PARKING—I simply do not understand why an experienced driver cannot pull into a parking spot straight instead of an angle. This phenomenon is getting completely out of hand. In most cases, this thoughtless driver actually takes up two spots because the worst offenders are the people who drive the largest vehicles. There's no excuse for this.
While I'm on this topic, have you heard of reverse parking? The city of Austin is implementing these parking places in a few areas of town where the traffic is heavy. In case you haven't heard of this, stay with me here. The slots are angled away from the direction the driver is proceeding. To reverse park, the driver pulls forward past the slot, then backs into it. Now you tell me—if many drivers cannot park driving forward into a clearly marked straight slot, how will he ever learn this procedure? Backing up is very difficult for many people. And how many people will stop before the space to allow the driver to back in? Try imagine the number of rear-end accidents.
The city is already issuing tickets. Why? One, for pulling into a reverse spot head first. The driver is going the opposite direction, on the far side of the road, but still, he crosses the lane and pulls in. I couldn't keep from laughing.
SCHOOL ZONES—We have a small private elementary school out here in our subdivision. The parents drive in at 40+ mph, right up to the school to allow their child to get out. From the main road to the school there is a sign warning drivers to slow to 20 mph because a school is just ahead. Why did the county come out and post this sign? Because the parents were complaining about the residents out here driving too fast by the school.
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SUPERMARKET SHOPPERS—Why do some shoppers (okay, it's always a woman) stand docilely while the checker scans her groceries, and when she sees the total, she moves a few feet to retrieve her purse from the cart, bring it back to the counter, open it and find…her checkbook. Slowly, but surely, she finds a blank check, but returns to her purse to search for a pen. Pen in hand, she carefully writes the check…always reviewing the total a few times first, though. Before she hands the check to the checker, she must record the total, tear out the check, return the pen and checkbook to her purse, then…give the check to the checker.
Friends, this is enough for now. I haven't posted pet peeves for a long time, and I promise to be nicer and more patient if I possibly can.
Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com/
http://www.celiayeary.com/
http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com/
You made me laugh, Celia. Can we share annoyances? Psycho soccer moms driving Hummers 10 miles over the speed limit, one hand holding a latte and the other a mobile phone. OK, that doesn't annoy me--what does is being stuck in traffic when they rear-end someone.
ReplyDeleteI got a kick outof your post today, Celia.
ReplyDeleteOne of my pet peeves: drivers who pass you in a dangerous zone, then slam on their brakes and turn.
Jacquie
Keena--oh, I have a much longer list, and your gripe is on there. I know exactly what you mean! It's universal.We live a midsize university town with 30,000 students. When the hit town in the fall, fender-benders increase about 20 times. We drive very carefully in town, and I cannot tell you how many near misses I've seen because some coed or guy broke some law by texting or dialing a phone. Grrr. Celia (I like your term-"psycho soccer moms."
ReplyDeleteCelia--these are too funny. In Ft. Lauderdale, the nice old people drive at 25 miles/h or under, annoying my hubby, or at 80 miles/h scaring the hell out of me. In both cases, the highways are becoming my nightmare.
ReplyDeleteJacquie--Huh-huh....I hear you. Same here, and it happens way too often. They can put their own lives in danger, but do not put mine. The highways are a menace. Celia
ReplyDeleteMONA--funny. I don't know which causes the most danger. Really. Celia
ReplyDeleteCelia, Your picture of the parking hog was priceless. Not only can't the jerk park straight in, he apparently can't read, either. COMPACT :)
ReplyDeleteMona mintioned the old people. I'm directly across the state from her in Ft. Myers, we suffer the same thing during season. The Northerners recently left for the summer, though...ah, heaven!
Father's Day I took Bob out to dinner. Driving on 41, a main artery down this side of the state, I swear I could have pulled my pistol and shot down the road and not hit a thing. It was deserted! Did I mention heaven? LOL
Oh, love this! It's all too true! Yes, I'm pretty much paranoid now about getting on the highway. Either the other drivers are on meth, or texting, or talking on a cell phone, or watching a movie!
ReplyDeleteRemember the good old days when all we worried about was careless drivers holding a cigarette in their "free" hand???
Joyce--we feel the same way here but we deal with university students. 30,000 students added to a town of 54,000 permanent residents--figure that out. We take our lives in our hands when we drive to the grocery store. Celia
ReplyDeleteMiss Mae--Exactly. Oh, I do remember the days when there were more smokers and saw that. It seems most people can't only drive--they need to do something else along with it. Celia
ReplyDeleteHi Celia. You are right on with your pet peeves. The cell phone/testing seems to be the biggest threat on the road these days. Who pays attention to driving? And car seats for kids in the back??? What mom is going to keep her eyes on the road when a kid screams or chokes or something back there????
ReplyDeleteThat's TEXTING not testing. It's morning and I'm now awake yet.
ReplyDeleteSo funny Celia. But sadly sooo true! My big pet peeve is those drivers who drive backwards through parking lots. Esp when there's arrows directing you to the proper one. Worse is when they look at you (whose going the right way) like you've committed a huge sin by blocking their wrong path!
ReplyDeleteWhen my youngest dd was 16 she left school one day crossing the (student and pickup/dropoff) parking lot. She got to the end where traffic comes off the street in the one way row with friends. A woman picking up her son decided to get out of the congested parking lot faster by going out the 'in' gate (that's even what she told campus police!). In her idiocy and while talking on a cell with a dog in her lap- she ran over my dd's foot knocking her to the pavement. If that's not bad enough, she stopped with the tire still on top of dd's foot and yelled out the window at her (as my dd lay screaming with a huge Suburban on her)- You need to watch where you're going! Get out of the road!- Dd's friends yelled for her to get off her foot so the woman pulled forward and then backed back over her foot! Thankfully my dd didn't even have a cracked bone. God was definitely with her that day! We sued the idiot, got a small settlement and she still drove backwards out of the parking lot every day afterward.
Some people should not be allowed to drive!
You never cease to amuse me, Celia. I think you actually could have ranted more about obnoxious people in their cars, parking and speed zones just being a small part of the big annoying picture of drivers who think the rules don't apply. I was going 24 mph in a school zone when the guy behind me decided to pass, on a yellow line no less, and sped away at 40mph. I wanted a policeman to see it but, of course, none were there because of budget cuts.
ReplyDeleteOh. I was turning right when I had to stop because a couple and their kids were walking across the street. While I waited, the driver behind me must have thought I just stopped for my own amusement, so he beeped his horn, roared his engine and sped around me only to smack on his brakes to keep from hitting two small children. Again, no policeman but at least I felt vindicated. There should be a device that keeps jerks from getting into the driver's seat. There would probably be a whole lot less traffic if there was such a thing.
Great post, Celia. See. Now I got a chance to rant, too. LOL
A very timely post, Celia, as yesterday I got back to my car to find someone had parked so close that, even if I'd been as slim as I was in my teens (which I'm not!) I wouldn't have been able to get in the driver's door. Had to wait around until, ten minutes later, a young man came back to his van which was parked nearby. He helped me to roll back my car until the driver's door cleared the back of offending car and I could then get the door open. I was SO mad! How can people be so selfish and inconsiderate??
ReplyDeleteLINDA--you know, I always thought the idea of keeping children in the back sear in car seats weren't such a great idea, either--for the reasons you just mentioned. Remember when we had no seat belts, and your little one sat up front, and if you had to stop suddenly, you threw out your arm to hold the little darling from hitting the floor? Worked every time. Thanks, Linda, for reminding me of that. Celia
ReplyDeleteCALISA--what??? I cannot believe this woman! I'm incensed for you. It's good that you sued--she should have had her head examined. She's the sort, obviously, that does not learn a lesson if she's still doing it. Egad. Celia
ReplyDeleteSARAH--don't those behind you always think you're stopping just because you want to? Goodness, the gall of some people. It was a lucky day that those children did not get hit. That guy should be on his knees saying thank you that he did not kill someone.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, at least half the people in cars believe the rules don't apply to them.
Celia
PAULA--this also happens in the UK? I thought you all over there were all polite and nice! Really, I didn't realize Americans weren't the only crazy people behind the wheel. Oh, I forgot about Rome and Paris and Mexico....hmmmm...I guess it's worldwide.
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to you has also happened to me!
Celia
Celia, you have just reminded me of the throw the arm across the passenger seat. I STILL do that after all these years. I've smacked my husband across his chest many times on the way to FL or back. And I even do this when no one is in the passenger. That safety reflex just can't be unlearned by me!
ReplyDeleteOooops, that's passenger SEAT up there. It's mid-afternoon now so I have no excuse. I AM awake. But I did stay awake too late last night finishing WISH FOR THE MOON by Celia Yeary. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it to one and all.
ReplyDeleteLINDA--you crack me up. Yes, I've done that, too, before we had those units that take up the entire middle of the front. Thanks for the plug for Wish for the Moon!! Yeah! Celia
ReplyDeleteExcellent post, Celia, and I am with Miss Mae! I hope you share more pet peeves in the future. I have been thinking of doing a similar post myself. Just haven't gotten annoyed enough to write it :)
ReplyDeleteI don't know how I missed this yesterday, oh wait, it was a Friday, no wonder, but anyway, this is a hoot. I enjoyed reading about your rants. Parking and school zones and women who laboriously wait til the last minute to write out a check at the grocery store.
ReplyDeleteI loved how you presented the material and the images you selected to go along with the post, Celia. You are a blogger supreme!
Maggie
Gol-l-l-e-e-e! Celia, you covered a lot. Haven't heard of the reverse parking, but it sounds like whomever came up with it is shy a few marbles.
ReplyDeleteThe first one--parking crooked in a space--is a pet peeve of mine. Worst part is you get the blame if you park next to them since you must park as far away as possible to prevent hitting his door when you get out.
Then ole Joe comes waltzing out with his son while you are getting into your car and snarls, "Would ya' look at that, boy? Stupid women drivers!" LOL.
LIANA--I bet all of us could write a good pet peeve blog! There's such a long list! Celia
ReplyDeleteMAGGIE--thanks for the new title. I love it. Truth--this silly blog is what keeps me sane. I love it--it's a quick way to do something creative. Celia
ReplyDeleteLAUREN--that's right? The bad parker makes us look like the guilty ones. I knew that--I'll drive around and around to find a spot to avoid parking in one wrong--because that next guy is going to think just that! Ouch.I'm so glad you made it over--thanks. Celia
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the Austin requirement is to raise more money in fines. Here in Benbrook they are always trying to find ways of raising money and I got a ticket one time for speeding. In fact the location/address was where I stopped and turned left. I contested it and while in court the officer said the address wasn't correct and the judge allowed him to change the address on the ticket to an area that didn't have a stop sign!
ReplyDeleteThat was hysterical! The parking thing really gets me too. I had a friend with a large vehicle who I used to tease all the time about her parking. And her response was...wait for it..."well my vehicle is so big!" And I would say "if its too big for you to park, then its to big for you to drive." That really got her going. LOL.
ReplyDelete