The Official Rants and Trolls Thread

I was generally against a "rants" thread, but now that I see it, I like what you've done with the place.

So it's about 12:30 am. I'll post a rant.

I dislike people who use convience tools or technology with no knowledge of how to use it. What I'm talking about are ATM's and Self Check-Out in supermarkets.

I'm usually in a hurry on weekends. My time is valuable to me. Sometimes I need some cash. I'll pull into the Drive Through ATM, which denotes to me that it is for driving through, or quick, fast transactions. I will inevitably get behind the guy that has decided that Sunday Morning at 9:00 am is the best time for him to convert his Swiss Francs into Krugerands and multi-deposit them in bank accounts around the world. So I sit, while I watch him deposit envelopes, punch buttons, frown, deposit more envelopes, punch more buttons, frown....Hey, this has happened to me more than once...my feeling? If you have serious banking to do? Wait until Monday and actually go into the bank. Don't use the Drive Thru ATM and then get frustrated when it isn't doing what you want it to do.

Related and additionally, I often wonder why it seems in a crowded supermarket that people who act like they have NEVER SEEN a supermarket scanner, or a bar code think that it is best if they bypass the line for the check-out and use the self-check out. Again, I often get behind the person that is moving at a snails pace and stops every time the machine voices a command. I can usually count to twenty as the person slowly realizes what "Please Put The Item In The Bagging Area" means. God Forbid this person has produce to purchase, as "Entering The Produce Code" for them is akin to cracking the Da Vinci Code.

I know I sound harsh. And I know people have to learn. But if it's going to be faster to have someone ring up your purchases for you than it is for you to try to use the self-check out? Please, just go to the regular line, and leave the self-check out for those of us with opposable thumbs. You're not saving yourself any time and you are slowing everyone else down.

That's it, end of my rant. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some late night banking to do and I'm going to swing by the supermarket for some produce.

 

My rant has to be the people posting queries for gas mileage help again w/scant info, sometimes to never return. It leaves people guessing, throwing out suggestions that might not apply/help, and re-writing what's been posted so many times before.

So far, I can recall at least 1-2 people recently in that boat here, the one NAH person over at greenhybrid.com and the same thing at work on a work mailing list for "green cars" (complaining of "36 mpg" on here 2010 Prius w/scant details and dismissive attitude of her dealer saying there's nothing wrong w/her car). I even suggested that she post at Gen III 2010 Prius Fuel Economy - PriusChat Forums and answer my suggested list of questions... It's been >1 week for that person. Zilch.

 

Why disregard it when its actually true? Insurance companies increase profit by denying benefits in some cases, leading to premature death of the individuals who were denied coverage. Death panels already exist.

 

Yes, but with insurance companies, the panels are staffed by 24 year old business majors. I think they are certainly more qualified for making medical decisions than some MD with years and years of training.

Tom

 

Yes, good point. 20 somethings already know everything. :madgrin:

 

I wish they would only raise rates on junk mail.

 

New Rant:

Yesterday I ended up at one of those "All You Can Eat" family buffet restaurants.

If you are ever looking for motivation to stay on a diet, just go hang around one of those places during dinner time.

It was like watching Blue Whales feed on schools of plankton, except the whales occasionally come up for air.

Evidently after being rescued by from their bedrooms by Jerry Springer, these people congregate at the all you can eat buffet. If consumption of resources bothers you? Keep your eyes closed. The dinner plates are smaller than normal but that doesn't stop them. They can pile an 8 course dinner vertically skyward, and still have a hand free to fill a cup with ice cream and jello.

Whenever a haggard employee emerged from the kitchen with a refill or new addition to the buffet it was like Noseferatu at a blood bank.

I actually felt sorry for the establishment as I think the definition of "All you can Eat" was being redefined. I saw single individuals consuming more food than entire impoverished 3rd world villages probably see in a week, and then they would go back for more.

The movement was almost passerine. Flocks of cellulite moving towards flats of steamed fillets of Tilapia. The grace was akin to a George Romero Zombie movie except I don't think fire or a bullet to the head would of stopped these Twinkie seeking Zombies.

In anycase, I'm in a grumpy mood because I have decided to put myself on a 24 hour fast. It's time for my Sprite Zero.....

 

Verizon FiOS "auto" bill pay doesn't work

Ugh... I'm annoyed that Verizon FiOS auto bill pay doesn't work worth beans. I've enrolled in it at least 2x (have confirmation emails) to have it auto pay via credit card. Yet, suddenly, I owe $209 because I owe for 2 months of service now.

I just love how these "Your bill is now available online" emails state

When checking my account online, it mentions a balance and "no payment received". What happened to auto bill pay?

A few minutes ago, when I tried to pay my anyway, that portion of the site was down for maintanence. Grr...

I own quite a few shares of Verizon and am annoyed at their incompetence.

 

What happened in the last 20 years that people are no longer able to distinguish plural from possessive in their punctuation? When I was growing up we learned the difference in the second grade, and never forgot it: plural you add S, but possessive owns the apostrophe.

Today I see plural with the apostrophe everywhere by everyone. Was that a lesson cut from the curriculum because more money was needed to pay school administrators?

It's so common I expect the OED will eventually capitulate and endorse it as accepted practice, because what's common is what defines the language, not what some ancient dictionary says. But it still scrapes like a rock on chalkboard every time I see it.

 

My pet peeve on the internet is the high percentage of people who do not know the difference between "lose" and "loose". You did not loose your mind.

 

Well you never know. That depends on how much internet porn you've been looking at

 

Porn might be one of the only genres where "loose" is used correctly. :madgrin:

 

You can't lose when the women are loose.

Tom

 

My thought of the day:

Women are angels
And when someone breaks our wings…
We simply continue to fly……on a broomstick…
We are flexible!