Things that make you go "Aaaarggh"

Exactly Elegran. I work in the sort of area where cars routinely cut across pavement edges and corners to get ahead of queues at junctions. Even there I was surprised to be confronted by a 4 x 4 driving towards me along the pavement, its burly driver gesturing impatiently at me to get out of his way.

There was a very brief, silent but angry stand-off, before my brain told my temper that antagonising the sort of person who drives a tank with blacked out windows along the pavement was not a good idea, and I moved.

Maggiemaybe How on earth do they park completely on the pavement without driving on there? The law is an ass.

All of the above. People on phones: I walk into them!! People who park badly in car parks: I park as close as I can to their car so they can't get in the drivers door!!

would

We have a nice strip of wide pavement in front of a bus stop round the corner where two motorists actually park completely on the pavement in front of the stop sign, leaving a tiny strip on the road side just big enough for a lowly serf pedestrian to squeeze past. Unusually for me, I reported it - to our local Council, who are responsible for parking in the area. Their response was that parking on pavements is not illegal, apart from in Central London.

They concede that it is illegal to drive on the pavement, but this wouled be a police matter and they'd have to witness the driver doing it to take it further. As my BP mounts most mornings watching the two of them drive for several yards along the pavement before leaving it, I'm plotting my next move.....

As well as people parking on the pavement (I too carry printed sheets of paper which I put under the wipers!) making me really , there are the people who park on the crossings on our very busy high street and on the zigzags either side. Aaaarggh!!

That's the problem Elegran if I had my GC with me I wouldn't want them to witness a confrontation.

"Pavements are for people" On my way to the bus and the nearest shop, there is a stretch of pavement just wide enough for two people walking side-by-side, if the stay close together. It is conveniently just round the corner from the shops/bank/tyre seller etc and often has a car parked with two wheels well onto the pavement so that one person can squeeze along between the car and the wall.

One day I reached it and was about to squeeze past cursing when a woman with a pram and a toddler came down the pavement beside me, and had to walk into a busy road to get past. she was not keen to wait with me for the driver, but I stayed and confronted him when he got back. His reponse "I was only five f***ing minutes".

If I had stood in the road chatting to a friend for five f***ing minutes, how many motorists would be piled up, swearing out of their windows and sounding their horns?

When did pedestrians become second-class citizens, to wait meekly for the lordly motorist to let them use the pavement?

Great idea Bags. I think I'll go on my computer and mock up our local constabulary's logo too and print some off.

I know it's illegal to actually copy it, but a spoof one would give them a shock!

Brilliant idea thatbags. I must try that as it infuriates me. I have batch of labels somewhere. Off to try it.

How about this one? I have been referred for a scan by my GP. A scrappy photocopied letter arrives from my local hospital with a date and time for an appointment and which states if I can't make the date to phone the above number and change, or I can email them on the email address provided. If they don't hear from me, I will not be sent another appointment.

So, I try to change the appointment because the date is completely out of the question (I'm away) - all the telephone numbers provided go straight to voicemail after 2 rings, and the message says "You cannot leave a message on this number". After spending a great deal of time on the phone to the switchboard, I establish that none of the extension numbers provided are correct. On closer scrutiny, there is no email address provided.

I am writing a letter of complaint, and I hate complaining about the NHS service.

Arrgh!!!

Spitting is simply disgusting. Avoiding spittle and dog poo when taking my DGC to school is a real challenge.

aka, I used to have some small slips of paper, lick one side and stick on a car window or side mirror of cars blocking pavements. It said: "Pavements are for pedestrians".

Don't know if it did any good but it released some of my annoyance at having to wheel a pram onto the road.

Sales callers who expect you to drop everything to deal with them. I had a call from an insurance company I used about 8 years ago telling me they could give me a cheaper quote than my present insurer (I don't know the renewal premium yet so don't know how they can do that). He asked how much I paid last year and I said I couldn't remember and that all the paperwork was in my office which is up 2 flights of stairs. He then said if I put down the phone and went to get it he would wait!!! Told him in no uncertain terms that I didn't have time to deal with then and would ring him when I got details of my renewal premium.

I have a neighbour who has the only off road space in the street for parking a car leading to a double garage. At about 4 every afternoon he parks his car outside his house, but not across his 'drive' so nobody else can park outside his property

Oh DOLLIE that made me laugh. I really am a bit of an old whinger!!!

Neighbours parking across my empty drive just because they know i dont own a car...er hello neighbours i do have visitors that have cars!!!

People who park their cars on the pavement leaving me with the choice of pushing a buggy out onto the road to get past or just about squeezing past anyway and scratching their car

Oh dear besottedgran I'm sitting here repeating February and its coming out as Febuary ....recognise is coming out as reconise...library is coming out libary i think I had better go to elocution lessons ....

I rather miss being called "love" and "dear" (both were commonly used to people of all ages where I grew up). Looking forward to it starting again when people notice I'm an oldie. I won't feel in the least patronised. I might feel nostalgic.

People who say Febuary instead of FebRUary---reconise instead of reCOGnise--libary instead of libRAry. The "aitch" pronunciation intrigues me--I was taught that the "h" should not be pronounced (ie haitch) Is it different in different parts of the country? I live in Fife.

'Your call is important to us'

I love this thread.

"Don't worry, I'm not trying to sell you anything".

"Have a nice day" (at 7 p.m. in the evening)

"To be fair, ....." instead of "To be honest, ..."

People who sit on the outer seat in a bus who won't move across to the window or get up to let you in.

People who let a very small child take up a seat on a crowded underground carriage instead of sitting the child on their lap.

People who deposit rubbish into the skip you've hired without asking if it's OK to do so.

Manager-speak - Thinking out of the box, red hat thinking, blue sky thinking, going forward, idea showers, Incentivise. touch base. No such thing as problems, only challenges. Don't bring me problems, only solutions. I have a window. From the get-go. Action that. Giving 110%. Cascading up (or down). Pushing the envelope.

Ex went to work for an american company and from that moment on I could barely bear to speak to him. He loved it. He used it to me. It made him feel important. He never had a chat with someone ever again, EVERYTHING was a meeting - even if it was two minutes in front of a coffee machine. Twat.

For me it's all of the above and the almost universal habit of writing would of instead of would have.