Voting ends tonight in Round I of Etiquetteer's Spring Madness of Pet Peeves, and it's been interesting to see what peeves Etiquetteer's readers - and what doesn't. Please vote now! Look out tomorrow for which pet peeves advance to the next round; the competitions will be even more interesting! Readers have also submitted pet peeves they didn't see in the competition, and the list is growing engrossing:
- Clicking on a link to respond to something and my computer opens up a mail program I never use. Etiquetteer hopes that this is something that can be easily resolved by tech support.
- Stupid pet videos taking over my Facebook newsfeed. Indeed! Etiquetteer has found some assistance by clicking "I don't want to see this" or simply hiding posts from pet-centric friends.
- Gum-cracking. "A word to the wise is sufficient," as Etiquetteer's Dear Mother says. Although, would the wise be cracking gum in the first place? Etiquetteer trembles to think of the first verse of "He Had It Comin'" from Chicago . . .
- Not deciding what to order until you get to the front of the long line. This is especially aggravating when there have been so many opportunities to consider the menu on the wall first. One can only hope that counter staff will occasionally call out "Please be ready with your order when you approach the counter!"
- Responding to a long, thought-out email, with "K." True, but that's better than "TLDR."
- Fiddling with the radio/air conditioning on someone else's car when they are driving. As the driver, one has the opportunity to say "Stop that!"
- Making fun of gifts given to you, with the giver in the room. Callous in the extreme! Recipients who behave that way should be stricken permanently from your gift list.
- Asking a question and then interrupting before they finish answering. Not a defensible habit, but Etiquetteer cannot Wag an Admonitory Digit too vigorously over it, since this is a Bad Habit of That Mr. Dimmick Who Thinks He Knows So Much (and certainly, in this case, knows better).
- Talking in theaters, especially live performances. Sometimes even the Icy Glare is insufficient - too many people suffer from a lack of Guilt and Shame at inconveniencing others. Time to call the usher.
- Taking the last of a communal good such as office coffee, and not making more. Indeed, it's frustrating when one's need for caffeine cannot be gratified immediately! The gravity of this offense lessens the further one gets away from the Hours of Greatest Consumption. For instance, it's wasteful to make a fresh pot of coffee two hours before closing time, when it couldn't all possibly be drunk.
As we advance to Round II tomorrow, Etiquetteer thinks you surely must have a pet peeve that isn't on the competition grid. Won't you please send it along to queries@etiquetteer.com?
