Pet Peeve OmnibusFollow

I've always enjoyed going back to work, but the project nature of where I work means that there is always new stuff if I've been gone for quite a while, which makes it more interesting.

Craigslist is probably not the best place to look for a new best friend.

I'm still pretty peeved about starvation, genocide, and poverty, but I can see how going back to work can be a bummer too.

You monster for only being peeved

I'll take that as a serious "seriously".

Because aside from signaling to others that I'm a good person, there isn't any direct benefit to me for caring about those issues while there is a direct cost.

You have to turn them straight slowly as you're parking or you'll wear the wheels. Never turn the steering wheel when not in motion, even if it's a matter of life and death.

Missionaries make excellent compost... Or so I'm told.

That's what Tumblr is for.

I guess I misworded it. "Making sure the wheels are straight when parking" would have been better. I also rarely even have to park on a hill. Almost everything around here is pretty flat.



Operators do this at work. They do it so they can just put it in drive and get out of the parking lot extra fast. No backing up, no driving around the loop. They just pull out and drive (wrong way I might add) down the parking lot lanes. The parking lot is actually one big loop, can't really fit two vehicles side by side, with angled parking the whole way. But these operators would rather save 30-45 seconds and drive the wrong way around the loop at the end of the day. It annoys me greatly.

I do occasionally pull straight through double straight lots, so that I don't have to drive in reverse to get out of the parking lot. They say most accidents happen when you are driving in reverse.

Nah. I think you worded it correctly. Kavekkk was just adding something about straightening the wheels prior to coming to a full stop so as to minimize wear and tear on the car (at least I think that was his point). But yeah, I totally agree with you on that. And not even just the whole "pull in/out straight" bit, but I can't imagine it's good for the suspension, rods, tires, etc, to be sitting there cranked over to one side anyway. The best "at rest" position is the one the wheel will settle into naturally when moving forward (cause of the whole castor thing), which is "straight". But that may just be my silly way of looking at it. Just looks awkward to me.



But aren't they spending like 5 times more time and effort backing into the space in the first place? I've seen people spend a ridiculous amount of time (and block traffic) in order to position themselves backwards into forward angled spaces in two way lanes. But at least that's doable by just turning away short of the space, then looping around backwards (if you do it right and don't have to try like 3 times). In a narrow one way lane? Unless they're backing into the loop itself, which again, seems like a ridiculous amount of effort to go through. So instead of backing out 20 feet or so into the lane, where everyone is going in one direction and can easily see and avoid you while backing out, you're going to back through an entire loop of parking spaces, messing everyone up around you?

I get backing into spaces where it makes sense, but it seems like some people have learned that "backing into spaces is better/safer", but don't seem to know why or when that's actually true. Worse is the ones who do it, but clearly aren't very good at backing their vehicles up. They end up angled funny, or stop 10 feet short of the end of the space (so their nose is sticking out into the lane). Well, or they sideswipe the car next to them (cause they suck at backing up).



Yeah. But again, it's about picking when it's actually safer. It's harder to back into a forward angled space than to back out of a forward angled space. And arguably much more dangerous. The person driving behind you, upon seeing you drive past the space, is likely not assuming you're going to stop and back into it. He's now looking at the space and driving into it. Right as you back into him trying to get into the same space. You're still backing up in the lane. Just now doing so in a way that other drivers aren't prepared for.

I do somewhat see backing into an angled space for the other direction in a two way lane. But again, you're backing up across traffic that isn't expecting it (and across two lanes and directions instead of just one). And the benefit of pulling out straight isn't so great anymore since you now must look in more directions to avoid hitting someone (you're moving forwards across both directions of traffic, rather than backing out into just one). It just seems like it's a lot of effort and not a lot of benefit.

Honestly, if you just freaking slow down when puling out of a space (in any direction), you'll avoid getting into an accident. When I back out of a space, I let off the break, back up a foot. Stop. Let off the break, back up another foot. Stop. Repeat until I can clearly see the traffic lane and that it's clear, and then still slowly back out. This gives you time to see anything in your way. It gives time to other drivers and pedestrians to see that you are backing up and make a choice as to whether to pass behind you or stop and let you out. It gives you time to see that they have seen you and made that decisions (and which decision they made). And let's not forget that the back of your car has these helpful lights that indicate you are in reverse, while the front of your car does not (for any gear). I can look down the lane I'm driving in to see if someone has their reverse lights on, so I can stop back far enough to give them room to pull out (and me a space to park in). I can't do that if the person is pulling out forwards.

Oddly, I quoted this, but didn't actually respond to it. I do the same thing with double straight lots as well. If I can pull straight through (and there isn't one of those blocks in the way), I'll do it. Best of both worlds IMO.

Interestingly, there are actually more accidents (and injuries) in parking lots while traveling forwards than while traveling in reverse. Of course, you spend a heck of a lot more time driving forwards than backwards regardless of how you park, but in terms of "what's more likely to result in a crash while I'm on a trip to the store", your greater risk is when driving through the lot and not pulling in or out of a space. Almost certainly because most people are traveling the slowest and paying the most attention while parking.


As to pet peeves (and not car related), how about "people who talk on the cell phone while in a public restroom". Yeah. I don't get it either.

And on the subject of public restrooms, there's "people who don't wash their hands". Seriously? Who does this who's like older than 10? What's really silly are the people who quite obviously do this only when they think they can "get away with it" (ie: don't realize there's someone sitting in a stall nearby). So if there's someone in the sink area that can see them (and presumably identify them or something?), they'll wash their hands, but if there isn't, they'll just scoot out the door. Um... You don't wash your hands because your mommy makes you. You do it because it's disgusting and unsanitary if you don't.

Oh. And on the cell phone front, people who call you on your cell phone, knowing darn well you have a relatively modern smart phone, yet insist on leaving a voice mail that says nothing more than that they tried to call me and asking me to call them back. Um... I got that much information in the "missed call" message that I saw when I picked up my phone. You know. The one that's in the same area as the one that tells me I have a voice mail message? Heck. You obviously have my number, and you have a smart phone too, so even if you have some actual information you might be even thinking about leaving in a voice mail, how about skipping that entirely and just sending me a text?

The only excuse I can think of for that (assuming the caller has a smart phone), is if you're driving using hands free calling. Then, I can understand leaving a voice mail rather than sending a text. But the whole "Hi. Just calling because I have something to talk to you about. Call me back when you have a chance" message is utterly pointless. Yet, I have certain friends who do this all the time. I've asked them about this (while ribbing them a bit about it), and they're usually pretty sheepish and admit that it's silly, but then they do it the next time anyway. I can only guess it's a holdout from the days before cell phones, when we all left messages like that on machines because that was the only way people would know who had called. Which I kinda get, but I'm just as old as they are, and I've managed to drop that habit.

I'm also quite amused when they leave a message that is timed in such a way that it seems like they still think that I can hear the voice mail message in real time and might just be running to the phone to pick it up before they hang up or something. I'll get a message that's like "Hey. Are you there? I need to talk to you.... Well... Looks like you're not there, so I guess I'll just try to call you again later. Or.... You can call me when you get this message. Ok. I'll... talk... to... you... later... ... Bye!". Not a peeve at all, just funny as heck. I just get this image of hooking an old style cassette tape message machine to my cell phone and walking around with it all day. Hmmm... Maybe I should do that! Would totally freak them out if I *did* pick up while in the middle of the message.

And now I've got this image of some idiot assuming it was part of a bomb vest and blowing you away to "save" everybody.

Not that I want you to get shot, per se, but hey - that was the instant image.