San Diego Housing Bubble News and Analysis

One of my biggest pet peeves?

When exiting a commercial airliner, those RUDE people in rows behind you, who think that if they stand up microseconds before others and run up several rows, then that gives them the right to exit before people in the rows AHEAD of them.

Apparently those people FAILED to learn the basic manners the rest of us learned at FIVE years old when the school bus driver explained how to let others in front rows exit first.

You curious about my solution for those rude early-exiters on the plane?

I'm 6' and 220 lbs. First I drop my laptop bag right in the aisle, so they would have to step over it to get past my row. If they step over it..

I get up and start moving into the aisle where they are standing, blocking my exit. I say "excuse me" and I look them in the eye letting them know if they don't move, I WILL be standing up top of them in about one second.

They always move. Damn rude people.

Regarding cell phone usage, it is even more annoying (and horrifying) when people talk on their cell phones in the shared restrooms at work. While "using" a stall! I cannot believe how often this happens at my office.

I know exactly what you mean. And, do you notice how they wont look you in the eye?

I'm tall and usually get lucky with upgrades so leg room isnt a problem.

Whenever I do end up in the back, there is inevitably a person in front of me who pushes their seat all the way back, making it impossible to use my tray for food, laptop, writing. I actually have no problem tapping their shoulder and saying, "excuse me, but can you put your seat up a little? I have no room here." They usually look surprised, embarassed and then pull up a little.

I'm also a Screaming Baby Magnet.

To be fair, I've witnessed true acts of real chivalry and kindness on planes. Men usually want to grab my overhead bag for me, or allow me to go first, etc.

If I dont have a connection, sometimes I just let the plane unload before getting off. It's less stressful that way.

My 90 year old father-in-law was here a few months ago, and we rented a wheelchair for him. It turned out to be a good experience on many levels: he was more comfortable and I saw many surprising examples of human kindness. People held doors for us, offered to carry packages, and let us move ahead in lines. It was amazing.

Hmmm...perhaps we could just christen today "Whiney Wednesday" :-)

that is just gross. what could possibly be THAT important??

Arghhh! I have many supermarket gripes that I'll enumerate tomorrow, but I want to briefly respond to the poster who complained about people in the farther back rows on planes rushing forward. I do exactly the same thing as the poster. At least when I'm flying into San Diego, I stand up as soon as possible after arrival and block the aisle while waiting to do the traditional thing -- let people exit row by row. San Diego is NOT a hub. People do not have to rush off planes here to catch connecting flights.

http://travel.nytimes.com/2006/09/19/bus...

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.ht...

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB12100293...

I'm glad you asked. My pet peeve du jour... Warning, it's gross: People who wear spandex. I'm at the gym trying to do some reps and there's always some fat blob on the floor sporting a spandex camel toe or moose knuckle right in front of me. It's not like I can turn away, the machines are in a fixed position Richard Simmons!

Walk by a spin class and you see 100 fat, spandex-covered arses in the air, with a sweaty crack clearly defined.

SPANDEX NEVER EVER EVER LOOKS GOOD. IT DOES LITTLE TO IMPROVE ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE. NOT ON BICYCLISTS, NOT AT THE GYM, NOT IN A HOUSE, NOT ON A MOUSE. YOU NEED VENTILATION, NOT CONSTRICTION. PLUS, I DON'T WANT TO SEE THE OUTLINE OF YOUR JUNK.

How's that for a pet peeve? Also, I hate it when people at the gym occupy a machine or object they are clearly not using.

pet peeves

(1) People who drive in the city with their headlights on high beam. Absolute lack of civic sense on how they are blinding their fellow road-users while they themselves are not gaining anything.

(2) Folks who assume its their right to park as they like in the parking lots. You see those big white lines...they exist for a reason. When I get rich enough, I will put a lawyer on a retainer and simply run into these vehicles that cross the markers when parked. It will be my way of philanthropy. My contribution to the society. So, when you hear on evening news of the crazy fellow running into parked cars, you know I got rich.

(3) tailgaters....here is an everyday situation: a lady on phone comes screaming towards you on the freeway, sets herself about 5 feet behind you while the traffic is moving at 70 miles/hour. You get out of her way by changing lanes, but a few seconds later she follows you and is right behind you again.....

OMG!! Nostradamus--that picture speaks louder than words. I almost can't bring myself to look!! Ugh. Yep, that's definitely a bad thing. . . but it isn't my particular pet peeve. My pet peeve is:

Lazy people who leave their grocery cart parked between cars in the parking lot instead of putting in back in the dang cart rack!!!! WTH??? They never stay where people put them, they blow around either into other cars or into (otherwise) perfectly empty parking spots. Seriously? Are we such a lazy culture that we can't walk the extra ten feet to return the cart? I know there are *some* situations that may justify this, but there aren't really that many.

Which leads me to pet peeve number two: MASSIVE cars parked in COMPACT parking spots such as the ones in front of Trader Joe's in Temecula. Your Escalade/Suburban/F-250 DOES NOT fit in a compact spot, try as you might. God bless ya for driving one, but park in a spot actually designed for a vehicle of that size. And if any of the carpool parents at my kid's school are reading this: if you back into a parking spot, please make darn sure you are actually parked in ONE spot, not TWO because then many fewer people can actually park in that parking lot when you do that!

Ahhhh, my empress of the universe impulses are now satisfied. Thanks, Dharmagirl for the fun topic! We needed something light after all the small car vs. SUV drama.

p.s. I drive a small car and I only reproduced once. Now will someone please pin a rose on my nose?? Bwaaahaha!!

Instead of a rose, how about a socially-responsible diamond (not a blood diamond) star?

:->

When you stalk someone for a parking spot and they slowly unlock their door...

...get in...

and just sit there. Forever.

Or even better, make a cell phone call. I suppose its better than driving, but couldn't they have done it on the walk back?

My pet peeves is bullies in goverment who want to our lives

Next pet preeve are people yakking on te cell phone in the bookstore, or food store

John

Futzing. My pet peeve is Futzing.
A woman, usually elderly, in the express lane, watches anxiously as the cashier rings up her stuff. When the amount shows ($10.32) she finally opens her purse. She retrieves her wallet and takes out a Ten $$ bill. Then she opens up the change pouch and starts futzing for change. "I've got two pennies here, somewhere," she says, as glaciers melt and continents continue their drift.

As our sun turns into a red giant, she futzes out four pennies a dime and a nickel and begins to separate each from the other in the palm of her hand. A new ice age begins.

She returns the unused coins to her coin pouch, snaps the wallet closed and puts it in her purse. A cure for cancer is discovered. She closes her purse, hooks it over her shoulder, says "Thanks you," takes her bag and leaves. The universe begins to contract.

The seventeen people behind her are all now in wheelchairs, drooling on their bib as their nursemaids begin to take their wallets out to futz for change so they can buy the old farts fresh Depends.

Time ceases to exist.

My pet peeve are people that constantly complain. They complain about cell phones yet they answer calls mid shopping or mid driving just like everyone else. Or people that complain about drivers yet they never signal themselves or people that complain about other people but never see themselves in the mirror.

And George Bush lovers.

"When you stalk someone for a parking spot and they slowly unlock their door...

...get in...

and just sit there. Forever."

That's funny because one my pet peeves is people who circle parking lots looking for the closest spot they can find, ignoring spots farther away that may involve a 20 second longer walk to the store. So they spend several minutes (longer if they're waiting for me to vacate a spot) to avoid the extra 20 second walk.

Decided that my pet peeve du jour is women's restrooms.

Or, shall I say, women in the women's restroom. I dont understand what takes so long. Sorry to be crass, but my philosophy is "get in and get out."

There are times when a LINE of women are waiting for one of three stalls and inevitably someone will decided to get comfortable in the stall to refresh makeup, aunch an expedition into a large purse, or make a cell phone call.

Utterly clueless...

I'll play.

1. "Big" people that can't fit entirely into a coach airline seat and naturally assume it's ok to put up the armrest to occupy part of your space.

2. Register clerks that like to yap with people in line and not doing their job to get you out of the store/shop as fast as possible.

3. Folks in line that engage in the yapping.

4. Slow ass drivers that occupy the left lane and never yield to the right to let people pass. Europeans are much better at this than americans, and CA drivers are by far the worst.

5. People that do #4 while yapping of the cell phone.

6. Any exotic/sports car being driven by a grandma/grandpa at or below the speed limit on the freeway, when there is absolutely no traffic (If you can afford the car, you can afford the speeding tickets....or you should be driving a frickin volvo wagon or Caddy )

7. People raise their trucks/SUVs so it looks like it can compete in a monster truck competition.

8. Getto looking cars. Riceboys that cut their springs, tack on an F-18 spoiler, a grenade launcher exhaust, and decorated "Powered by XXX" stickers. It's just an eye soar

9. Riceboys of type #8 that when stopped at red light with you at the front of a intersection, rev's up their POS getto cars.

10. People with blaring subs in their car that want to make sure everyone knows they are deaf and who also want everyone else to hear their boom boom boom "music".

11. Riceboys that spend more money on the audio in the car to do #10 then the car is worth.

12. Women with overly fruity perfumes that permeate the entire room and provoke every possible allergic reaction possible. (Note to women: men don't want to smell like you after hooking up with you)

13. Men that cover BO with heavy dose of deodorant (Note to men: women don't want to smell like you after hooking up with you)

14. People in my field that talk and talk and talk, and don't do sh!t.

15. Managers that promote people of type #14 all too frequently.

16. Women, that when you try to talk to, automatically assume you're trying to hit on them (Looky here miss..... wedding ring)

selfportrait

----- Sour grapes for everyone!

4s Renter

Driving Pet Peeves:

Any driver that still holds their phone to their ears. I especially love all those that drive high end rides, example: Any MB, BMW, CADDY, Jag etc etc and you cant afford Bluetooth for your phone which im sure has the option. They need to make the fines stiffer come July, otherwise these knuckleheads will continue to chat.

Driving slow in the fast lane. If someone comes up behind you travelling faster than you, move over. You wont lose position or any gas by doing so. Its state law in a lot of east coast states that the left lane is for passing.

Turn Signals - unreal how many people dont use them.

Stop at red lights - also unreal how many people dont stop at stop signs. Some lady went right through one over in Santaluz and almost hit my passenger side, where my 14 month old was sitting. I almost got out of the car I was so pissed.

Lots more but generally most of my issues are with stupid people behind the wheel. California needs to change its license test, its too easy and they give out licenses to total jackasses.

4s Renter

Fat Lazy - Well said..

Brutus,
Funny stuff, especially when you look up the word in the urban dictionary.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.ph...

Brutus--Another bravo! Tears ran down my cheeks. That was great.

dharmagirl--I agree with you about women's restrooms. Another like-minded gripe: Women who don't observe the International Rules For Women's Restroom Line Etiquette. I have found, while traveling in Europe, that women of a certain nationality will barge right past the line. I saw one incident where four women had to be pulled apart before fisticuffs ensued over such a breach.

fat_lazy--re: "Big" people in coach seats. I had to do some research about NAAFA (National Association for the Acceptance of Fat Americans, I think). On their site, they advise members to pull up the armrest and say to their seatmate: "I'm sure we'll both be more comfortable this way." My answer if this happens to me will be "I WON'T be more comfortable." And back down it goes (if possible).

My pet peeve?

Rude people in restaurants...

My local watering hole is a seat yourself kind of place. I can't tell you how many times I've left a full beer at the bar or a bar table with a newspaper or book sitting right next to it to go to the restroom only to come back and find a couple of knuckleheads sitting on my stool in front of my beer.

And then they have the nerve to argue with me about the fact that I was sitting there....

My pet peeves are: 1)Men who turn into complete idiots around beautiful women. Even if the women are lazy, mean, selfish or foolish. And 2)Beautiful women who seem to feel entitled to have all men to turn into idiots around them.

You know there is so much unexplored terrain here...

No one has even mentioned what I call the "Stroller Mafia."

Have you ever been to an event with lots of people, where parents seem to think that being a stroller pilot gives them a pass to the front of the line? Or barge in front of you?

last summer, a woman rolled right over my sandal-clad foot with her stroller. Didnt even apologize...just kept on going. And there is no way she could not have known.

To be fair, I've been in lines where parents had small children who were clearly upset/cranky/tired, etc. And I have gladly let them cut in front of me.

When I was at Stater Bros yesterday, a totally clueless woman almost ran me with down with her grocery cart in the produce aisle. I thought, "ahhhh...you MUST own a stroller!"

The common "thread" that I see running through many of these peeves is an utter disregard for other people's personal space and time.

Don't you all think that many people today are in a complete BUBBLE - trying to 9 things at once, cell phones surgically attached to ears, being distracted, not paying attention - and worse - not giving a damn.

I realize that every generation has had these complaints, but I think our society has hit an all-time low in terms of courtesy and consideration.

FLU- I couldnt agree more:

14. People in my field that talk and talk and talk, and don't do sh!t.

15. Managers that promote people of type #14 all too frequently.

16. Women, that when you try to talk to, automatically assume you're trying to hit on them (Looky here miss..... wedding ring)
(I dont have a wedding ring defence, but I need to find something similar. Maybe a shirt that says, "no, you are not that hot" or "I am talking to you cause I have to, not cause I want to".)

On these FLU:
14. People in my field that talk and talk and talk, and don't do sh!t.

15. Managers that promote people of type #14 all too frequently.

Like DWCAP I am right there too. So much so I am thinking of creating some audio disks to listen to with a ton of Money words. I may have to go back to bringing one of those BS score-cards we used to see floating around a few years back.

16. Women, that when you try to talk to, automatically assume you're trying to hit on them (Looky here miss..... wedding ring)
(I dont have a wedding ring defence, but I need to find something similar. Maybe a shirt that says, "no, you are not that hot" or "I am talking to you cause I have to, not cause I want to".)

Consider getting that "you look better on myspace" t shirt.

Actually, there's a corollary to this if you're single. If you want to talk to someone that otherwise wouldn't give you the time and day, try wearing a ring and make sure the other gender sees it.  Just don't lie and say you're married, otherwise you'll have a lot of explaining to do later. It's one thing to lie and say your married when your not, but  you can't control what the other person assumes...

For some reason or the other, relationships are a lot like houses during the bubble. When no one wants a house, no one else wants it and it ends up on staying on the market a lot longer. If a home has an interested buyer or two, it usually ends up in a bidding war. To sell a house, folks often use props and often hire a staging company to stimulate demand. See, not everything that came from the RE bubble is bad...There's actually valuable lessons to be learned from them.

selfportrait

----- Sour grapes for everyone!

Just spit water out of my nose at the "futzing" post. Thanks, Brutus!

I have often said that single people, like dairy products, have an expiration date. If left alone for too long, they become moldy, hairy and unwanted!

Ah, Brutus...you neglected to mention one VERY important part of the "futzing" process: the elderly woman who digs for change AND coupons ("I know I have a 10 cents off coupon for this toilet paper in here SOMEWHERE")

The other crime is not having the VIP grocery store club card and then making a stink about the discount.

Before filling a cart with lots of "Club VIP" priced items, wouldnt it make sense to make sure the card is on your person?

I was once behind a coupon-clipper for what seemed like an eternity. She had a coupon for everything in her cart, and they were all wadded up in one big mess at the bottom of her cavernous purse. But, of course, before she searched for the 10 cent off coupon, she had to find her GLASSES which were somewhere else in the Purse from Hell.

The cashier and I were both near tears. The woman operated as if she was in her own universe. I honestly think I've taken out a mortgage in less time... ah well...