elbeeca- traffic is relatively light around 6:30-7am. I hope you all get to see the blossoms!

We might go back Sat. or Sun.

When I was age 7 to 14, my family lived in Washington, DC. We, as a family, always walked to see the cherry blossoms, and also to the White House for the Easter Egg Roll. On July 4th we took blankets and picnic food and watched the fireworks. I'm saying that really to say this: In those days, DC was safe for all of us children (we were a large family. I was the youngest) to go any where we wanted to go. I am very appreciative of having had that experience. Times have changed.

As a person who works retail:. Customers that expect me to know what product they should use. 99% of people own computers and cell phones and have access to Google. I stock the store. I'm not educated on the 50,000 items in the store. I out the receipt in your hand. As long as you get it, I don't care what you do with it. 50% of customers want it in their wallet. You can throw it in your bag if that's where you want it. People who phone the store for a price. Then they want a ton of information about the pride t they want the price in. Again:. Use Google. We are not your personal shoppers.

Excuse the typos. I'm on my phone and didn't proof read. ;)

Two comments:

- Much tailgating is caused by what some call "road boulders". Every driver can decide what speed they wish to drive at, but when you see a line of cars stacked up behind you, realize that you don't have the right to decide what speed others should drive at. Someone tailgating may be expressing their frustration or desire that you let them pass. That's the easiest solution - move over to a slower lane (that's also in vehicle codes) or pull into a turnout to let others pass. In my area, tickets are rarely given for less than 5-10 mph over the posted limit anyway unless the driving was unsafe or inappropriate for conditions.

-Retail questions. Debby, I think some may be asking thinking that maybe you've heard customers or colleagues talking about differences between product choices. If you answer "I really haven't heard anything about one or the other", that should end it. Take it as a compliment, not as an annoyance or a waste of your time. There are many places in retail experience - a meat counter, fish counter, produce department, shoe store, etc., where people DO expect the worker helping them can add information. If that isn't the case for you, so be it.

No Snidley I know what the customers are asking. A straight forward question of "what shampoo should I use" is one I can not and will not answer. I am not a hair dresser. I will not recommend anything as I don't know what is good for your hair. I will not say what others use. Why? Your hair may not be the same as others and it won't work for you. Legally I can't give any medical advice to customers and send them to the pharmacist who legally can recommend otc products. But some customers don't want to bother the pharmacist and want me, a grade 11 drop out who stock shelves, to give advice. :)

Thanks for the "road boulders", Snidely, never heard of that term, but it's apt for me as my pet peeve is getting stuck behind one on a long road where there is no passing. On the rare occasion when someone's on my tail, I just put on my right blinker when there is a clear stretch ahead, which allows the person in a hurry to pass.

Debbie, you could simply smile and say "I really don't know, but we do sell a lot of 'X'". (if it's true!)

Pharmacists in the US can't give medical advice. Drug advice, yes. Discussing OTC products probably isn't considered drug advice (no license or prescript needed to buy them) unless a customer is asking about interactions or contraindications.

I worked retail too when younger, though likely not with anywhere near the years of experience you have. I thought of my job as being partly a social worker, partly a school teacher (for all the really dumb questions), partly a shoulder to cry on. I enjoyed it for the diversity of people and questions, maybe you're suffering from what in Silicon Valley is called "cumulative toxic effect". Maybe you've been doing it too long, lost the glow of the better parts of the job.

Roll with the punches, they don't know (or care) if you're having a great day or a lousy one. Make the time pass by engaging with and enjoying your customers. They're not an annoyance or distraction, they're the reason why you have a job.

"In stores people who leave their cart right smack in the middle of the
aisle blocking everything while they are spaced out reading a label or
whatever."

That ^^ and those that abandon leave their cart in the middle of the aisle and shop at the other end or the next aisle, blocking the path for everyone else that's trying to get down the aisle.

I've been known to toss a few "extra" items in those carts. Happened to me once in the pharmacy area. I picked up a box of condoms off the shelf and dropped them in the abandoned cart. Ironically, I was in line to check out behind this person. She was quite surprised when she was putting stuff on the belt to pay.

LOL at pudgeder! Did you manage to keep a straight face?

I will have to remember that to put something extra in the "blocked" basket. ON Saturday I had to move someone's cart out of the way at Costco so everyone else behind me could get through the aisle. The nerve of some people!!

What irks me is parking lots and people are walking right behind you in your blind spot same with some idiot roaring full speed ahead in parking spot and I just happened to be trying to back up and saw a blur in the corner and went yikes, that could have been an accident to happen. They walk along like they own the world and in their own world and its up to your so not hit them.

I don't like loud music in restaurants and have young ones working laugh at me when I asked them to turn it down low or off completely and I do not feel like screaming at someone and I will walk out and not go back there.

And yes at this mall and all the stores had loud music playing in each one and I refuse to go in them then, it turns me off faster then anything that.

Grocery stores, the problem is they are constantly moving stuff for whatever reason and crazy it is as where I live tons of seniors and you just get to know the lay out and then its like where is such and such and some aisles I don't go down and they moved them to those aisles for whatever reasons, unreal that is. Yes, well I am not afraid to move carts out of the way and will shout if they don't move, excuse me and push the cart so I can get by and they don't like it some but who cares I am not going to spend hours waiting for them. I try to get my cart out of the way or leave it at the end of the aisle to not bother anyone.

And yes, I don't like having it all handed together and its hard to balance change and paper money or receipts and now they know I like it in the bag some of them and will put it or ask which I like even better. And its like where can you without being pushed out time to put your money, card, change, whatever you paid with away??????

I chat with cashiers while they are ringing me up or loading up my groceries and yet some due to being alot of elderly who are lonely and they know them and some will chat for long time with them and you are waiting and waiting, I will wait but at times its like enough is enough is enough, lets go but you bite your tongue knowing the reason why.

And those who will put alot of groceries on 10 items and less and you are like what? I have asked when there is no one behind me and its like sure and its like about two items over and the other lines the people have tons in their carts and I will wait at times but sometimes its like no one is in that line and I will go and ask.

What I also don't like is why do they have to have such high shelves where you can't reach and seems to be always what I want or really on the bottom way in the back shelf and I get so lightheaded now and have to be careful to bend down then come up really slowly. They aren't helpful.

Seems too, many times I need help and its like hello where is everyone, one time they all went on break it seems as only the butcher was around and cashiers and I had to go and ask for help at cashier.

Other stores you can't get rid of people and I keep telling them I am looking and it distracts me and many times I just walk out then as I want to see what is there and not there and choose on my own. If I need help will ask someone and then of course there isn't anyone around then.

And I don't like those department stores where we don't take those items, they must be done in that department, there is no one there and then go there and its like crazy, this is really crazy do they want our business or not?

People who not only ignore "please don't take my picture" but then proceed to post it on social media and tag you. What part of don't take my picture don't they understand?

watchmelol, you can actually sue someone for posting your picture on social media without your permission. I just read an article talking about how people that are posting their children's photos on FB etc. could actually be sued by the child because they don't have permission.

After reading these comments, some of which hit a nerve, I want to say what I have learned in order not to be a grouchy old lady. DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF!!!!

Our pharmacists can recommend anything that is over the counter. They ask a slew of questions just like a dr would: are you diabetic, do you have high bp? Stuff like that. Then they ask about your symptoms and then show you what you should take. Odds are the person will put the bottle back the pharmacist recomended and will buy the bottle of Nyquil that internet friends said worked for them. Then a week later, we will see that person come back with a prescription from their doctor. :) Our pharmacists can't recommend RX drugs, but they can write prescriptions for them. I do believe it's only for drugs you are currently on but you've run out and can't get in to see your doctor. Not all pharmacists can do this. There is a course and exams to pass to do that. It's a new thing here. I'll post a picture of our shampoo aisle later for you to understand why I send customers to a salon to talk to a stylist about what shampoos they should use. First, I send them to the salon because the stylists have taken the courses to know what is right for your hair. Again, the staff in our store didn't. I won't say what worked for Mrs. Jones. I've also had people ask me "what shampoo has xxx in it?" How would I know? Google. I am not tired of my job. What I am tired of is, people thinking I should know everything about everything that's in the store. I can walk you to products. I've even taken customers into the back room to use our computer to find a store that carries the product you're looking for. It's called "going the extra mile".

Wow. I'm glad that I do as seniorgal recommends and "don't sweat the small stuff." Some of you get worked up over the smallest, most trivial, inconveniences.

The topic of this post is about small irritating things and I don't sweat them, but I do get irked when some things occur ... like when a package says "tear here" and nothing happens, or a sticky label on a tshirt leaves a residue, etc. I'm just glad that I'm not the only one annoyed at these things.

You know what irks me right now? Reading the holier-than-thou judgement posted above.

No one is going to lose their mind over the small stuff, but we can say things that we're thinking without having fingers pointed at us. It's all fun, not serious and certainly not worthy of criticism for just being HUMAN.

I'm finding a lot of amusing posts on this thread!

I've always heard that the burden is lighter if you share it, and I think that is sometimes true. I'm feeling ambivalent about this thread, one person invites sharing, then others seem to mock as trivial our viewpoints and feelings when we do share.

No one should feel judged or invalidated on this thread. I've had several things running through my mind that I thought I'd post here, just to unburden myself and maybe give a few chuckles at my foibles.

I was going to post something similar but then deleted it. The purpose of The Kitchen Table is to share anything that you want, no matter how trivial.

One time I posted a personal situation about whether or not to attend a party. It was something that BOTHERED me! One poster shrugged it off and advised me to either go or not, not important enough to discuss here!

Where does the conversation go from there? We all need to read and follow what the OP is asking. "Small things that drive you crazy" not for an opinion of whether the post is worthwhile or not.

All of the above...and more!

Jeez....this is just a lighthearted post about "the little things". We all have little things that bug us. It's fun to comment on them here. For those of you who think that we're making mountains out of molehills, read it again. Or don't read it and SOB. Nobody is making these things big; we're just connecting about the small, irritating stuff.

It doesn't change or ruin our lives; it's just annoying. Are you so gratuitous that nothing annoys you? If so, you're lyin'.

That's the easiest solution - move over to a slower lane (that's also in
vehicle codes) or pull into a turnout to let others pass.

Nope! I only get tailgated in rush hour traffic. They're morons. Everyone wants the person in front of them to go faster. Duh! It's what causes accidents, tailgaiting with nowhere to go. I'm not moving. Go around me if you think it'll benefit you. Or, Good Luck with that! That's what irritates me.

I don't know what kind of rush hour traffic you deal with - if it's bumper to bumper and you allow no more than a few car lengths ahead of you, they I agree with you. If you're in the fast lane doing 65 and the car in front of you is a quarter mile ahead and the gap is increasing, pull over.

Pick your battles. A freeway isn't the place to demonstrate your personal rights and individual liberties. That's what leads to unfortunate road rage incidents.

It's always bumper to bumper. Nashville's two hot button issues in the election were traffic and rising housing costs. I was more indicating their mindset, so no worries snidely! ;) They really do expect people to get out of their way? Craziness. It aint happenin'

Duh! It's what causes accidents, tailgaiting with nowhere to go. I'm not moving.

********

Oh, another pet peeve-being a passenger in a car where the driver is tailgating constantly. Turns my knuckles white.

Here's another- ladies who refuse to sit and pee, and hover over the toilet leaving it nice and wet with their urine. Sit down! You won't get cooties! Make a TP cover! If you hover, clean up!

It's so gross.

Whew ;-)

mimipadv, Yes! everyone who hovers should be sentenced to sitting in pee every time they sit...anywhere for 5 years! I not only have to sit on those seats of disgust, but because of much leg and back weakness, use my hands on that seat to get into the sitting position and back upright. And please ladies if you are able to use the regular stalls, don't use the handicapped stall.

And while I am at it, why is the handicapped stall always the furthest one from the entry door to the restroom....and why on earth is that entry door to the restroom so damn heavy/stiff. A real problem to get through one while using a walker or a cane or if one is just a little feeble.

Stop making excuses for tailgaters. The set-up: 5:30am, split four lane road. The nearest crossroad is 1/3 mile away. There are only two cars in sight, mine and the driver right up on my tail. I am driving the speed limit. There is no sane reason the tailgater cannot move into the left lane and pass me. Yet it happens regularly, and it isn't the same vehicle or driver.

If I turn on my blinker and try to move into the left lane to get out of their way, sure as can be that will be the instant they wake up enough so that they decide to zip around me and I have to swerve back into the right lane to prevent an accident.

In California we are not allowed to use the left lane to pass during commute time unless we have a carpool. On many highways there is light traffic during the time because it is a reverse commute. However solo drivers cannot use the near empty commute lane. The road boulders stay in the middle lane and the entrance ramps are close enough together to make passing on the right not a very wise option. So we are stuck behind the idiot who decides it's ok to drive below the speed limit.

Then there are the greenies in their hybrid cars who are allowed to use the commute lane because they are "saving the environment". However they choose to drive at around fifty miles per hour in the fast/commute lane while they stare at their fuel consumption gauge on the dash rather than pay attention to the vehicles around them and the long line of vehicles behind them. Ugh.

Sorry, ladies, I ain't sittin'. I'm not about to put my butt where many other women have put theirs. And I don't "sprinkle" or wet the seat. If I do happen to drip a bit, then I take a hunk of TP and wipe the seat before I leave. Those that don't wipe the seat before they leave are the offenders.

As far as not moving over if someone is on your tail, well, it depends upon which lane you're in. If you're on a 4 lane highway and you're going the speed limit, you do NOT belong in either of the left 2 lanes. Maybe not even the 3 left lanes. (BTW, I don't tailgate - but I know enough to be in the correct lane according to my speed and the speed of others on the road). If you're going more slowly than the traffic behind you, and if people are going around you, move over for Heaven's sake. You are also the cause of many accidents.

In WI, the traffic laws are different from CA's...so my pet peeve happens to be the idiots who like to play "traffic cop" and drive the speed limit (or less) in the passing lane, bollocksing things up for the rest of us. And yeah...this happens in rush hour traffic, on my way home.

People who take forever to change lanes. It takes one second to turn your wheel and get your whole car into the other lane. Especially if it's a turn only lane. I'm not talking about people who are waiting for the lane to get clear to safely get over. I am talking about the idiots who feel like they have to make a whole performance out of slowly inching their car over the line to get over when the lane or exit is clear. Or even if you're trying to get ahead of me. Get over and get out of the way or get in front of me and get moving. That's why people get rammed in the back.

Well, speaking of traffic gripes, what gets me the most is when people (in cars) loom too close and/or honk, without bothering to look and see that I can't go because there's a law against it (e.g., no turn on red) or an old lady crossing the street, or traffic with right of way coming too fast/close.

A near second are people who are so anxious to get somewhere fast that they endanger the whole street zipping around and speeding, and then just spend the same amount of time waiting at the light as they would have driving sanely.

Just hold your horses in town, and calm down. Flailing all over the place won't get you there any faster.

little bug-- regarding the addition to the grocery cart, yes, she look rather bemused. On the other hand, I had a hard time not cracking up. :D

Okay, my pet peeve is...

People that do SLOPPY work, when I know they can do better. As a for instance, my husband had a friend that, at the beginning of a job, his work was flawless. He did construction type work. When he neared the end of a job, it was just plain sloppy. An example is my kitchen. He applied formica to the counter tops, cabinets, etc. It went good until he did the last thing he was doing, the application of formica to the edges of the counter tops. It is cut crooked and he didn't apply enough or the proper glue, as the pieces are all coming loose and I actually had to secure them with tape until I can get it corrected properly. I had advised my husband not to allow him to do the work (due to previous bad experiences) but he had him do it anyway, and this was the result.

How about those people that can't wait another few seconds at a stop sign/light without pulling out in front of you, then can't even bother to get up to speed.

But speaking about tailgaters, I had a car ride my tail for several miles until finally I slowed way down so that he could pass. Well, he didn't pass but soon turned off. Tailgaters make me nervous.

A lot of the freeway problems some of you have, I don't experience. But 2 lane country roads can be harrowing as well!

Ugh, tailgaters are some of the worst drivers out there. Not only do they follow dangerously close on the 2 way 55 mph country roads out here, they are also likely to be the ones who cut me off in town as they have seemingly no gauge on what "safe traveling distance" is.

Hey jerkwad, the reason there is a car length or 2 between me and the car in front of me on this busy 45 mph road in town is NOT so you can suddenly slide into that spot with no warning, causing me to brake hard to maintain a safe distance between our vehicles.

If you had bothered to put on your turn signal, I would have slowed down enough to allow you to SAFELY merge between our vehicles!

Speaking of turn signals, that is probably my biggest peeve. Why are you slowing down, why are you slowing down? Is there an obstruction I can't see, are the lanes merging, should I go around you, what?!? Oh, your turning...thanks for the heads up!

At least my husband has found a way to get me to laugh in these situations. I usually am audibly saying the above and hubby will say "oh honey, they don't need to use their turn signal...they KNOW where they're going!!"

Don't you know, direction signals are for OTHER PEOPLE! HAHA!

The tailgating is not a small thing though. When you are involved in a wreck, there's nothing small about it even if it's just a fender bender where no one is hurt. Losing a car to an idiot on the road threw our lives upside down. We had a great car that was well cared for and PAID FOR and we had planned to have it forever, or until the wheels fell off. Well Mr. Bad Luck (comes knocking again) had other plans for us.

DH was driving on the NJ turnpike a few years back. This woman was riding up our ass, flashing her lights. He couldn't pull over to the right immediately, and when he could, she managed to pass us on the right.

As she passed, she pointed her hand like a gun and mimicked shooting us.

Am I a bad person that I hoped that she die of a heart attack sometime soon?

A lot of the freeway problems some of you have, I don't experience. But 2 lane country roads can be harrowing as well!

********

Yes! Worse! Drivers who are familiar with country roads, every hill, twist, turn and narrow bridge get outraged by those who are showing restraint. I've had my worst scares by idiots like this.

They are the first to cross solid lines to pass, putting you in danger when they can't make it.

Too true, Mimipadv! Even in town, when a wide twisty street has a low traffic moment, locals start speeding up and zipping around well past the limits of safety, just because they can. It doesn't matter how well they know every curve, and how much the engineers have done to make it safer in general, they end up crashing through the guardrails.

Another traffic peeve of mine, which I've mentioned before, is people who ride their brakes going down mountains and creep along with a huge tail, rather than downshifting and driving normally, and using turnouts to let the tails go by. It may be an automatic transmission, but learn what the 2 and 1 are for, for heaven's sake!

I totally agree about tailgaters...so annoying!

It's funny, I live on Long Island, where the traffic is decidedly horrendous, but people are generally VERY polite and try to let you in no matter what. They even slow down so much to do so, it's a bit annoying to the drivers behind them. I actually can't think of a situation where the other drivers were rude. This is probably because our traffic is so slow, it doesn't matter much if they slow down.

You know what drives me up the wall? Listening to people eat. Smacking food, slurping food, crunching chips. Especially when they put the potato chip in their mouth and then crunch down on the before closing their mouth. WHYYYY??? People do that with popcorn too. Put the chip/popcorn/noisy food in your mouth, close your mouth, then crunch. It muffles the noise and makes me not want to bop you on the head as much.... I've actually put my lunch away at work several times, when some people are in there eating their food and sounding like pigs.

Also, there is this guy helping us out in the store. He's okay, but holy smokes does his breath smell! He was talking to me yesterday and I tried to back away so I could inhale but he moved closer and I thought I was going to die. I don't know the last time he brushed his teeth, he's a smoker and the breath..... OMG.... It's why I chew gum often: makes the smell of my coffee and food go away. Or maybe it adds to the smell. Nobody has ever said... lol Could be why people back off when I talk. Maybe I'm on to something here. ;)

I just thought of something that drives me crazy...weeds that weren't there yesterday!

Ha ha debby

Debby, one of my friends (and her teen son) has that aversion to eating sounds and she educated me about the condition. I hope you aren't offended by the profanity in this link, but I can't edit it out and I think it's a good (and pretty funny description). If it offends, I'll edit the whole link out.
Noise sensitivity

Mouldy strawberries or raspberries at the Metro store near my house. What is wrong with their produce manager? I want to buy the berries but almost every container has a mouldy berry. I have complained many times to the manager about the rotten fruit. Another thing that drives me crazy is when someone stirs their tea or coffee and hits the side of the mug and they keep stirring and stirring. I used to reach over to stop my brother from stirring his tea. How many times do you need to stir haha