I struggled not to write this article. I try to stay positive. See the silver lining.
But every once in awhile you just have to vent. I hear it's good for you. (OK, to a point; nonstop venting exacerbates the problem. But holding it in can build anger up to unreasonable proportions, too.)
I used to want to write a blog called Outrage of the Day, but there is one already.
The ladies at WowOwow.com assuaged my guilt over this: I felt sanctioned when I saw a pet peeve article in the sidebar (although I can't find it now, which frankly is another pet peeve, love the site as I do).
But there are multitudinous aspects of modern society that can exponentially raise one's frustration levels! Maybe we can figure out how to fix them together. See? I'm feeling more reasonable already — but first, the venting:
I already noted this Pet Peeeve in the Smart Set article: pet peeve #437: why do they make purses with lining so dark you need a flashlight to find anything in there?! This list has an essentially more retail slant incorporating tech/web, phone and physical stores:
1. Slow-loading websites, especially with music you can't turn off. Or find the turn-off button. Maybe you're at work, or you hate the music. Or you're just not in the mood. Don't foist you music on me! Give me the option!
2. Long intros to websites: The web is essentially an information tool. I don't want to see pretty petals falling or little tinkerbell sparkles that I have to chase after and click to get to the information I'm looking for — it's wasting time!
-New York magazine has a good article about fashion websites that waste your time. I especially agree with #1: stop the videos already. I'm there to shop, or "window" shop", check out the merch. Information is one thing, but I don't care how a 20-something walks in those shoes. She probably doesn't have bone spurs anyway.
3. No Search feature, or search features that don't work. Again, I'm there to find information. Don't make it so hard for me. Or I'll just get frustrated and never return to the site.
4. Over-packaged stuff. Especially over-packaged stuff that it takes MacGyver to open. It's bad for the environment anyway, and just makes you hate the product by the time you finally get into it — assuming you do.
5. Computer phone loops. Aaggghhh! I spent a long time on several of these yesterday. One of them was for this column; trying to find a media contact for Dorothy Hamill's new line of jewelry (her hair looks great, by the way). I was on the phone for nearly an hour pushing through menu buttons that did me no good whatsoever. I left messages. No one called me back. By the time I finally reached a human, I was deeply frustrated. And she was utterly charming — NOT. I don't care about the jewelry line anymore. Which is a pity.
-But the larger point here is: employ people! If you think you're saving time and money by making people get to the place they are looking for first, you're inviting frustration. You really haven't thought of all the things we could be calling about! (For the record, T-Mobile is really nice about this.)
6. In-store shopping. I still like it — or thought I did. You come out with what you want. Or not. Yesterday I went to 4 drugstores for some simple items. Walgreens, Rite-Aid, Duane-Reade, CVS. No one working the floors. When I did find someone to ask about location of items, I received a vague arm-flailing. I couldn't tell if she was pointing somewhere or trying to dislodge a random bedbug from her uniform sleeve.
I finally did find most of what I sought at the CVS, but then there was no one at checkout. There was a girl to help me self-checkout (this baffles me), but the machine kept counting all the items twice.
Finally, I left everything there in complete frustration. Among the items I did not buy: Sally Hansen's lip wax strips; Sally Hansen nail polish; various Goody and Scungi packaged hair clips; dark chocolate; a magnifying mirror; yet another pair of reading glasses (1.75); 2 birthdays cards (note to self: start a 50th-birthday-parties savings fund).
Now I could start in here on manners as well. But that is a long list. And the above is especially upsetting because it makes me behave with bad manners, which I hate. SO I will try to refocus on my kindness mindset. And meditation helps; I started that at the beginning of this year, and have only missed one day so far. But it didn't help yesterday.
So OK, done — for now. What are yours? And do you have any solutions? Go!
