Pet Peeves IV

[nonshinyfinish]

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Like a train strike? No, I see the logic and relevance of train workers (in this example) striking, I.e refusing to do their job, because they are unhappy with elements of their job, dispite the inconvenience and annoyance it causes. I’d not understand train workers protesting and blocking a bus station for example.

Holy Ground territory so I'll leave it here, but my point is that a lot of how you describe climate protesters also directly applies to industrial action – polarising, angers (some) of the public, doesn't just target their opponents.

[grunt]

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Shops that still expect you to have a pound coin on you so you can use their trollies.

Stops this happening ...

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Or people who don't return their trolley to a bay at the supermarket and just dump it next to their parking space.

[speedy_gonzales]

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Cyclists who wear dark clothing on the road.
It's irresponsible and potentially suicidal.
No point expecting the cops to do anything about it unfortunately.

Do you mean specifically at night, or at anytime?
When I cycle to work, during the day, I'm tip to toe in black. If nightshift, I'll have a reflective t-shirt on or high Viz waterproof if raining.
I have reflectors on my pedals, reflective pannier, use DRL's and have bright pulsing (not flashing) lights for hours of darkness.
I've never felt I was being irresponsible or felt at risk due to what I wear. The biggest risk I encounter is from the minority of other road users who are plain and simply terrible drivers and IMO I could be lit up like Blackpool Illuminations and it wouldn't make a difference.

[speedy_gonzales]

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This fad for cyclists to complain about motorists on Twitter, particularly videos were, for instance, a cyclist seems entirely unable to navigate past something blocking the cycle lane.

It's hardly a fad, I think the second video I watched on YouTube all those years ago (after a funny cat video) was a cyclist getting SMIDSY'd at a junction.

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I get that nothing should be in there, but every other roadway (I’m not sure what word I’m looking for here) like bus lanes, roads, pavements etc will have something blocking them from time to time.

They shouldn’t be, but they are. Such is life.

But those cycle lanes are designed as a safety initiative, to separate vulnerable road users. Blocking it illegally is wrong but then forcing the vulnerable user in to the area we're trying to protect them from is not something we should just shrug our shoulders at and tell them to suck it up. I'm not after more enforcement, just more awareness at how irresponsible road use can put others are risk.

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Everyone bar these Twitter cyclists seems to be able to engage their brain and just go round the obstacle with zero fuss.

You might be being a bit jaundiced there Matty, I've seen many an altercation, usually over "priority" where if the motorists involved used their brain it would have been a non event.

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Watched one video today where a van illegally cut across a cyclist to turn left. The cyclist, though, observed the van moving and then proceeded to carry on cycling anyway to instigate a crash, then complained of a hit and run.

Why would you do that? Just pull your brakes, ffs, have a wee moan to yourself about the knob in the van, and get on with your day. Imagine instigating a crash just to prove a point!?

Funnily enough, I seen that video just this morning. And I agree, the cyclist could easily have avoided that altercation. You say the van carried out an illegal turn, he may have but the infrastructure didn't help as it might have given the cyclist false confidence that he was in a segregated lane. All I know is I'd have taken measures to ensure I didn't find myself under the van.

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They need to grow up.

Unless it's because these posts are specifically about cyclists then I'm not sure I'm keen on the "they" part, on its own it's fairly divisive.
I walk, jog, cycle a bike, ride a motorbike, drive a van and a car, much like many road users, very few of us fall under one category.
These posts about road user groups can be funny (but not actually funny). 6 people a day die on UK roads, many, I hope, will be accidental in nature but a lot of them will come down to incompetence or willful bad driving/biking/cycling. This really needs to be called out. Being tribal against cyclists, white van men or Sunday drivers isn't helpful. Hunners of clips on Social Media showing road conflicts isn't helpful either, it's just crash porn (and the reason why I'll never use a dash cam or GoPro).

Let's just all agree that accidents can and will happen but getting frustrated or angry with other road users isn't going to make for an enjoyable driving experience.
That and **** the Hearts 👍🏻

[Hibrandenburg]

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Cyclists who wear dark clothing on the road.
It's irresponsible and potentially suicidal.
No point expecting the cops to do anything about it unfortunately.

I started cycling into work a few weeks back. In town it's not so much a problem because of street lighting, but from my village I have to cycle through a few small villages before entering the city limits where there are none.

Now with it being dark in the mornings and early evenings, I'm amazed at the amount of parents who let their kids cycle to school without lights and dressed like ninjas. I hear some of these kids long before I catch them in my headlight, not a luxury that car drivers will have.

I've got to ask myself what is going through these parents heads letting their kids cycle to school like that?

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

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People who don't do basic things that are polite, make people's jobs a bit easier and help avoid impacting other people negatively.

For example people who are out for a pint and don't take the empty glass back to the bar when ordering the next one or don't just lift their glass and place it on the bar when leaving. Or people who don't return their trolley to a bay at the supermarket and just dump it next to their parking space. Or people who don't take their tray to the bin in somewhere like McDonalds and leave a mess all over the table. Worse still are the people who don't even attempt to leave their tables in some kind of order in pubs, fast food restaurants, on trains etc. Not returning or disposing of the stuff is one thing but leaving spillage, empty packets and half eaten food scattered everywhere is on a whole other level.

The things with all of the above and other similar scenarios is that there is no punishment for not doing any of it, it really is just a personal choice to be nice or not.

Agree with all of the above.

[silverhibee]

Bad enough folk walking about supermarkets on there phones chatting away and they are so engrossed they almost bump into you, but even worse is folk at the checkouts who are on there phone’s holding folk up while they chat pish to someone and forget that they are meant to be packing the messages.

[McD]

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It's hardly a fad, I think the second video I watched on YouTube all those years ago (after a funny cat video) was a cyclist getting SMIDSY'd at a junction.




But those cycle lanes are designed as a safety initiative, to separate vulnerable road users. Blocking it illegally is wrong but then forcing the vulnerable user in to the area we're trying to protect them from is not something we should just shrug our shoulders at and tell them to suck it up. I'm not after more enforcement, just more awareness at how irresponsible road use can put others are risk.



You might be being a bit jaundiced there Matty, I've seen many an altercation, usually over "priority" where if the motorists involved used their brain it would have been a non event.



Funnily enough, I seen that video just this morning. And I agree, the cyclist could easily have avoided that altercation. You say the van carried out an illegal turn, he may have but the infrastructure didn't help as it might have given the cyclist false confidence that he was in a segregated lane. All I know is I'd have taken measures to ensure I didn't find myself under the van.



Unless it's because these posts are specifically about cyclists then I'm not sure I'm keen on the "they" part, on its own it's fairly divisive.
I walk, jog, cycle a bike, ride a motorbike, drive a van and a car, much like many road users, very few of us fall under one category.
These posts about road user groups can be funny (but not actually funny). 6 people a day die on UK roads, many, I hope, will be accidental in nature but a lot of them will come down to incompetence or willful bad driving/biking/cycling. This really needs to be called out. Being tribal against cyclists, white van men or Sunday drivers isn't helpful. Hunners of clips on Social Media showing road conflicts isn't helpful either, it's just crash porn (and the reason why I'll never use a dash cam or GoPro).

Let's just all agree that accidents can and will happen but getting frustrated or angry with other road users isn't going to make for an enjoyable driving experience.
That and **** the Hearts 👍🏻

I think almost all of this is resolved by everyone (and I mean all road users) having a little bit of courtesy for others, and recognising that we’re all sharing the road, and with some common sense, courtesy and calmness, we’d all arrive at our destinations in a timely and more importantly, safe manner.

Sadly there’s far too many who treat the roads as their personal domain and act aggressively and selfishly towards others.

[Pretty Boy]

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I think almost all of this is resolved by everyone (and I mean all road users) having a little bit of courtesy for others, and recognising that we’re all sharing the road, and with some common sense, courtesy and calmness, we’d all arrive at our destinations in a timely and more importantly, safe manner.

Sadly there’s far too many who treat the roads as their personal domain and act aggressively and selfishly towards others.

I agree.

I travel primarily as a pedestrian and generally find with a bit common sense Edinburgh is a fairly safe and easy city to navigate, it could be better and there are a few areas that are poorly designed but overall it's OK. Yes you get a minority of cyclists who pass too close and too fast on shared paths, yes you get a delivery van bumped up on the kerb from time to time, yes you get the odd car that doesn't seem to understand how zebra crossings work and I'm sure pedestrians do things that annoy all of the above as well.

However if you are aware of what's going on and manage your own actions then most things can be overcome, I've had one semi serious incident when a group of cyclists forced me to jump into a verge on the Union Canal path and I cut my leg quite badly but aside from that in over a decade of walk commuting I've not had any real issues and find most people courteous and respectful. It's worth remembering that this isn't one group v another. Most drivers will also be pedestrians at some point, most cyclists will also be drivers and so on.

I do find people who just continue with their intended course of action despite potential dangers a bit odd though. As stupidly extreme example if you went to a swimming pool and there was a shark in the pool you wouldn't say 'well the shark shouldn't be there so I'm just going to dive in regardless'. You would assess the situation and alter your actions accordingly. There was one video on Twitter recently with a guy who sat behind an Amazon van on Leith Walk for 20 minutes because it was bumped into the cycle lane. Shouldn't be there, driver is in the wrong but why would you do that? Just get off the bike and pass on the pavement or wait until it's safe and go round on the road. You shouldn't have to and by all means highlight the issue but that's just laughably stupid. The guy in question actually raises a lot of good points about the design flaws on Leith Walk but stuff like that just kills any support he is going to muster.

[lapsedhibee]

Politicians who talk about the optics of this or that situation. Whenever it happens I have an image of them sitting at a taxpayer-subsidised bar gazing blearily at an upside down 40oz bottle of whisky. Downing nips. And when I think of that I then think of Chris Pincher. And from there things spiral out of control and I begin to lose all confidence in the Westminster system of government.

[Northernhibee]

People who don't put the divider onto the conveyer belt at the supermarket once they've finished putting their shopping on it.

[Hibrandenburg]

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People who don't put the divider onto the conveyer belt at the supermarket once they've finished putting their shopping on it.

People who don't put the divider on the belt before putting their shopping on it meaning I have to put on 1 before and after putting my shopping on the belt.

[Northernhibee]

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People who don't put the divider on the belt before putting their shopping on it meaning I have to put on 1 before and after putting my shopping on the belt.

It's no my job to guess when you've finished putting your shopping on the conveyer belt

[Hibrandenburg]

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It's no my job to guess when you've finished putting your shopping on the conveyer belt

Have a peek in my trolley, it might give you a clue

Fwiw, I'm just being pedantic and agree with you in principle but have lost count the number of times both those in front of me and behind me just couldn't be arsed.

[matty_f]

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It's hardly a fad, I think the second video I watched on YouTube all those years ago (after a funny cat video) was a cyclist getting SMIDSY'd at a junction.




But those cycle lanes are designed as a safety initiative, to separate vulnerable road users. Blocking it illegally is wrong but then forcing the vulnerable user in to the area we're trying to protect them from is not something we should just shrug our shoulders at and tell them to suck it up. I'm not after more enforcement, just more awareness at how irresponsible road use can put others are risk.



You might be being a bit jaundiced there Matty, I've seen many an altercation, usually over "priority" where if the motorists involved used their brain it would have been a non event.



Funnily enough, I seen that video just this morning. And I agree, the cyclist could easily have avoided that altercation. You say the van carried out an illegal turn, he may have but the infrastructure didn't help as it might have given the cyclist false confidence that he was in a segregated lane. All I know is I'd have taken measures to ensure I didn't find myself under the van.



Unless it's because these posts are specifically about cyclists then I'm not sure I'm keen on the "they" part, on its own it's fairly divisive.
I walk, jog, cycle a bike, ride a motorbike, drive a van and a car, much like many road users, very few of us fall under one category.
These posts about road user groups can be funny (but not actually funny). 6 people a day die on UK roads, many, I hope, will be accidental in nature but a lot of them will come down to incompetence or willful bad driving/biking/cycling. This really needs to be called out. Being tribal against cyclists, white van men or Sunday drivers isn't helpful. Hunners of clips on Social Media showing road conflicts isn't helpful either, it's just crash porn (and the reason why I'll never use a dash cam or GoPro).

Let's just all agree that accidents can and will happen but getting frustrated or angry with other road users isn't going to make for an enjoyable driving experience.
That and **** the Hearts 👍🏻

Apologies for the short reply to a considered post. I think you’ve got the wrong end of the stick here, my peeve isn’t aimed at cyclists, van drivers or any other demographic other than those cyclists mentioned who specifically do stuff to share on Twitter (i.e. cycle into a van or, as per Pretty Boy’s example, sit behind an Amazon van for twenty minutes).


No jaundice, no issue with cyclists/joggers/walkers/whatever at all, and i would say that I’m someone who’s particularly considerate to other road users - that wasn’t the intention behind the peeve whatsoever.

[Northernhibee]

Latest email from a gym group enticing me back with a half price offer - “High tech kit - admire it and sweat all over it”

I realise that sweat happens and people will sweat on it, but genuinely that’s the least enticing thing I’ve ever heard.

[heretoday]

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Latest email from a gym group enticing me back with a half price offer - “High tech kit - admire it and sweat all over it”

I realise that sweat happens and people will sweat on it, but genuinely that’s the least enticing thing I’ve ever heard.

I've steered clear of gyms and swimming pools all my life and never regretted it.

[grunt]

Today's Pet Peeve: Inland Revenue / poorly designed websites / inadequately staffed Government services.

HMRC have unilaterally changed my tax code, charging me for BIKs from a company I left more than two years ago. Although there's an option on the HMRC Tax Account page to amend these items, when you click on it you get a message saying you can't change them. So why have the button there in the first place?

"Contact us to make the change". Either by PAYE_Chat, or by phone. The web chat is staffed by a bot who eventually agrees they can't make the change either.

So I call the "helpline". I listen to loads of messages telling me I can make changes to my account online; I can't. Eventually I get asked to go through ID checks which I do, and to be fair, these worked. No sooner have I passed the last ID check than I get told, "we're busy call back another time" and they hang up on me.

So I contact the @HMRCCustomer account on Twitter. Just for a moan really, as I know they can't deal with personal queries. I've had no response yet, so I looked at previous posts on the account. Many others complaining about not being able to get through on the phone. HMRC Customer Support has now replied suggesting I write a letter to the Revenue. I haven't written a business letter to anyone for at least 10 years. Does the Revenue think this is 1923?

[Pretty Boy]

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Today's Pet Peeve: Inland Revenue / poorly designed websites / inadequately staffed Government services.

HMRC have unilaterally changed my tax code, charging me for BIKs from a company I left more than two years ago. Although there's an option on the HMRC Tax Account page to amend these items, when you click on it you get a message saying you can't change them. So why have the button there in the first place?

"Contact us to make the change". Either by PAYE_Chat, or by phone. The web chat is staffed by a bot who eventually agrees they can't make the change either.

So I call the "helpline". I listen to loads of messages telling me I can make changes to my account online; I can't. Eventually I get asked to go through ID checks which I do, and to be fair, these worked. No sooner have I passed the last ID check than I get told, "we're busy call back another time" and they hang up on me.

So I contact the @HMRCCustomer account on Twitter. Just for a moan really, as I know they can't deal with personal queries. I've had no response yet, so I looked at previous posts on the account. Many others complaining about not being able to get through on the phone. HMRC Customer Support has now replied suggesting I write a letter to the Revenue. I haven't written a business letter to anyone for at least 10 years. Does the Revenue think this is 1923?

HMRC and Companies House must be 2 of the worst designed and least user friendly websites in the world. I dread having to do anything on either.

The whole Government Gateway is another that can be added to the list.

Tbf writing a letter might work. I had an issue with 2 departments at 2 locations in the NHS and a breakdown in communication. Got nowhere on the phone but after sending 2 letters I got a resolution in literally a couple of hours.

[grunt]

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Tbf writing a letter might work. I had an issue with 2 departments at 2 locations in the NHS and a breakdown in communication. Got nowhere on the phone but after sending 2 letters I got a resolution in literally a couple of hours.

I know. It's the principle that bugs me. A self employed friend was hassled into having to submit her accounts online as part of the HMRC "making tax digital" initiative. An initiative I support, but she struggled to get it done. Writing a letter just seems like an admission of defeat. I know it's a tired concept, but this really is an example of #BrokenBritain.

Edit: plus the whole thing is their fault. Why they should suddenly think I have a company car when I haven't been employed for more than two years is beyond my comprehension. Even allowing for some mistake on their part, their tax software should not allow benefits in kind on the tax account of someone who's not employed!

[CropleyWasGod]

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I know. It's the principle that bugs me. A self employed friend was hassled into having to submit her accounts online as part of the HMRC "making tax digital" initiative. An initiative I support, but she struggled to get it done. Writing a letter just seems like an admission of defeat. I know it's a tired concept, but this really is an example of #BrokenBritain.

Edit: plus the whole thing is their fault. Why they should suddenly think I have a company car when I haven't been employed for more than two years is beyond my comprehension. Even allowing for some mistake on their part, their tax software should not allow benefits in kind on the tax account of someone who's not employed!

You might find it's the fault of your former employer. That's very common with P11D's and the likes.

That said, I echo everything that has been said about their "website".

[grunt]

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You might find it's the fault of your former employer. That's very common with P11D's and the likes.

Unlikely but possible I guess. They've taken the company car I used to have in 2020 and added it to a former employer from 27 years ago.

[CropleyWasGod]

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Unlikely but possible I guess. They've taken the company car I used to have in 2020 and added it to a former employer from 27 years ago.

There are 8 million stories in the HMRC city....... this has been one of them.

[Peanut Shaz]

Currently having ongoing issues with Civil Service pension portal. Sent two emails asking for information,no response. I am registered but the system says i'm not. Try to register and it wont let as im supposedly already registered. Eventually got through on the phone and spoke to them twice asking for transfer value information to be sent to me, after 3 months they send me a benefit statement - not what my pensions advisor asked for. Now another long wait for the correct info. Causing all sorts of delays to my retirement plans.

[overdrive]

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I think it is A. There’s parents in my street that just watch their kids do stuff that I would have received a mouthful from my parents for at their age. One woman even encourages her kid to play in other people’s gardens including ours. Probably not surprising as the same woman uses our front garden and driveway as a shortcut (we are on a corner) rather than walking on the pavement. Another kid was deliberately kicking a football against our car in front of his dad. They didn’t realise I was actually at my door doing some gardening at the time so when I said something I was expecting the dad to be embarrassed and say sorry - nope silence and a wee laugh from the dad. Same bunch of kids I’ve seen on the ring doorbell using plants in my garden as goalposts, damaging the plants in the process.

Said kids absolutely crapped it the other night when I happened to turn the light on and appear at the window at the precise time they were beginning to use my plants as goalposts for the evening.

[Bridge hibs]

Fireworks, not so much in general but moreso when they are abused. Just waiting the ****ing balaclava wearing tramps firing them at buses, taxi drivers and emergency services, utter ****ing cretins

On the plus side my dog doesnt bother about them but other than dragging me out into the back garden so he can watch them he is absolutely fine and he will sit on the patio for ages just looking up to the sky

[overdrive]

Online ads that make thing unreadable or unwatchable. Tried reading something this morning and it was jumping all over the place as various ads loaded. Eventually the screen came up with an error message.

Then tried to watch a video on a Lad Bible "article" - you come to expect an ad or two before these videos and maybe one in the middle depending on the length of the video. There were four ads before it started. The video itself lasted 1 min 25 seconds and there were two ads in the middle of it. The ads lasted longer than the video itself.

[bringbackbenny]

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Online ads that make thing unreadable or unwatchable. Tried reading something this morning and it was jumping all over the place as various ads loaded. Eventually the screen came up with an error message.

Then tried to watch a video on a Lad Bible "article" - you come to expect an ad or two before these videos and maybe one in the middle depending on the length of the video. There were four ads before it started. The video itself lasted 1 min 25 seconds and there were two ads in the middle of it. The ads lasted longer than the video itself.

changing my DNS to this (free) method has helped me massively for web browsing. Not sure if it also helps on video ads

AdGuard DNS — ad-blocking DNS server (adguard-dns.io)

[nonshinyfinish]

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changing my DNS to this (free) method has helped me massively for web browsing. Not sure if it also helps on video ads

AdGuard DNS — ad-blocking DNS server (adguard-dns.io)

DNS-based blocking only works if the ads come from a different domain to the website itself. This is pretty common, as most sites don't host their own ads but get them from some ad network, so blocking the ad network domain prevents them from loading. YouTube is one example where the ads do come from the same domain, so if you blocked the source of the ads then you'd also block the video itself.

If you're using a desktop browser, an ad blocker extension (like uBlock Origin) will block almost everything, including YouTube ads (although YouTube is trying to prevent that: https://www.tomsguide.com/news/youtu...th-ad-blockers).

I use both. Browser ad blocker means I pretty much never see an ad when in a desktop browser, and DNS blocking covers a lot of cases where you can't install an ad blocker – apps on your phone etc.

[Hiber-nation]

People who laugh and dance about on picket lines. When did this start? I remember it being a mix of anger and pride back in the day when I was on strike. I know there's always been chants but if someone had started laughing like a hyena and dancing about they'd have got lynched.