The Friday before Christmas was my last day in the office. I worked from home for 5 days (Christmas and New Year’s Day were holidays and I took Christmas Eve off). I resumed the daily commute yesterday morning in blizzard conditions.
Figures.
As I was riding the train though, I realized that there are people that I vehemently despise. People that, whatever they do, irk the shit out of me.
In no particular order, here’s to them:
Chatty Kathys
This woman is nice enough…but damn can she talk. Whether she’s on the phone from 7:42 am until 8:09 am or chatting it up with someone who is trying to walk away, she does. not. shut. up. I don’t know where she gets the energy, but even I can’t handle it that early in the morning. I just want to read my Nook or troll through Facebook. Quietly.
Suburban Tourists
When I say suburban tourists, I mean tourists who live in suburbia and only take the train for special occasions. Whether they’re riding in on my morning commute or following me home, they never cease to piss me the fuck off. They talk on the quiet car. They’re loud. They’re rude. They never have their tickets ready. They don’t even understand why they’re being charged an extra $2 for not buying their ticket at the station. Jerks.
Headphone Abusers
These people are also found in the elevator and other close-quarter locations where you can hear their music, audiobook or phone conversation perfectly clear. So perfectly clear that you may as well be a part of the damn conversation. I don’t care that Cheryl’s boyfriend is in jail. I don’t want to listen to the latest romance novel. I don’t want to jam out to your country or rap…and I don’t expect you to enjoy my 90’s party pop or to want to hear about my most recent run in with the ground. Let’s turn the volume down, eh?
Smelly People
This can go either way. Sometimes these are the people who don’t shower or they sit next to you with bad breath…and start talking. OR they’ve DOUSED themselves in some type of perfume that they think smells wonderful…and really they’re giving me a headache. Here’s a tip: Don’t spritz on the scents right before you get on the train. Wait until you’re not surrounded by people in a tiny space. And shower. Please. Please. Please. Shower.
I am well aware of the fact that I have my own set of pitfalls that do not fall on this list. I’m sure I piss people off too. What are some of your pet peeves when it comes to your daily commute? If you don’t commute, what are some pet peeves in your daily existence?
8 Responses
Please post your train schedule. Though I only ride once or twice a year, I’d hate to end up on your least missed list as a tourist. Then again I do delight in tweeking people. Such perverse fun to see them squirm!
No. That’s a terrible idea!
The perfume people and the headphone people…or ear piece phone talkers…annoying anywhere! I have been scared to death by someone booming, “Hello!” into their ear piece phone gadget. What is it about those things that make people talk so much louder than they would on an actual phone? Also, nobody knows who they are bellowing hello at for the first 45 seconds. Awkward.
P.S. you are making me want to change my blog to purple. Seriously, I could live here.
Awwww. Make yourself at home here!
My biggest pet peeve is at work, when you are at lunch and you have headphones on, your reading blog posts or watching a movie, and in the middle of eating lunch and people have to interrupt you. That dreaded “are you at lunch?”……… seriously…… do you not see the food sitting in front of me. Do you not see the “out to lunch” on the chat screen.
As you can tell this happens a lot. I have been known to grab everything…. after the last person (after 10 others) who interrupted me has left of course :)….. and ran into some remote area of the building and finished my lunch.
OMIGOSH. YES. That is the most annoying thing ever.
The people who have no concept of their size but still want to squeeeeeeeeze next to me are the bane of my exist,er, commute.
OMG! YES! They are awful too! Or the ones who sit in your regular seat before you get there because they aren’t commuters and don’t realize that you sit there every. single. day.