. I've had 2 senior managers do this to me...what the hell for? The manner in which it was done was to 'soften' me or get me to do something. I was a manager myself, running a department and supervising other staff.

Just ask to me respectfully to do something . No need to butter me up.
When it happens I just continue talking as if I didn't notice. It never happens again.

[shootingstar]

I do wonder at times if being short and petite prompts certain responses from various people. It would not surprise me if some people are unprepared by my style - for a woman, I'm a straight shooter in terms of personal style in the workplace. Which can be both good and not so good for certain situations.

[OakLeaf]

I do wonder at times if being short and petite prompts certain responses from various people.

Huh. They don't even see you. Literally. Not just men, but women too, will run me down on the sidewalk if I don't get out of their way... and I'm 5'3". I can't imagine what it must be for someone much shorter.

DH got angry with me for "always yielding." Just to prove a point, I didn't, for a couple of blocks. After I'd bounced off of four people's chests, he relented.

[badger]

I haven't read all the posts here, but I thought I'd put in what set me off this morning.

My supervisor was talking to my co-worker. Sup went to a chinese restaurant and had something vegetarian, a prawn dish. Said she's being vegetarian this month.

Eh? since when did prawns become vegetables? I actually ripped right into her saying prawns are animals ("no they're not", she claimed ), and how shrimp harvesting is so devastating as they troll everything in the nets' path.

What's worse is that another goof standing by listening in said that fish are considered part of a vegetarian diet. That set me off even more.

Grr

Oh my god, just as I put this up, my coworker says "ever been to the Crab Pot? sounds good, they take a crab and smash it with a hammer for you".

Yeah, that sounds great.

[malkin]

Searching for BIKE BELL getting a bunch of Bell Helmets etc.

I'm not sure why that bugs me so much in light of the fact I am endlessly delighted by a search for a BROOKS SADDLE turning up a bunch of "Mel Brooks Blazing Saddles" hits.

[Aggie_Ama]

+1 million on the dogs in the bed of the truck. At A&M I had a friend that worked as a vet tech, she showed me some horrific pictures of dogs they tried to help after being thrown or jumping from a truck. Only one or two made it which is why the vet she worked with took the photos. He would show them to clients that brought their dogs in the bed of the truck, he didn't care that he sometimes lost the client.

Another huge pet peeve is people who throw their gel wrappers. At my recent half marathon they were all of the roads, no wonder the locals seemed so hateful to us. I try to pick up as many as I can on the mountain bike trail. People are so stupid to not realize they need to pack out what they pack in.

[Maxxxie]

Searching for BIKE BELL getting a bunch of Bell Helmets etc.

I'm not sure why that bugs me so much in light of the fact I am endlessly delighted by a search for a BROOKS SADDLE turning up a bunch of "Mel Brooks Blazing Saddles" hits.

Hee hee If you're googling, you can exclude terms from the search results by using the "-" modifier. Eg search for bike bell -helmet or brooks saddle -mel -blazing

+lots to the unrestrained dogs in utes/trucks. Ditto the random litterers.

I don't have any of my own random pet peeves to add. But I'm getting a giggle out of some of the ones that have been posted so far!

Max

[Irulan]

I haven't read all the posts here, but I thought I'd put in what set me off this morning.

My supervisor was talking to my co-worker. Sup went to a chinese restaurant and had something vegetarian, a prawn dish. Said she's being vegetarian this month.

Eh? since when did prawns become vegetables? I actually ripped right into her saying prawns are animals ("no they're not", she claimed ), and how shrimp harvesting is so devastating as they troll everything in the nets' path.

What's worse is that another goof standing by listening in said that fish are considered part of a vegetarian diet. That set me off even more.

Grr

Oh my god, just as I put this up, my coworker says "ever been to the Crab Pot? sounds good, they take a crab and smash it with a hammer for you".

Yeah, that sounds great.

uh, yah. It's called Pescatarian if you eat fish.

This may have already been mentioned & I did not read this entire thread, but I am sitting here in my living room listening to a dog up the road barking...and barking....and barking....he stays in a pen & if he hears the slightest thing he starts barking and will not stop. No one at his house pays any attention to him and no one ever tells him to stop. I feel bad for the poor thing & his owners piss me off because they 1. neglect the poor thing and 2. do not have enough respect for their neighbors to make the dog stop (or send him to a home where someone loved him).

uh yah on this one also. for me it would be a) not have to listen to your semi abandoned dog bark all the time and b) to not have your free roaming cat pooing and hunting all over my yard.

[bunny_ninja]

As a vegetarian of many, many years - I have heard 'do you eat fish?' sooo many times after explaining that I don't eat meat.

[oz rider]

Great thread.

I do wonder at times if being short and petite prompts certain responses from various people.

Hell yeah! They seem to assume stupidity. (Or is that just me, hehe?) Not long after I had my son I had reason to point out I'd had a kid, not a lobotomy. Same for too many tradesmen and bike shop guys. But my plumber is a mtbr so he's fabulous!

And anyone assuming anything about my marital status, as if your value relates to availability like a lump of meat.

And lazy/selfish/incompetent/impatient/ignorant drivers.

And waiters who don't check ingredients properly.

[Crankin]

+1 to the petite issue. Though, now that I am of a certain age, it seems to matter less.
My issue with the "kid talk" is not so much from when I was teaching, as Veronica described, although I experienced that a little. It's more what Tulip described, but expanded to every little thing, i.e. getting a license, college application, etc.
One time many years ago, I was at the monthly children's service at my synagogue. My 2 kids were about 8 and 10. Before the service started I had to listen to this horrible rant from the woman next to us about how her little genius was not being challenged in writer's workshop. Blah, blah, blah. I was getting enraged by the second, so I said, kind of loudly, "I don't want to hear this **** when I am in temple," so I made my kids get up and move. My older son was really embarrassed and was like, Mom, calm down.
I had to stop going to the cheapo manicure shop near me because I kept seeing too many people I know who were saying things like, "Oh, did you know that ---- (their kid) was married? graduated law school?, etc. etc." It never stops. These "kids" are closer to 30 than 20!

[Selkie]

Over-privileged people who think the rest of us should step aside because they have money. These are the ones who cut you off in traffic in their big expensive SUVs or cut in front of you in line at a store. Their kids are even worse...

People who come to work sick and spread around their illnesses.

People who take credit for other's work/ideas.

Dishonesty.

A sense of entitlement (my big beef w/much of the "younger" generation -- those who were indulged and told they were special).

Selfish people---the ones who lack manners and think it's all about them.

[Tuckervill]

Most of the time when things piss us off, we're either taking things too personally, or projecting motives that we have no way of knowing. Both of which my mother is really good at and which I try to ferret out of my own personality because of it. So when I read some of these complaints, I just think, "Why do you care? Don't listen to everything you hear. It's not about you. That person is not directing their behavior at you, so why get worked up over it?"

Of course, some people are just being rude, and not considering how their actions affect others. I try to take a look in the mirror to see how I could have helped or fixed or mitigated the situation, before I stew or complain about it.

Karen