Monday, July 19, 2010

Something You Can't Understand


Phil's front garden (left side).

1.Why do I still need to tell delivery men how to get to my house? If I know about mapquest and google maps and GPS systems, why don't they?


2. Why do waiters say, "Are you still working on that," as if you're building a house? Also why do they say, "No problem," after you order? Or, "good choice."


I think someone needs to work out banter for them. At least they have stopped sitting down at the table and introducing themselves.

3. When there are many empty spaces in a parking lot, why does a car pull right up next to you just when you're about to get out? Even when it's clear you just pulled in.

How about you? Get it off your chest?

31 comments:

Cullen Gallagher said...

Why do people stop in the middle of the entrances/exits/stairs of the NYC subway system? Do they think they are the only person going in or coming out?

Same thing goes for people stopping in the middle of a crowded street...

pattinase (abbott) said...

I have almost taken a tumble more than once because of that.

Graham Powell said...

When you and someone else leave the mall (or theater, or whatever) at the same time, why are you ALWAYS parked right next to each other?

Related: why do people walking through a parking lot always for a line abreast and walk down the center of the lane?

Ed Gorman said...

Man that is a knock-out garden. My compliments to Phil.

pattinase (abbott) said...

That's only a tiny part of it, Ed. He's got a green thumb. But not me.
Yes, Graham. Why do they do that? I fear everything people list here will be something I also find trying. I find a lot of stuff trying.

Jerry House said...

Drivers who cut in front of you, weave in and out of lanes, and are still right beside you (or just ahead of you) at the next light. Do they really think they're saving time? Is it that important to try to get one car-length ahead of me?

On the other hand, there are the drivers who refuse to make a right turn on red when there is absolutely no one else on the road except for me, right behind them and also wanting to make a rioght turn.

And -- not to cast aspersions -- why is it that the worst drivers I encounter on the New Jersey Turnpike have Pennsylvania plates?

Anonymous said...

Cullen, and why do people (mostly tourists, admittedly) get off the escalator at Macy's 34th Street and JUST STOP DEAD?

Jerry, I've noticed a lot of bad Pennsylvania drivers in Brooklyn too.

And why does a driver speed up, pass me on the left, then cut across three lanes for an almost immediate exit off the highway rather than just getting into the right lane from his spot behind me in the middle lane?

Jeff M.

Anonymous said...

I don't know about Detroit (or the rest of the country), Patti, but in New York City why do waiters call patrons "you guys" as in "how are you guys doing?"

Jeff M.

pattinase (abbott) said...

Okay, here's another re: right turn on red. Why do drivers think they can make the right turn in front of oncoming traffic when the light changes. Are they playing chicken?
You guys is ubiquitous. I think they teach it in college. My grandson at three already says, "you guys."

Anonymous said...

Patti - Here's my question: Why do people who see that an elevator button is already pushed (and lit up) still walk up and push it several times?

pattinase (abbott) said...

YES! And why does everyone in the elevator look up at the lit board the whole time. Do they think they're going to miss their floor?

David Cranmer said...

We had a waiter sitting down at our table recently and I hated it. I felt like saying "hey we tip well, don't overdue it."

Impressive garden!

pattinase (abbott) said...

Maybe if we stated our tipping policy upfront, we would save our selves a lot of fuss. Of course, both Phil and I were waiters in college-that's how we met.

Deb said...

Put myself through college by waiting tables...NEVER sat down at the table.

Pet peeve re elevators: People getting in not giving enough time for the people already in the elevator to get out. So rude!

pattinase (abbott) said...

A lot of these have a similar strain-I AM THE ONLY PERSON IN THE WORLD.

pattinase (abbott) said...

A lot of these have a similar strain-I AM THE ONLY PERSON IN THE WORLD.

George said...

Everywhere I go now, people have those goofy earpieces and they're talking on their cell phones. What conversations could be so important that they need to constantly talk in grocery stores, banks, elevators, and while walking down the street? I don't want to hear their conversations, but they invade my space. On purpose. And, don't get me started about texting and cell phones in my class room...

Charles Gramlich said...

That third one gets me every time. I get frown lines from that one.

Anonymous said...

Margot, that's an easy question. They push the already lit button to make the elevator come faster of course.

Patti, re the "tipping policy" remarks: my late father in law used to tip waitresses before he even ordered. We never quite got that (which embarrassed my mother in law no end). Did he think it would ensure better service? In that case, would he ask for his money back if the service was bad?

Let's just say it was one of his many eccentricities.

Most servers took it in good part but I've seen waitresses refuse the money and insist he wait until the meal was over.

Jeff M.

Steve Langton said...

People in supermarkets with trolleys, standing talking and blocking the whole damn aisle and do they show any inclination to move?

Folks who stand on the right on the underground escalator when around 1697 signs clearly tell us to stand on the ******* left.

Dana King said...

Why do people who take 23 things through the express checkout line look surprised when asked for money, then have to find their wallets, only to insist on counting out the change to the last penny, even though it means rummaging through their change purse for thirty seconds that seems like a week in Philadelphia?

pattinase (abbott) said...

Escalators and elevators introduce a plethora of problems, I think. What about horizontal ones where people refuse to move to the right, and why do they just stand come to think of it.

Kevin R. Tipple said...

1) Because of all the errors in the mapping stuff.

2) Because eating, for a lot of folks, is like a construction project.

3) If horror movies have taught us anything, there is safety in numbers.

My work here is done.....

pattinase (abbott) said...

Kevin-brilliant. I have nothing left to complain about--for a minute or two.

Randy Johnson said...

On the supermarket thing, it's not as prevalent these days with credit/debit cards, but I used to get annoyed when I was behind a woman, watch the cashier ring up a big order, total it, and announce the cost. Then they go digging into a purse for their check-book, writing out their checks.

I think I got that from my mother who would be writing the check while they rang up her order, then just filling in the total at the end.

I even used this same complaint at the time on a call-in radio program, making it on-air. Yea me.

pattinase (abbott) said...

I live in a land where women still write checks. Another favorite although it no longer bothers me are people who used credit cards to pay for their soda at the movie. Just seems nuts to charge things of that amount but I am living in the past I guess.

Randy Johnson said...

That kind of thing never bothered me, Patti. I probably would be one of the ones who annoyed you. I don't deal with cash anymore. All monies are direct deposited, therefor I have no cash in the house. Everything I buy in hand is paid from a debit card.

I do still write checks for most utilities, the water by Paypal, insurance by withdrawal being the exceptions.

Anonymous said...

Randy, that happened to me this morning. Only it wasn't a check. The woman waited until the order was totaled and bagged and then went searching for her purse, dug out a bunch of bills and handed them over, then went searching for the exact change.

Fortunately for her I was in no hurry....

I still say only women do this.

Jeff M.

pattinase (abbott) said...

It doesn't take any longer to use credit cards, it just feels strange. In the long run, you can see exactly how your money is being spent, which may be a good thing for me.

Mike Dennis said...

Great observation about waiters. I think the next time you're in a restaurant, you should beat the waiter to the punch and say, "Hi, I'm Patti and I'll be your customer tonight. Is there any type of service I can suggest for you after I place my order?"

pattinase (abbott) said...

Briefly I reviewed restaurants. Not so much the food as the etiquette and the appropriateness (is that a word)of menus. There were so many issues regarding table etiquette. For instance, it drives me crazy when the waiter decides he or she should refill wine glasses. The slow drinker at the table should have that task. Otherwise the gulpers get the entire bottle.