Things that annoy you...

@Gary Sinus

Just a head's up, that post you're responding to is from like 2003 and that person hasn't been active on the forum in years.

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What, he posted and then left? Damn! I really hate it when people do that!

Ha! good one

Some of those things in that recent post reminded me of something I read (but can't remember where)... it was in some book or article where someone said they hate when people say "there you go" as they hand over money to pay for something. The reason the writer "hated" it was because it doesn't mean anything or accomplish anything, and because the cashier doesn't need some sort of narration for your actions or the exchange of currency.

I find myself saying this whenever I pay for something. I feel an awkward silence makes the whole situation feel creepy and unfriendly if I say nothing at all, but don't know what else to say, so I say "here you go" or "there you are" as I hand over the money.

Yes, most of those "annoying" phrases are actually indispensable to social exchanges between people. They're like grease in machinery, little dabs of politeness to make sure our message doesn't get jammed in the works. People may "hate" them, but they hate awkward silences much more!

I don't hate this, but not a big fan of store clerks who I don't know and never have seen before saying to me, "so any big plans for today?" I swear next time I'm going to say, "Yes I do, but they don't include you!"

Agreed, that is annoying. It's unnecessary and what's worse is it's fake. They're only saying it because they've been coached to say it, to "keep the customers coming back". What completely escapes them is the fact that the customer may not keep coming back if he has to respond to an obviously insincere comment from a complete stranger every time he buys something.

Same thing with "have a nice/lovely/ whatever day!"

Dang, now I'm starting to sound like the OP!

Usually I get asked in the grocery store, "did you find everything OK?" Which is fine to say as at least it makes sense to me.

I've never had that one said to me, but I wouldn't mind it, because it's a tacit offer of help. If you say, "No, I didn't", they're obliged by good manners to show/tell you where to look.

Similar thing happened to me, I was asked by a sales assistant during school holidays 'so where are you taking the wife and kids for your holiday', my reply was 'who said I have a wife and kids'!! 🤔

Come on! It's called small talk. Just something nice to ask to avoid an awkwardly silent moment at the register. I see nothing wrong with being sociable that way.

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“Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!” ~ Rocky Balboa

Okay, but think about it. What is a clerk/cashier supposed to do, just sit there stone faced and bored? that’s not any better...

What annoys me with the utmost odium is when sesquipedalian people espouse capacious words that have little or no recondite relevance just to impress you. Would it really be so operose for them to be parsimonious like me?

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SciFiMovieZone.com

Ha! I get it

Small talk good, I make friendly small talk with store clerks all the time. But I hate being directly asked "what are my plans for the rest of the day?" None of their damn business. And that never use to happen, but in the last few years it's become popular. I think next time I am going to ask them, something deeply personal, ha

You can say "there you go" anytime you hand someone money @Captain Steel - I think you are only being polite to do so. In fact, if you'd like to be really gracious, you can always give me some money. And any time you'd like to hand me some money, you can feel assured that I 'll smile appreciatively when you say 'there you go.'


My personal gripe of the day is:

I wanted to buy some Malted Milk balls ( for a very noble cause, to watch a movie) and instead I wound up with a box of Milk Duds. The name is too similar and the candies look too much alike on the package . I don't thnk it's fair of the candy manufactuers to confuse me this way. Especially since health wise I'd be better off munching on celery than candy anyway. In fact, that's what I ' m gonna do next time I go to a movie. I' ll bring some celery - and radishes - and crunchy bean sprouts - that'll show them.

https://www.movieforums.com/communit...ad.php?t=46256

I feel sorry for the clerks in places like Walgreens where, every time the bloody door swings open, they have to shout out “Welcome to Walgreens!”. Can you imagine doing this for 8 hours straight, especially when 99% of the people don’t acknowledge the greeting at all. (I usually mumble hello at least.)

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I’m here only on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays. That’s why I’m here now.

I don't like much of anything where the people are forced to say something as a matter of policy - in those cases you can sense the insincerity (as they have to keep repeating the slogan all day long) and it's worse than if they said nothing or gave a normal "Hey!" or "What's up?"

My bank started this thing where a woman (I guess she's one of the consultants who's not busy at the moment) stands by the door and "greets" you. But it's so sickly sweet and weird that it's disturbing. It gives me the feeling that I'm being stopped on my way in to do business to go through this new protocol of fake smiles and saccharin sweetness as I'm now questioned as to what I'm there for before I can just proceed to the counter.

I usually just smile and say I'm going to the teller, but then she has to "direct" and "usher" me to the line for the tellers which is right there (kind of like a stewardess showing you where the exits on a plane are), but she uses her both her hands like a game show model showing you what was behind door #3... as if I really can't find the tellers myself (they are the entire one side of the bank.) I'm not annoyed by this, but it just comes off as forced, overdone and insincere - if the woman would just stay at her desk and say hi as I passed by that would come off as less intrusive & much more genuine.

Right. Of course it’s not the employees fault. It must be awful to be a greeter, but their bosses force them to do it.