Pet Peeves...

OK, we've all got 'em, but sometimes it seems to help to vent a little so here I go. A few of my pet peeves.

1. Phone Solicitors. Yeah, I know you're just trying to make a living, but man those calls can be annoying!!! To your credit, some of you are very polite, but the majority of you come off as rude and inconsiderate! If I say no, I mean NO! The following conversation ACTUALLY happened to me once.

I got a call from some organization that sends kids with cancer on some special trip. Similar to the Miracle Network. Anyway, I get a call from this lady and she's asking me for money. I don't recall the situation, but I didn't have a whole lot of extra cash so I told her "no thank you." -Now you must know this about me. I am a polite person. I am the one that holds the door for people. I will even stand and wait for a person so I can hold the door for them. I'm not a mean person. I want people to like me so I find it difficult to be rude since it's not in my nature.- So anyway, I tell this lady no thanks and she starts going off on me! She actually said, "Don't you care about kids that are dying?" among other things. I was dumbfounded. I sat in shock on the other end of the phone. She then proceeded to hang up on me.

My wife noticed that something was going on and asked me what was up. I told her about the conversation and as I told her, anger started to well up in me. How dare she? That woman knew NOTHING about me! She knew nothing of my past and she sat there and criticized me! She didn't know that when I was only 22 years old that I had a 10 month old baby going into surgery to remove a cancerous tumor. I know how scary that is. I know what it's like to have a surgeon tell you that your child has cancer. I know what it's like to have to talk to what seems like hundreds of doctors and interns about your daughters past symptoms ad nauseam. It was a frightening ordeal. So to you phone solicitors, have a heart. If you can't find other work, at least try to be polite.

2. Pet peeve number two, Hand washing, or lack thereof. Now, I can only speak to the dudes out there since I don't frequent ladies rooms but dudes, wash your hands!!! It only takes a few moments, but many dudes fail to wash their hands. I'm especially talking to you dudes that just finished with number 2! Dudes, it freaking gross!!! I refuse to help myself to the open bowl of M&M's at work. After seeing a guy walk out of the bathroom without washing his hands, then walk over the M&M's... Uhh, no thanks. I'll go buy some of my own.

3. Pet Peeve number three. Bad Drivers. I've learned that here in Minnesota, once you're over 18, you can skip some of the lessons required of those under 18. So what happens? We get immigrants come in and get their license, yet they have no clue on really how to drive. What they lack is the common sense side of driving. Things like.
A. Learning how to merge. You don't stop at the end of the on ramp!!!!
B. The left lane is the passing lane, not the drive 45 in a 65 lane.
C. At a 4 way stop, the person that arrives first has the right of way. If the two cars arrive at the same time, the person to the right has the right of way. WRITE IT DOWN!!!

There. I feel better.

That is all.