While watching breakfast television this morning, a stand up comedian was talking about his routine, and his reputation of being “grumpy”relating every day stories of injustice and annoyance (through his eyes at least). He remarked that while writing, if he runs out of material he just walks into town to buy a newspapersomethingwill happen to annoy the hell out of him.I couldn’t help laughing, because I am exactly the same way.
The list of little things that annoy me is endless. The flash fit of temper only happens within my own head, and the words I might utter very rarely make it as far as my lips. The imaginary world of Billy Liar, or Big Fish comes to mind.
Some examples;I cycle to work every day. I can almost guarantee that if I cross paths with anybody over 50 years old, they will ignore any semblance of the highway code, any road signs, will cycle on the path, and will neverhave a helmet on. The ignoring rules thing pretty much extends to 90% of the people I see on bikes, and it reallywinds me up.
When riding the bike through town during rush hour, I can almost guarantee a significant proportion of car drivers will ignore my existence to the point that I might as well be invisible. It’s not a case of “defensive cycling”more “expecting the worse, because it’s goingto happen”. There is a direct link between the size/cost of car, and the thoughtlessness of the driver.
Old people who queue in shops, and when they reach the checkout are not ready to pay. This winds me up doubly so when it’s a store that bags the goods for youso you really had nothing to do while watching them there’s no excuse. I’ve lost count of the number of times some hapless idiot has turned and apologised to me as they fumble with their money. Invariably the person on the checkout will apologise toodo these people not realise they are being apologised for!Of course there are also bigger things that annoy me, but I don’t talk about in public because friendships would be harmed. Most of it surrounds the casual prejudices that many people exhibitbut then I realise I’m unusual in that I “sit on the fence” on most subjects which in itself probably annoys people enormously.