The Soapbox

[mollusk]

I dislike that fact that the Div III foil at the Miami NAC is on the only day I cannot be there due to work and my oldest son's birthday.

I dislike people in cars telling me to get my bike off the road. And why is it that they are always 18 to 30 year old males?

Can someone tell me why I get at least one offer to get a Citibank Visa card everyday in the mail when I already have one?

Why does an auto repair shop quote a price of over $600 to replace the plugs, wires, and coils on my wife's car when it only took me 2 hours and ~$100 in parts to do the job? I'll admit it was a bit of a PITA due to the fact that the engine needed to be rotated forward to get to the rear bank of plugs and wires. Still, I wish that I could charge $250/hour for doing mindless work. Six day weekends would rock! (The quote of over $300 dollars to replace the EGR valve that cost me ~$100 at Autozone and took ten minutes to replace was even more insane, especially when the service tech didn't know what EGR stood for.)

Why does my youngest son want to play anything on the piano except what was assigned this week for his lesson?

Why are aftermarket remotes allowed to call themselves "universal" when there will be at least one crucial item they cannot do on every piece of equipment you own?

Why is it that your kids want to use your computer when theirs is better?

Why do you get way more rep points for making a silly joke than you do for giving good advice on repairing equipment?

[sabreur]

Originally Posted by Peach

People who walk their dogs off-leash on the local college campus where everyone walks.

1. The dog barks, bounds over to you, plants its huge muddy paws on your front, and breathes bad breath in your face and then licks you with a slimy tongue. "Oh, he won't hurt you," they say, and laugh.

2. The dog barks, barks again, and shows its teeth. "Oh, he won't hurt you!" they say, and laugh.

3. The dog bites you. "Oh, he's never done that," they say, and look at you accusingly.

I seriously dislike people who don't train their dogs, and let them run loose and annoy people, because it makes it much harder for my dogs, who are extremely well-trained and are off leash 99% of the time. One of the reasons I don't want to come back to the US is that a lot of places have unreasonable leash laws as a result of people who don't train their dogs.

Oh, I also feel people should train their children to behave as well as my dogs do..... I guess I feel that people who have children ought to commit to spending a couple of hours a day working, playing and generally being with their kids--that's what I do with my dogs, and I would think that kids deserve the same.

And BMC, I don't mind people who ask to pet the dogs first... it's the ones who don't ask that annoy me....

I seriously dislike and distrust people who think their pet theory (Marxism, Creationism, Capitalism, Neo-conservativism...) is stronger than reality. I like people who constantly test and question their own belief structure.

[scrapinpeg]

It really irks me when you hold the door for someone, and they just walk through and don't even acknowledge you, much less say thank you.

Why is fresh food more expensive than processed junk? The processed junk was fresh food once, and all kinds of money went into processing it and packaging it and advertising it, so how come it's cheaper? And people wonder why, the less disposable income a family has, the more likely they are to be overweight. It's too expensive to eat healthily!

Ever notice how the people who achieve real wealth and power are just the coolest, friendliest and most genuine people... yet so many climbers persist in affecting arrogance and attitude and hauteur? I can't stand that.

[fencergal33]

Originally Posted by scrapinpeg

Ever notice how the people who achieve real wealth and power are just the coolest, friendliest and most genuine people... yet so many climbers persist in affecting arrogance and attitude and hauteur? I can't stand that.

I know!!! I guess that 's the entire reason I was so pleseantly surprised when I met Mariel Zagunis a few weeks ago. What a enuinely nice girl she was. She had no trace of snootiness that I could see.

I've met about a million "wannabes" at NAC's and stuff who crack me up with their "you aren't fit to share the strip with me attitudes."

[Inquartata]

D'ja ever notice how this thread is starting to sound as though it were written by Any Rooney? I guess imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Too bad none of us is going to get paid the sort of money he does for 2 minutes of work per week. Probably there isn't that much of a market for curmudgeons, and he has it cornered.

What's the story with him, anyway? Has CBS handed him a sinecure because of the color and density of his eyebrows? If I got eyebrows like that, could I get a lucrative job doing what I already do here for nothing? I guess only time will tell.

[geezer]

Originally Posted by Mr Epee

I Hate Hehateme

Idiot!

Word UP, Dog!!!

[counter riposte]

I hate it when people ask futile questions to which there could be no possible answer.

IE: "Why are people such idiots?"

Or questions which only seek to aggravate the person answering it....

IE: "When will the DEs start?"
Ans: "When the pool with the multiple equipment problems and broken reel come in." or "When people leave me alone for 15 WHOLE CONSECUTIVE MINUITES so I can finish the seeding..."


I should qualify this by saying that I have assisted the BC at times, and it can be frustrating to get the simplest of questions.

[poor_nizzie]

This is not so much a rant as it is a plea:

I need a car. Now. It'll come in handy over the next three years, especially when going home over vacations.
I put in an interest email for this jewel:
Clickie!

Opinions?

[Mr Epee]

Nizzie,

I'd ask if the transmission has been replaced recently...

If it has, then you may be in good shape.

If not, I would def pass.

That automatic transmission has a fairly famous reputation for not surviving past the 100k mark. If it's already been replaced then you won't have to deal with that potentially expensive problem.

[Larrison]

Originally Posted by poor_nizzie

This is not so much a rant as it is a plea:

I need a car. Now. It'll come in handy over the next three years, especially when going home over vacations.
I put in an interest email for this jewel: [... 1993 Ford Taurus ...]
Opinions?

History -- I bought a 1986 Mercury Sable wagon (the Mercury Clone of the Taurus) new (in calendar 1987). Great car for 3 years.

However.. starting in the 3rd year of ownership, at around 50,000 miles:
- Replaced all the engine mounts (they all cracked)
- Explosive materials failure in the air conditioning system
- Broken wiring in the main electrical harness in the car (broke from flexure/ vibration of daily use)
- Replaced air conditioning core -- was blowing white smoke (vaporized a/c coolant) into the passenger system
- Replaced ignition system due to arcing (!!) in the ignition coil
- Never solved random engine failures at random times, with warm engine, at full speed. (It would just die, and not restart until the engine cooled)
- Replaced head gasket and had to have the engine rebuilt due to faulty engine gasket/ assembly (at the factory)
- Replaced water pump due to failure
- Replaced dashboard instrument cluster (electronic cluster failed totally -- only option was to replace displays, etc).

When the monthly repair price started to approach the price to buy a new car, it was replaced. Needless to say, it didn't make it to a 4th year in my ownership. And it's probably redundant to state I have not bought a Ford product since then.

Now.. this version is 6 years later, hopefully after they got the bugs (just a few...) worked out of the car -- mine was the first model year. But I'd check it over very closely in consumer reports, consumer evaluations on line, require a full maintenance record from the seller, and HAVE A TRUSTED MECHANIC CHECK IT OVER before buying it.

[Post Script: added after a quick google search... http://homepages.tscnet.com/sosburn/Taurus0.htm Maybe they didn't fix all those problems... ]

[geezer]

Originally Posted by counter riposte

I hate it when people ask futile questions to which there could be no possible answer.

IE: "Why are people such idiots?"

Or questions which only seek to aggravate the person answering it....

IE: "When will the DEs start?"
Ans: "When the pool with the multiple equipment problems and broken reel come in." or "When people leave me alone for 15 WHOLE CONSECUTIVE MINUITES so I can finish the seeding..."


I should qualify this by saying that I have assisted the BC at times, and it can be frustrating to get the simplest of questions.

(Hum...I wonder if he's ever heard of the "Rhetorical Question"...? And I wonder if he REALLY is at sea, somewhere off of the Azores?)

[needle]

Originally Posted by poor_nizzie

I put in an interest email for this jewel:
Clickie!
Opinions?

There is no VIN for the car in that listing - not a good sign. Insist on getting VIN from the seller, go to carfax.com and get the car's history report - well worth the $15. If the car has junk title, stay away.

[PeterGustafsson]

Hi!

On the word "gay": Several words have similar or indentical spellings, while having vastly different meanings. (Compare "cattle enclosure" with "European-style sword-fight".)

Of all the words typical to the Finnish dialect Meänkäeli, the one most known by people not speaking it is "knapsu". It means unmanly, male homosexual, fearful, and uncool all rolled into one. AFAIK, those meanings have no special words of their own, as it is considered that they are just variations on a theme, not worthy of special words.

I would assume that those who use "gay" in the meaning that upsets Peach are purposefully trying to make such a roll-up the norm in English too.


On to my own rants:
1. I hate it that my 4-yearold has had to undergo several big face/jaw operations, and will probably have to have undergone ten or so before he is ready.
2. I hate it when people get angry and start screaming - and wgen told to cool down and get a grip of themselves, they do not do so but instead just keep going on. Keep your anger inside yourself - you are not three anymore!
3. I hate it when people want to convey a lot of meaning via body language instead of well-worded statements. I don´t want to read your frickin´ body language!
4. I hate it when I pose a question that can be exhaustively answered with either a yes or a no, and I have explicitly asked for such and answer - and I still get a long tirade - or a false statement that my question can not be answered in that way! I will come to you qualifications later on, now answer a question in the way I want it answered!
5. I hate it when people say that logic does not apply here, one should consider emotions first or somesuch crap. Logic is what sets us apart from animals - any dog can show emotions!
6. I hate it when people, faced with a well-posed question, start answering another question. Stick to the topic, or at least say that you do not want to answer the question at hand - twerp!

I guess that will suffice for now. Interesting to notice how popular it is to rant against people who obstruct free movement - there must be a sociological treatise in there.


Have a nice time!

Peter Gustafsson

[Gav]

Hello,

My account number is *** *** *** ****

You can imagine my surprise when I arrived home tonight to discover a "disconnection notice" sitting on my door mat. You could possible also register my annoyance that it isn't even addressed to me but to a "Mr Montgomery". You could also imagine my bewilderment as I have attempted to pay this bill *twice*. This confusion was further compounded by discovering that, when I contacted the nice lady on the end of the phone, I am informed that payment had failed because the details were entered incorrectly.

I am quite disappointed in the level of service that I have received.

1. I have attempted to settle this account.

2. Although the people I speak to are invariably nice; they also appear incapable of entering a card number. Additionally I am also informed that you do not even allow them to know whether I have been successful paying the bill. How they are able to provide an adequate level of service; or why you appear to be using a stone-age a credit system is beyond me.

3. I am informed that I can pay by direct debit. Considering that your company has been unable to take a card payment I do not see why I should provide you with my bank details.

As your company is the remnants of the former state monopoly I would hope that you would perform better. I've always thought that the shocking stories that I have heard were [mostly] exaggerated but my recent experience (including the fitting of the gas supply ...) indicate that not all is well at British Gas.

I would appreciate a reply to these points as soon as you are able.

Regards

Gavin

[fencergal33]

Awwwww......poor Gav. As I have dealt with this issue before, I feel your pain! Hope all gets resolved soon.

BTW thanks for resurrecting this thread! I love the anger!

[fixxmyweapon]

I loathe close minded people who complain with out taking the other person's side into consideration.
Scratch it. Close minded people in general.
I cant stand research papers and busy work.
I HATE the sound of a bag or wrapper crinkleing when it is the only sound in a quiet place. JUST OPEN THE BAG!
It also irks me when people recite lines from a movie, song, or show as means of a conversation. It goes on forever. It isn't funny when you say that comical line. Shut up.
When someone eats that one thing in the fridge that you have been looking forward to all day and then all they say when you asked what happened to it is, "Oh, I didn't know you wanted that." Thanks for being a heffer and not offering to replace it. Especially when my name is on it. Which I woulden't have to put on it in the first place if you didn't eat everything ever.

//end rant

[DE_Strip_Tease]

Originally Posted by Moonitic

I hate when people walk sooooooo sloooooowly (not the people with medical reasons, either) around a store, the mall, faire, the zoo, school...whatever & I'm right behind them, trying my best to get around them. These people travel in pairs & in groups. It really hinders those of us who have places to GO.

I hate it when people pop their gum & chew like cows.

I hate when people say, "You think you've got problems..." Well, yeah. I do. So do you. So does everyone. Don't negate people like that!

I REALLY hate when you work your hiney off, but get absolutely nothing in return. Gee...thanks for making it seem like I'm wasting my time.

I hate people who scream for others to understand their views, but refuse to understand the views of those they are screaming at.

Whew. I feel better.

amen to that... Especially the first and last ones.

[bmcfencer]

Originally Posted by PeterGustafsson

2. I hate it when people get angry and start screaming - and wgen told to cool down and get a grip of themselves, they do not do so but instead just keep going on. Keep your anger inside yourself - you are not three anymore!
3. I hate it when people want to convey a lot of meaning via body language instead of well-worded statements. I don´t want to read your frickin´ body language!

I hate it when people get really upset with my gesticulations. Dance was my first creative language and the way I move is part of how I communicate (EVERYONE uses body language/tone of voice/facial expressions to communicate- part of the reason that people on online forums tend to come off as compassionless twats, because you are only getting a part of what they're saying.

I also really hate it when people insist that everyone repress their emotions. Be polite, be angry in appropriate areas, but don't tell me to shut up when I'm upset. I'm not five, I am aware of how my "emotional display" may be taken by others, and sometimes I'm going to get angry and unhappy anyway. That's legitimate. We are human beings, not.... horses or gooseberry bushes.

Isn't it debatable as to whether or not dogs show emotions or just mirror the emotions of the people around them? Dogs also have a certain sense of logic, don't they?