BUGS!
20 Things That Bug Me:
1. The sound of people loudly chewing while eating chips or anything crunchy in general.
This bug exists because people will often chew with their mouths open and put multiple chips in their mouth at once, which just makes it messier, louder, and more obnoxious.
2. The long line at the Chik-fil-a underneath the Standard right before breakfast is about to end.
This bug exists because of all the residents at the Standard AND everyone else in the area all trying to get breakfast at Chik-fil-a before it ends at 10:30. Since people are often hungover and waking up just in time to make it, there's a huge rush right before it ends.
3. People who tailgate me extremely close to my car while driving.
This exists because people are in a hurry while driving and think that tailing me will make me go faster, when in reality I don't have control over the speed of traffic and I won't risk a speeding ticket just because this person is late.
4. When I sit down at a restaurant and am sitting for at least five minutes without being given at least a glass of water.
This bug exists because waitresses and waiters may be understaffed or just busy in general, so it slips their mind that they have a new table to pick up and serve.
5. People who do not use turn signals when driving.
This exists because people are simply lazy and do not consider it necessary or important enough to use their turn signal when making a turn (even though in reality it's a huge safety hazard).
6. When I am walking behind two people on the sidewalk and they are both walking extremely slow but are also side-by-side taking up the entire sidewalk, so I can't pass them.
This bug exists because people are often unaware of their surroundings, especially when in conversation, so they do not think or even consider how they are blocking the sidewalk.
7. When I place an online order at Chipotle and am SO excited to get home and finally eat it, but after opening the bowl I realize they forgot to give me important things like cheese or sour cream.
This bug exists because the online ordering process, especially at a busy place like Chipotle, can be hectic and the printed orders could be difficult to read quickly--leading to the workers missing certain ingredients that their eyes skimmed over.
8. When I finish telling a story that I put a lot of effort into telling and at the very end someone says, "Wait, what?"
This bug exists because people get distracted with other things like their phone and they tune out what they should be listening to.
9. Getting to a double-block class and opening my laptop to find that it's at 1%, and I am sitting nowhere near an outlet.
This bug exists because I sometimes forget to charge my laptop at night before I go to class, and I will depend on sitting near an outlet when realistically that is not always possible.
10. When I am getting my nails done and the technician cuts my nailbed while shaving down my nail, but does not even acknowledge it or give me a discount on the total price (even though I am bleeding).
This bug (that has actually happened multiple times) exists because the technicians work very quickly and sometimes are not the most careful when handling their tools. They may not acknowledge it because they don't want to cause attention to the fact they cut their client, and don't want to give a discount because they want to make the most money possible.
11. When the drier cycle finally finishes after taking a long time, but my clothes are still damp.
This bug exists because the drier that my apartment came with is not powerful enough to fully dry large loads of laundry.
12. When I am hanging up a poster on my wall and step back to realize that it's crooked, but I have already made holes in the wall.
This bug exists because it is hard to hang something up perfectly straight by yourself because you aren't able to step back and see it from afar, so it could be avoided by hanging things up with the help of someone else always.
13. When I am buttering toast and the crumbs from the piece of toast I am buttering get all over the stick of butter.
This bug exists because I am repeatedly bringing the used butterknife back against the stick of butter every time I get more butter, and there are crumbs stuck to the knife.
14. The feeling of dry/chapped skin on my heel against fuzzy blankets in bed.
This bug exists because the dry skin on my heel catches against the fibers in the blanket and result in an annoying, rough feeling.
15. When the shower runs out of hot water and I'm not close to being done showering yet.
This bug exists because I have 4 other roommates and sometimes we will shower back-to-back or at the same time, so not enough hot water can always be supplied to my apartment.
16. When I get a large fries at Chik-Fil-A but when I take them out of the bag, they are only half-filled.
This bug exists because the employee that was in charge of filling the box with fries may be in a rush and working quickly so they are unable to take the time to make sure they sufficiently filled the fries, or may just not care enough to fill the carton to the top.
17. Tele-marketers that call me and make me think that I am getting an actual important phone call as it's ringing, but prove to be a complete waste of time once I answer.
Tele-marketers exist because that is simply their job and what they get paid to do. My number somehow ended up on a call list, so they call me.
18. iPhone chargers that break and basically peel apart down to the wire after using them for a while.
This bug exists because these chargers are cheaply made and not made to be super durable, so after bringing them around and using them a lot they get worn out quickly.
19. When someone says they forgot their debit card and asks me to pay for them saying they'll "Venmo me", but never end up paying me no matter how many times I remind them.
This exists because people can be cheap and don't want to pay money for things, especially after they already got what they wanted.
20. People who cough or sneeze without covering their mouths/nose.
This exists because people may lack common courtesy of not spreading germs to other people and it doesn't even cross their minds that this is something they should do.
Reflection:
I found coming up with the actual bugs fairly easy, because a lot of these bugs are things I experience often or have experienced all my life so they are fresh in my mind. When I sit down and think about irritating things that I have recently experienced, it wasn't difficult to get a good start on a few of them and from there, they kept flowing. However, coming up with why these bugs exist was something I struggled with for a lot of them. A few were obvious, like telemarketers existing because that is their job and what they are paid to do. Some were much more difficult to explain, and I found that the ones that were most difficult to explain were the ones that involve other people. I cannot explain without a doubt why someone chooses to do a certain thing, because I am not in their head and do not know exactly what they are thinking. I can only assume based on the facts and what is most likely the correct reason. However, it was very interesting to come up with the explanations as to why these bugs exist and for a few of them, I found that it allowed me to have more sympathy for the other person in these situations. For example, when I think about how irritating it is to get a half-filled order of fries at Chik-Fil-A, this assignment forced me to think and understand that the employee obviously did not do this on purpose and is working in a fast-paced, pressure filled environment.
1. The sound of people loudly chewing while eating chips or anything crunchy in general.
This bug exists because people will often chew with their mouths open and put multiple chips in their mouth at once, which just makes it messier, louder, and more obnoxious.
2. The long line at the Chik-fil-a underneath the Standard right before breakfast is about to end.
This bug exists because of all the residents at the Standard AND everyone else in the area all trying to get breakfast at Chik-fil-a before it ends at 10:30. Since people are often hungover and waking up just in time to make it, there's a huge rush right before it ends.
3. People who tailgate me extremely close to my car while driving.
This exists because people are in a hurry while driving and think that tailing me will make me go faster, when in reality I don't have control over the speed of traffic and I won't risk a speeding ticket just because this person is late.
4. When I sit down at a restaurant and am sitting for at least five minutes without being given at least a glass of water.
This bug exists because waitresses and waiters may be understaffed or just busy in general, so it slips their mind that they have a new table to pick up and serve.
5. People who do not use turn signals when driving.
This exists because people are simply lazy and do not consider it necessary or important enough to use their turn signal when making a turn (even though in reality it's a huge safety hazard).
6. When I am walking behind two people on the sidewalk and they are both walking extremely slow but are also side-by-side taking up the entire sidewalk, so I can't pass them.
This bug exists because people are often unaware of their surroundings, especially when in conversation, so they do not think or even consider how they are blocking the sidewalk.
7. When I place an online order at Chipotle and am SO excited to get home and finally eat it, but after opening the bowl I realize they forgot to give me important things like cheese or sour cream.
This bug exists because the online ordering process, especially at a busy place like Chipotle, can be hectic and the printed orders could be difficult to read quickly--leading to the workers missing certain ingredients that their eyes skimmed over.
8. When I finish telling a story that I put a lot of effort into telling and at the very end someone says, "Wait, what?"
This bug exists because people get distracted with other things like their phone and they tune out what they should be listening to.
9. Getting to a double-block class and opening my laptop to find that it's at 1%, and I am sitting nowhere near an outlet.
This bug exists because I sometimes forget to charge my laptop at night before I go to class, and I will depend on sitting near an outlet when realistically that is not always possible.
10. When I am getting my nails done and the technician cuts my nailbed while shaving down my nail, but does not even acknowledge it or give me a discount on the total price (even though I am bleeding).
This bug (that has actually happened multiple times) exists because the technicians work very quickly and sometimes are not the most careful when handling their tools. They may not acknowledge it because they don't want to cause attention to the fact they cut their client, and don't want to give a discount because they want to make the most money possible.
11. When the drier cycle finally finishes after taking a long time, but my clothes are still damp.
This bug exists because the drier that my apartment came with is not powerful enough to fully dry large loads of laundry.
12. When I am hanging up a poster on my wall and step back to realize that it's crooked, but I have already made holes in the wall.
This bug exists because it is hard to hang something up perfectly straight by yourself because you aren't able to step back and see it from afar, so it could be avoided by hanging things up with the help of someone else always.
13. When I am buttering toast and the crumbs from the piece of toast I am buttering get all over the stick of butter.
This bug exists because I am repeatedly bringing the used butterknife back against the stick of butter every time I get more butter, and there are crumbs stuck to the knife.
14. The feeling of dry/chapped skin on my heel against fuzzy blankets in bed.
This bug exists because the dry skin on my heel catches against the fibers in the blanket and result in an annoying, rough feeling.
15. When the shower runs out of hot water and I'm not close to being done showering yet.
This bug exists because I have 4 other roommates and sometimes we will shower back-to-back or at the same time, so not enough hot water can always be supplied to my apartment.
16. When I get a large fries at Chik-Fil-A but when I take them out of the bag, they are only half-filled.
This bug exists because the employee that was in charge of filling the box with fries may be in a rush and working quickly so they are unable to take the time to make sure they sufficiently filled the fries, or may just not care enough to fill the carton to the top.
17. Tele-marketers that call me and make me think that I am getting an actual important phone call as it's ringing, but prove to be a complete waste of time once I answer.
Tele-marketers exist because that is simply their job and what they get paid to do. My number somehow ended up on a call list, so they call me.
18. iPhone chargers that break and basically peel apart down to the wire after using them for a while.
This bug exists because these chargers are cheaply made and not made to be super durable, so after bringing them around and using them a lot they get worn out quickly.
19. When someone says they forgot their debit card and asks me to pay for them saying they'll "Venmo me", but never end up paying me no matter how many times I remind them.
This exists because people can be cheap and don't want to pay money for things, especially after they already got what they wanted.
20. People who cough or sneeze without covering their mouths/nose.
This exists because people may lack common courtesy of not spreading germs to other people and it doesn't even cross their minds that this is something they should do.
Reflection:
I found coming up with the actual bugs fairly easy, because a lot of these bugs are things I experience often or have experienced all my life so they are fresh in my mind. When I sit down and think about irritating things that I have recently experienced, it wasn't difficult to get a good start on a few of them and from there, they kept flowing. However, coming up with why these bugs exist was something I struggled with for a lot of them. A few were obvious, like telemarketers existing because that is their job and what they are paid to do. Some were much more difficult to explain, and I found that the ones that were most difficult to explain were the ones that involve other people. I cannot explain without a doubt why someone chooses to do a certain thing, because I am not in their head and do not know exactly what they are thinking. I can only assume based on the facts and what is most likely the correct reason. However, it was very interesting to come up with the explanations as to why these bugs exist and for a few of them, I found that it allowed me to have more sympathy for the other person in these situations. For example, when I think about how irritating it is to get a half-filled order of fries at Chik-Fil-A, this assignment forced me to think and understand that the employee obviously did not do this on purpose and is working in a fast-paced, pressure filled environment.
Hey Linnea,
ReplyDeleteI would say many of your bugs are relatable, but the one that really hits home is people saying "I'll just Venmo you." This happened last week when I went out to dinner with a couple of friends and I still have not been paid back. I also live in a four-bedroom apartment so the shower quickly running out of hot water happens frequently. Unlike you, I had a little bit more trouble figuring out what really annoys me. After a few days of going through my daily routine I had it all together. In addition, many of the things you listed are not self-inflicted, which is similar to my list.
Hey Linnea!
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I want to say that I love the design of your blog! On to the content, while reading your list, I realized that we get bugged by similar things! I especially agree with people forgetting to use their turn signals when driving, because that is so dangerous. Also, I, too, have the problem where my clothes are damp coming out of the dryer. I noticed that when I remember to clean the lint filter, the dryer runs better. Great post overall!
Deborah Lee