It’s often the case that not until you have a major drama in your life do you realise just how petty and unimportant the little annoyances of everyday life actually are in comparison. However, thankfully due to the fact such drama is fairly seldom for most, the petty annoyances take on greater significance than they should. I do find these every day grievances humorous though. We all have our own but also a great many shared. In the interests of perhaps raising a smile or inducing some empathy, here are ten of mine, some more universal than others, all very unimportant in the grand scheme of things but seemingly all too momentous on a slow news day.
1. People adding extra volume to sneezes for effect. They don’t need to be forced and can lead to anyone within a ten metre radius receiving the fright of their lives if they’re not expecting such an audible nasal and mouth outburst. Such forced sneezes can also lead to burst blood vessels for the sneezer so warning is advised.
2. Taking shoes off in a library. It’s a library not a living room or shoe shop.
3. Those who say “I see what you did there” whilst trying to sound ironic after someone else has said something supposedly witty by way of a play on words.
4. Dirty dishes being left beside a sink without some tap water used to at least loosen the food stuffs still on the plate. A little rinse will aid the full clean up process later by up to and in some cases exceeding 50%.
5. Too much use of the word ‘dude’ at the start of sentences. If you’re not a surfer in California, best to use it sparingly. Seems especially popular in some pubs in the Clapham area of Londonside.
6. The uncertainty that an article of clothing you have washed being either just a little cold or still damp after an inadequate drying period. Cold you can live with, damp is just uncomfortable.
7. When one mans bare foot unexpectedly touches another mans bare foot. For example when you are watching television with a flatmate and you are both using the table as a foot rest. Nobody feels very comfortable but it can lead to a renewed zest in the friendship.
8. Putting a whole new batch of songs on your iPOD and leaving the house excitedly in readiness to listen to them only to find your headphones are malfunctioning.
9. The absence of a “thank you” when holding doors open or stepping aside for people to pass. This is a fairly universal gripe, it doesn’t make it any less of a personal issue for those involved though.
10. Passengers who wait at bus stops for twenty minutes and only decide to count out their fare when in front of the driver thus making the previous twenty minutes seem a fairly unproductive passage of time as the queue of other passengers wait with increasing impatience. The introduction of the Oyster card system in London has helped combat this but it’s still an ongoing issue.