Public pet peeves
 

As indicated in the title, really, but in other words what are the things that really grind your gears when you’re out and about (whether you’re on the bus, shopping or whatever it is generally you do on a normal day)?

For me personally I actually don’t mind people sitting next to me on a public transit when there are vacant seats elsewhere but what does get on my nerves is obnoxious strangers getting too close in the grocery aisle (etc.) and not getting the cue that they’re in your way and invading your personal space (obviously mine more specifically in this instance but it’s a common pet peeve). Ditto for mums (or parents in general but on a day-to-day it does tend to be mostly mums out with their kids) who can’t control their kids.

People on their phones on buses telling everyone their personal business. ****.

"obnoxious strangers getting too close in the grocery isle"

Sorry, what?

People blasting out shyte music outloud in public. People who play their music loudly always have hideous hip-hop "music", never rock or even Radio 2...

You can take it in whatever funny way you want but it’s not my job to ironically-explain anything I say to you and doing so this time around definitely isn’t going to bring any stimulation-value to my life so I’m not going to. Bye.

Music (whatever the type) doesn’t bother me it on the topic of outside loud noises what does irritate me (a lot) is dogs who just bark and bark. One of them’s doing the rounds in my neighbourhood at the moment and it makes sleeping (which is already difficult at the moment when you can only afford to keep a fan on for so long) nigh-on impossible. They say dogs are man’s best friend but they’re just far too loud (and hyper.) for my liking (Brian Griffin excluded).

People/youths that spit in the street
Que jumpers

You’re really not going to get the reaction you want out of me so I’d stop here if I were you.

Is that right, aye

Yeah, that’s always an interesting one. It doesn’t bother me per se but it’s just the misplaced brazenness some people seem to have when it comes to letting the strangers around them know their business (often on loud-speaker) that I’ve never really understood. I’ll reply your P.M. in a bit, btw.

This is obviously how you get your kicks so I’m not going to stand in the way of you and your fun. But I’m not going to be the one enabling you in any way.

When someone says hello and calls you by your name, but you havnt for the life of you got a clue who they are.

They should introduce themselves first instead of being so arrogant that they think you should know them.

Well after my trip to London....it was a a whole different vibe to how it is in my hometime. Everyone rushing around not looking up, not having patience, pushing past and not wanting to interact at all. Yeah it's that rudeness and impatience I'm not keen on

Cities in general are just cesspits tbh, and I don't know how anyone can stand to spend more time than necessary even near them?

Couples holding hands down narrow paths walking really slowly in front of me, and I'm carrying a **** ton of food in my hands in a God damn heatwave and they're blocking the entire path.:fist:

Also (I don’t know if this has been mentioned or not - I haven’t had time to get up-to-proper-speed with this thread yet) but I hate it when you do something nice for someone in public (holding a door, waiting for them to pass so you can get on with your journey while giving them some space) and there’s no cordial acknowledgment whatsoever, not even a nod. I know some people’s modes of feeling are more introverted than others (and I’m the last person to advocate making small-talk with just about anyone past the first couple of meetings for the sake of ice-breaking, let alone total strangers in passing/random familiar faces you don’t really know) but people who don’t recognise the good people do for them in public settings just come across to me as selfish. You don’t have to say a word to politely-acknowledge someone leaving a door open for you, so unless you’re that preoccupied why wouldn’t you?

Yeah, that lack of atmospheric sympathy can be strange but I’d rather that than someone giving you pitying looks for daring to wine-and-dine solo. Some people have the internal self-assurance (or at the very least an ‘I fancy grabbing a cheeky bite at the local chicken-and-chip shop or checking out that fancy Thai restaurant on Saturday evening and my stomach needs trumps whatever social-validative needs I’m supposed to have so who cares?’ kind of mentality) to check in and out of food and coffee chains (coffee chains are a classic introvert hub, anyway) and just eat and drink in peace without feeling the need to be around lots of random buddies and that applies to high-end restaurants as well as it does Starbucks, Costa and Wetherspoons. It’s just that some people are so overly-outgoing that they assume that there must be something wrong with someone for choosing to be a solo diner (the fact that they might be out of town on a business trip or have another reason for not knowing anyone there doesn’t even dawn on them like that).

Yh, people getting in/blocking the way in general really gets on my nerves (doesn’t matter to me whether it’s a couple or just one person, who’s not even fat like that but has decided to obstruct the aisle/path more than three elephants conjoined would). I’m always calm on the outside (I’m pretty outwardly-reserved by default anyhow so even if I wanted to turn the heat up with these people it still wouldn’t really show unless I actually used my mouth to say something) but internally I just want to brick them so bad.

Oh I agree with you, my example was from a personal experience though.:laugh:

Nah, I hear you. I was just adding my own personal weight to it. One thing we’re both sold on is that couples taking up space (probably as well as talking bare dirty on the bus) is just not the one.

Slightly off-topic but I feel like the ‘things that annoy introverts irrationally’ TikTok compilations (of which the example I gave in my O.P. slots in perfectly) is full of people (rightly-angry) who are talking more about obnoxious strangers with no understanding of personal space or respect showing lack of home training (and all that) more than anything else. I look at some people and just wonder who their mums are but then again even people with the best home training just move raggedy in general (when they’re in their bedrooms or at Tesco buying Magnum and dirt-cheap cider).

Where do you live (if it’s not too personal)?

People walking around in bleak mid winter in cut off trousers just to show off their calf tattoos or a t-shirt for the same reason


Tattoos are fine .. especially those tribal sleeves


Guess it’s the sheer desperation I don’t care for


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Haha, I get what you mean.

Some people just have no manners when it comes to personal space imo.

And the thing is a lot of people don’t even realise half the time that they’re in the way and invading other people’s personal space. It’s like there’s a social code of propriety and at least semi-correct public behaviour that only about 48% of people have signed up to. The other half won’t budge unless you literally push past them in the aisle or on the underground.

People with BO as well, like really really strong BO, strong enough to stink out a corner shop...they must know fgs!!

Technically it's a village, but it's virtually adjacent to the town (where I grew up) so I've always just seen it as a big neighborhood :joker:

When I moved here I had to stand on the other side of the barrel on Boxing Day :hehe:
(Which won't make sense to people not from nearby)

Another one (save for being roped-into unnecessary small-talk but that’s something that applies even when it’s at home if you’re surrounded by socially-extraverted folk who can’t be in silence for more than two waking seconds) is when you walk into a restaurant (and the like) and the staff expect you to have your order ready to tell them (literally the minute you pop your head through the other side of the door). Can you not at least give someone 5 minutes?

The forced small-talk thing is a real pet-peeve though (wherever it happens). What’s really awkward in social contexts is forcing empty conversation with people who aren’t interested (unless they’ve signalled to you in some intuitive way that they don’t mind having a bit of chit-chat with you) but generally when you’re out-and-about it’s best not to go up to people wearing headphones (it’s just as-much an introvert’s non-verbal cue that they don’t want to be disturbed as it is a sign of someone just listening to music) and talk to them unnecessarily (by all-means, grab their attention if it’s something you really do actually-need to communicate with them). I still expect people to be polite but that can be done non-verbally or with a simple cordial greeting that doesn’t force them to reply on-the-spot. Silence really isn’t awkward unless you make it like-so.

I find that at takeaways when as soon as you walk in they look at you expecting your order straight away when there's a row of 6 different boards to consider

Restaurants I don't mind as its easier to say you need a couple more minutes and I prefer attentive waiting staff to those who leave you for ages. Worst thing is when they seat you with menus but don't take a drinks order early on and only come back to you a while later for the whole order, I want to enjoy a drink while I consider the menu damn it :fist:

To be fair, I tend to just ask for drinks straight-up in the occasions that I do dine-out (not that I have for a while because of how expensive and tight everything is at the moment) but I know what you mean.

Agreed about attentive staff (so long as they don’t ask you what you’re having as soon-as lay-eye on you) being better than the ones who leave you hanging for half-an-hour but when it’s busy I understand. I think there’s a balance to strike between giving people a minute to order and disappearing for ages.

At grocery stores when the bagger or cashier can't properly bag. I used to be a bagger and was so careful but everyone else seems to put food together with toiletries and pet food, crushed bread, bags that are so heavy they rip open or so light you have to take twice as long getting them inside.

I’ve always bag my own stuff but the fact that I use self-service check-outs a lot more than standard-tills probably helps with that. I tend-to just take a big Waitrose/Home-Bargain/s bag and a few little Morrisons bags I’ve accumulated and take it from there when I’m shopping. But even at-that I’m not exact about the way things are packed, so long as nothing gets squished and I know where to look for whatever-items I’ve bagged.

Women with pushchairs do that to , very selfish.

Is there anything you guys do to recharge from all the selfishness and lack of consideration that’s out there once you’re back in your space and you have a chance to (literally, even) shut the door on the world? Any favourite routines you dive into after a long week of silent public-aggravation (other than wine/beer-slushing - that’s too-obvious)?

I personally just let the bitterness build up.

And how’s that working-out for you?

:joker:

No one bags the shopping in the UK, in some shops (Aldi) they dont even give you time to bag you are expected to fire it back into the trolley and wheel away to bag it in a different location.

There is also a big push for self service tills do you have those, basically where you do everything yourself, scan the bar code and bag