Subdude Posted October 25, 2004 Share Posted October 25, 2004 What really drives you nuts? You know you want to get it off your chest! OK I'll start: Telephone "customer service" lines designed to keep you from ever actually speaking to a human being. I just got off trying to get some loan information. Never got it. They just leave you on hold and a recording suggests you try looking on the internet, but that they really value my business. Grrr... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaTrain Posted October 25, 2004 Share Posted October 25, 2004 What really drives you nuts? You know you want to get it off your chest! OK I'll start: Telephone "customer service" lines designed to keep you from ever actually speaking to a human being. I just got off trying to get some loan information. Never got it. They just leave you on hold and a recording suggests you try looking on the internet, but that they really value my business. Grrr...<{POST_SNAPBACK}>First I do agree about customer service lines, Subdude. Just to slide halway off topic a little, IMO in addition to METRO having problems and such, they also have a problem with their METROLine system. On the weekends during the day, it is busy -- waiting time on average is 20 minutes. Their website also has problems because three times I tried setting up a trip planner but they do not even bother to respond at all.Now what gets on my nerves is when little kids who play around way too much. Before I moved out here from Austin to go to college here, I had to chase my little brother and sister (3 and 5 years) around the house so much until I got tired of dealing with them at times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midtown_resident Posted October 25, 2004 Share Posted October 25, 2004 I can't stand it when you call a cell phone and the voicemail system system give you options before letting you leave a message...i.e. your friend says "sorry i'm not hear to take your call...please leave a message" and then the system goes on for a bit telling you to hit 1 for this, 5 for this, 9 for this etc....i HATE those instructions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UrbaNerd Posted October 26, 2004 Share Posted October 26, 2004 I cannot stand people! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CheetoPuff Posted October 26, 2004 Share Posted October 26, 2004 Houston drivers, especially the ones that don't use signals and just assume they rule the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpaceCity Posted October 26, 2004 Share Posted October 26, 2004 Houston drivers, especially the ones that don't use signals and just assume they rule the road.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>Word. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssullivan Posted October 30, 2004 Share Posted October 30, 2004 People who post on this board who can't spell and use such incorrect grammar it makes understanding their posts a real chore.People waiting to get on an elevator or MetroRail who rush to get on as soon as the door opens without letting those who are trying to get off do so first.Red light runners.People who block an intersection with their car when the light a block ahead of them turns red and they can't move. This just makes traffic worse and is illegal. You aren't supposed to enter an intersection unless you can completely clear it. I don't care if the light is yellow and about to turn red. Why are you so special that you hold up dozens of other people to get to your destination 30 seconds faster?Drivers who use a shoulder or lane that is moving to cut ahead of a lane that is leading to an exit ramp that is backed up. Then at the last second they slam on their brakes and try to cut back into the exit ramp. This not only makes congestion worse, it's inconsiderate (again, why are you so special you can't be patient and wait like everyone else), and it's dangerous as hell. I almost hit one of these assholes on the west loop the other day when he slammed on his brakes and tried to cut back into the ramp to the Southwest Freeway that was backed up.Tow trucks racing to the scene of an accident. At least the mayor's new towing plan seems to have helped this one.Drivers who don't use turn signals.At this point maybe I should just say "most Houston drivers."Bus riders sitting in the back of the bus who refuse to use the back door to exit at their stop, and then try to squeeze past the people who are getting on as they are paying their fares. Have we not learned what that back door is for?Parents who bring young children to movies that are made for adults and inappropriate for little kids. Yesterday I went to see Saw and had to listen to a five year old screaming throughout much of the movie. A child of that age shouldn't be in a film like that, and it's very inconsiderate of the parents to bring a screaming kid into a movie with other people. Hire a babysitter! If you can't find one, then don't go to a movie made for adults -- go see a kiddie flick. People who don't turn off cell phones in movie theaters rank up there too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted October 30, 2004 Share Posted October 30, 2004 People who post on this board who can't spell and use such incorrect grammar it makes understanding their posts a real chore. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Gee? You sayin' I'm not literate? Ricco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssullivan Posted October 30, 2004 Share Posted October 30, 2004 Their website also has problems because three times I tried setting up a trip planner but they do not even bother to respond at all.I've had this problem too. Sometimes I request a trip and have a response within 24 hours; other times I never get anything.I think the entire Metro website is pretty crappy, especially compared to public transit websites for other cities. Not only is the site ugly, it does nothing to take advantage of existing technologies that could make the site much more useful. Why can't we have live, online trip planning? What about next bus technology on key routes that gives you live predictions of when the next bus will arrive at a certain stop, based on current conditions?Here are a few sites to compare Metro's website to. Check them out.San Francisco MUNIBay Area Rapid Transit District (BART)Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART)VIA Metropolitan Transit (San Antonio)Washington (DC) Metropolitan Area Transit AuthorityMetropolitan Transit Authority (New York)And a service available in select cities in ten states that offers online predictions of when the next bus will arrive at a selected stop on a route.NextBusWhy can't we have these features in Houston when much smaller cities have them? Why can't I use my cell phone's Internet capabilities to find out how much longer I'll wait for a bus when I'm standing at a stop?I use Metro quite a bit and generally find the service to be good and reliable, although it does have its bad moments. I just wish they'd make better use of technology to make the system more user-friendly. It might even increase ridership if people found the system easier to use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssullivan Posted October 30, 2004 Share Posted October 30, 2004 Gee? You sayin' I'm not literate? Ricco Not you Ricco. I'll refrain from naming names. But it shouldn't be hard to find examples of what I'm talking about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbigtex56 Posted October 30, 2004 Share Posted October 30, 2004 Practically anything having to do with cell phones. The most obvious example is people who drive while talking on their cell phone. This includes you. People think it doesn't impair their ability to drive. Maybe these are the same people who swear they're OK to drive after six cocktails, too. Other states have made driving while using cell phones illegal. It's time Texas followed suit. People who bring cell phones to lectures, concerts, movies, the theater, church, etc. and leave their ringers on should be flogged. Those who answer and talk should be shot. Why do people think that shouting into their cell phones somehow makes their connection better? The other day I could not hear the clerk in a convenience store because the woman behind me was screaming inane remarks into her damn phone. It used to be if you were walking down the street, and someone spoke, it meant either: (a) they're talking to you, or ( they're crazy. Now, with these hands-free devices, people prattle away, oblivious to their surroundings and totally indifferent to how distracting it may be to those around them. On a very serious note, talking while going about your business can have tragic consequences. Twice in the past year, there have been news reports about young women who were abducted while chatting away on their cell phones. Their abductors doubtlessly noticed that they weren't paying attention to their surroundings. They were killed. How many more have been raped or mugged? People who try to operate those tiny keypads while driving, jogging, eating, making love or whatever seem to dial an awful lot of wrong numbers. I used to get maybe one wrong number a month; now it's practically a daily occurance. Hey, thanks for wasting my time! Cell phones are much like going to the bathroom. Take a moment to be considerate, and don't do it in public. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted October 30, 2004 Author Share Posted October 30, 2004 Ah, quite the comprehensive cell phone vent, dbig! You're right, the worst are the hands-free headsets. For some reason, people seem to compensate with those by talking very loudly. I would also add people who talk on the phones in the restroom. I just find it kind of gross. Once I was at a movie and a woman behind me was talking on her phone during the movie ("Oh, I'm at the movie theater. What about you?"). I thought my head was going to explode. ssulivan also hit a nail on the head with the drivers who avoid a backup at an exit ramp by driving to the front of the line in an adjacent lane, and then cutting in. In those situations I maturely react by making sure they don't cut in front of me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted October 30, 2004 Share Posted October 30, 2004 Well, I remember sitting on the bus a number of weeks ago and sat down to this woman having a conversation. I was slightly annoyed by the matter. I mean, the nerve! She was talking about some really personal things. But I was polite and ignored her. As I got up I looked back at her, and realized (to my horror!) she didn't have a cell phone! In regards to the "line cutters" I've been tempted to do what one guy I met did: Cut in front of them. But I'm sure most of you remember that story so I won't repeat it. Ricco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssullivan Posted October 31, 2004 Share Posted October 31, 2004 I would also add people who talk on the phones in the restroom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debmartin Posted October 31, 2004 Share Posted October 31, 2004 with regards to metro, i am totally disgusted by the rudeness displayed by riders of park & ride. some of the best dressed and educated business associates of downtown are the most inconsiderate riders. i often board at the transit center and used to walk all the way to the back of the bus to find a seat. even then i was forced to ask someone to move their belongings to make the seat available. these people think they have a right to both seats! i know the floor must be really gross, that's why i keep my backpack in my lap. i too have used the seat next to me if it is not needed, but when the bus stops and people board and look for a place to sit, only a real jerk can just sit there and ignore it.i decided to change my approach by stopping at the first available seat. if the other rider's things are taking up the empty seat, i politely ask them to move them so i can sit. often people sit on the outside seat to discourage people like me from asking to sit, but i do not let this deter me from asking. another tactic of the seat hog is to bury their face in a book or have music turned up loud, wearing headphones with eyes closed and head down. in this case i tap them on the shoulder and point at the empty seat and they almost always release the empty seat. last week a man rudely told me he "SIMPLY MUST HAVE" the seat for his suit coat, so it would not wrinkle. i am not insensitive to riders who are overweight and may need the extra space, those who have canes/walkers or elderly passengers with bags of groceries, but i usually encounter these riders on the local buses and not the park and ride.nope, the park and ride passengers i speak of are people i see 3 or 4 times a week - riders who begin to recognize each other after a few weeks and remain inconsiderate and selfish. it's worse outbound than inbound - i've seen people stand all the way from wheeler station to hilcroft park & ride while seats are taken up with people's bull____! i'm sure i do not speak of anyone on this forum, as from what i can tell only a few here ride buses. i was thinking of going to metro with some suggestions on educating passengers about proper manners and public transportation, but not sure it would do any good and i'm tired of wasting my time on things that cannot change. most people i discuss this with tell me i'm crazy to try and use metro and should just drive again, but i'm stubborn and not ready to give up.debmartin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaTrain Posted October 31, 2004 Share Posted October 31, 2004 I would also add people who talk on the phones in the restroom. I just find it kind of gross. Once I was at a movie and a woman behind me was talking on her phone during the movie ("Oh, I'm at the movie theater. What about you?"). I thought my head was going to explode. <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Yeah, it is gross. Back in high school they have policies that do not allow cell phones to be brought anywhere on campus during school class hours, or else they'll be confiscated. I found out when I was in the restroom one day another student was talking on his cell phone. Word had it others did it too. Teachers found out about it when parents call the office to talk to their children. They got the message, went to the restroom and pulled out the cell. The teachers thought they did not call them back (that is through the phone in the office). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbigtex56 Posted October 31, 2004 Share Posted October 31, 2004 debmartin,I absolutely agree. Another trick the jerks on local buses perform is to take the sideways seat facing the rear door, and put their feet up, blocking 2 empty seats. I'm afraid someday I'm gonna cuss someone out...It's my understanding that NYC passed a law, and it's now a ticketable offense to take up more than one seat on the subway. METRO needs to do the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-Town Man Posted November 1, 2004 Share Posted November 1, 2004 I didn't work no 10 hour shift today and then sit here on this damn bus for 30 minutes to get home at 7:30 and start frying a chicken! We're going to have pork chops, macaroni and cheese, and Wonder bread or nothing at all. Now go get them pork chops out of the freezer or you can walk your self down the street to McDonald's and buy you some dinner with your own damn money, and I know you ain't got none so if you don't get them pork chops out you're just going to have to go to bed starving tonight!<{POST_SNAPBACK}>SIMOLMAO(sitting in my office, laughing my ass off) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montrose1100 Posted November 2, 2004 Share Posted November 2, 2004 When your camera jams, and the angle is just right, for that split second...Or when your internet has been down for months, and your AOL guy hasn't even called back... Or when you call them a million times to re schedule an appointment that was made almost 3 months ago...Yah, that makes me a little nutz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20sGirl Posted November 9, 2004 Share Posted November 9, 2004 Men in large trucks who bully women in small cars. Give a girl a break, guys! There's no public transportation here!People who choose sexual morality (as opposed to ethical morality) as the sole criterion for choosing the most powerful man in the world.People who claim to be for a "free market" yet oppose consumers shopping Canada for cheaper prescription drugs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssullivan Posted November 9, 2004 Share Posted November 9, 2004 People who choose sexual morality (as opposed to ethical morality) as the sole criterion for choosing the most powerful man in the world.People who claim to be for a "free market" yet oppose consumers shopping Canada for cheaper prescription drugs.Add those two to my list as well. Along with straight ticket voters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bachanon Posted November 9, 2004 Share Posted November 9, 2004 people not interested in learning more.......really bites my a**.people who don't use blinkers (especially when they can see i'm waiting on their decision).people who equate conservativism with ignorance.people who equate persons of faith as being small minded.people who do not believe that science and religion can coexist (IMHO they are inextricably linked).developers/builders with no taste.home buyers who are wowed by model homes furnished by said tasteless developer/builders.banks and credit card companies who are allowed to charge fees and penalties that amount to USURY (which is a crime). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdude Posted November 10, 2004 Author Share Posted November 10, 2004 Add those two to my list as well. Along with straight ticket voters.Out of curiosity, what is the argument against straight ticket voting? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montrose1100 Posted November 10, 2004 Share Posted November 10, 2004 When your in a bad mood, and people ask you if your in a bad mood... it makes it a lil worse...and people who cut me off Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssullivan Posted November 10, 2004 Share Posted November 10, 2004 Out of curiosity, what is the argument against straight ticket voting?My argument against it is that people should vote for a person, not a political party. Voting straight ticket by selecting the straight ticket option at the top of the ballot, as opposed to actually going through the entire voting and marking each race, is what I'm opposed to. I don't think that should be an option. I think voters should have to go down the full ballot. Why? Because when you cast a straight ticket you're not thinking about each individual race and each person running. I may be more in line with the Democrats on many issues but I don't vote a straight Democratic ticket. There may be races where I feel a non-Democrat is a better candidate. Straight ticket ballots make it very difficult for a candidate in a minority party (which right now includes the Democrats) to get elected. Even if that individual really is the best choice, if he or she isn't in the majority party of the moment, he or she does not stand a chance with people who vote a straight party ticket. Yes, I know someone could still go down the ballot and mark only Republicans or only Democrats. But at least voters would be forced the read the ballot and make a conscious choice in each race. I just think that's fairer.Personally I don't believe that it's best for the country to have one party with a majority in both the executive and legislative branches. The whole system of checks and balances works better, and all voices are better heard, when the balance of power is more evenly spread between the two parties. In a situation like we're in now, it's harder for the voice of the minority to be heard and easier for those who disagree with the majority to be abused. I think straight party voting is part of why we're in that situation right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssullivan Posted November 10, 2004 Share Posted November 10, 2004 people who equate conservativism with ignorance.people who equate persons of faith as being small minded.people who do not believe that science and religion can coexist (IMHO they are inextricably linked).On the opposite side, I'll add that it angers me when some (not all) conservatives argue that people who are more liberal aren't religious, don't go to church, and are elitists. That's just as bad.I'll admit that I'm fairly liberal. I'm also gay. But I'm also a Christian who attends church regularly and I have some very firm religious beliefs. That may shock some people who think that those things don't fit together but for a lot of us they do. On the other hand, even though I consider myself a person of faith, I don't believe some of my personal religious beliefs should be legislated into law and imposed on others who may not share my belief system.I think it's important for people on both sides to stop bullying around those who disagree with them. I was quite disgusted with both sides of the recent political campaign for the nasty, childish bullying that went on. Neither "liberal" nor "conservative" are bad words, yet both sides felt the need to demonize the other. Too many people these days try to even understand those who share different beliefs, and that's really sad. How can we ever expect to move forward if we can't even come together and discuss our differences and try to reach a middle ground? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted November 15, 2004 Share Posted November 15, 2004 Well most of my pet peeves have already been covered in this thread but the main thing that really sets me off is the change of language in this wonderful city. Mainly the Mexican speaking half. The vast majority of them is illegal and refuses to learn how to speak the main language spoken by everyone else; instead they claim the freedom of choice and make us bent to their rules. I already know what they would do if a few million of us went to their country and demanded that they all learn English to accommodate us. Every month I see more and more Mexican speaking radio and TV channels pooping up everywhere. And it is almost impossible to become a teacher in this city unless you are BI-lingual in both Mexican and English. The city and business could save a ton of money if they only printed their info in one language.That is what sets me off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssullivan Posted November 15, 2004 Share Posted November 15, 2004 The vast majority of them is illegal and refuses to learn how to speak the main language spoken by everyone else; instead they claim the freedom of choice and make us bent to their rules.Once again we have a poster complaining about the Spanish speaking population who has difficulty speaking English correctly.BTW, Hunter, the language is SPANISH not Mexican. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted November 15, 2004 Share Posted November 15, 2004 BTW, Hunter, the language is SPANISH not Mexican.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>No. Spanish is spoke in Spain. What they speak in Mexico is not true Spanish. So all I can call it is Mexican until I know a proper name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editor Posted November 15, 2004 Share Posted November 15, 2004 Practically anything having to do with cell phones.Why do people think that shouting into their cell phones somehow makes their connection better? The other day I could not hear the clerk in a convenience store because the woman behind me was screaming inane remarks into her damn phone.Two words: Air Horn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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