Things are as they are, not as they should be!

7 Stinkers I Wish to Send

images_thumbWe all have some people around us who grate on our nerves. There are some who can spoil our mood in a flash of a second. Then there are some who simply annoy you. Well, that’s life. There are all sorts of people around. You feel like screaming on them, but you can’t…

Here’s my list of 7 categories of people who should receive a stinker…

  1. Tele-callers are the no. 1 people on my hit list. These are the pushy people on the other side of the phone who have the knack of being persistent pests and indulge in extremely high pitched sales at all ungodly hours. Selling the broadband tariff plans, to number portability, your repeated refusals to accept their products or services, or even lambasting them has no effect on them. You seethe and breathe fire but they are back with again after a few days.  To these people all I can say is, “If you ever call me again, I’m going to contact my lawyer.”
  2. Watching a movie in a multiplex for me is a serious entertainment business. I like to watch a movie from the opening credits to the last slide where they show ‘The End’. The reason I go to a theatre is to enjoy the movie experience. But there are people who come in late, talk loudly on phone, have weird loud ring tones and who have screaming, running, crying, hysterical kids in a cinema hall. Hello busters, “I know you used to have functioning brain cells, but you have now traded them for something else…”
  3. I love my books and am proud of my collection of books. I loved the joy of sharing a good book with friends till I realized that my prized possessions were either never returned back or were given back after repeated reminders and/or in a mutilated condition. A lesson was learnt the hard way, so I pasted a sticker on my library cupboard, ‘Our Policy : No lending and borrowing of books’. But the direct written words  and the subtle spoken words about the lending policy doesn’t enter their brains and they still pick up a book or two and leave you fuming. I know for sure, “You are a thief of joy, stay away!”
  4. I am not a serious grammar nazi. I understand the regular typos or the honest little mistakes we make. But regular usage of ‘your’ instead of ‘you’re’, confusion between ‘its’/’it’s ‘and ‘they’re /their/there’, really gets on my nerves. Hope you know the difference between knowing your shit and knowing you’re shit!”
  5. Ok, I have an OCD for cleanliness. But washing hands after coming home or doing anything in the kitchen is plain simple hygiene manners. Please do not practice this hygienic nuisance in my home. Wash your hands and be a nice guy again!”
  6. I dial a number to call a customer care and I am asked to press #2 for English, #4 for Payments, #2 for Residential, #3 for existing customers, #1 for previous menu, #2 for new service… and on and on… and by the time it is transferred to a customer service personnel, I am tired and even forget why I had called them. Keep it simple, silly!”
  7. I don’t drive but I do know when there is a road rage, when somebody is driving recklessly. I know it is not right when people text while driving or drive with babies in their laps, people who honk incessantly or change lanes carelessly. Don’t drive stupid!”

 

I am taking part in The Write Tribe Festival of Words 1st – 7th September 2013.

WTFestivalofWords

Images courtesy : Google Images

84 Responses

  1. Point 6 Ha ha ha he he he Happens to me so many times! And many times it dissuades me to even make that call. They will ask you questions like when did you make the last call, what was told and so on and so forth.
    Point 7. Agree agree agree. I forbid my husband to do that when he wants to get a tiny-winy glance of that ping. I tell him we are acting exemplary parents remember! And I have no words for bike riders, trying to send message while maneuvering traffic, without helmets. I have just one word for them – Idiots. They are putting others’ lives at risk too.

    1. True, the worst is when they put you on hold for ages. But now for every thing there is a customer care centre and all have these IVR initially so there is no running away from them, sadly!
      Bikers are dangerous lot and have seen some of them on phone while maneuvering the bike with one hand! Shocking and scary! :O

  2. Ahh….agony shared of point 1, 3 & 6. I hate to dial the so called CUSTOMER SERVICE numbers!! And I’ve had really bad experiences in sharing books…always returned after reminders and a face folded would make me real mad! 🙁 I’ve stopped giving them now…but to recommend good reads to friends!

  3. People take your books without permission? With such people, I am more direct these days – I tell them not to do that in as many words. Even with people who call me and keep talking about their life-history for several minutes, I tell them I have some more work and need to cut the call. If the other person is shameless enough, why should we consider things like courtesy?

    Destination Infinity

  4. haha! Can agree with most of the points here 🙂 though I dont have any OCD !
    That movie watching and book lending things are highly irritable and ya rest all make me impatient too .
    Some times when a tele caller calls I just keep them on hold and do my work till they cut the call themselves 😛
    Devilish pleasures u know

  5. My biggest one is ‘Point number 2’. What is it with people having no sense of time? Why do they have to enter the theatre well past 5 minutes of the movie. ANd ya, the ring tones…and those people who constantly keep chatting or messaging on their phone…What’s with people and their phones in a cinema hall. Its just plain rude. Enjoy and let enjoy! 🙂

    Also, pt no 5. Oopsie! I expect everyone to know THAT…right?

    1. Agree with you about these ill-manners in a movie. Last time we were watching the silly Chennai Express in Shimla and there was this young couple who were talking and ‘discussing’ the movie during the show. I told the girl that they should not talk as they are disturbing us. She said, ‘we are talking to each other’. I said, ‘But I can hear you’. So they exchanged their seats ie the girl who was adjacent to me moved to the boy’s seat and he to hers! Such dumb people.
      Sadly, people dont even know this very basic thing!! 😐

  6. I’m so with you on the book lending bit. Irks the hell out of me to not get them back or to get them dog-eared and damaged. Oh and I might be a bit of an often in the theatre :-).

  7. Was I nodding away to glory? No prize for guessing the answer because I usually agree with what u say not because I have to but because our thoughts match!!

    But u know my Grammar is bad!! Sometimes when I type in a hurry I get confused between write & right!! There & their!!! and what not!!! Am working on it but what to do habits die hard 😉 May be once I start teaching my son My grammar will improve 😀

    1. You too, Susan! 😀 I am learning to let go for cleanliness now coz I have seen that it harms me too. For example, not eating out while traveling or surviving on packaged junk food is not good at this age…

  8. I agree with point number 2 & 7. We go to the multiplex to have a good movie experience. But there are many who are not concerned about others watching the movie. They stand in front of you, or take calls and talk endlessly. It can be quite irritating. I can’t get along people without road sense too.

  9. Agree with all the points. I don’t have OCD for cleaning, but yes basic cleanliness such as washing hands is a must. I have lost many of my favourite books after lending them to friends 🙂 On the first point, though I get irritated, I also get sympathetic to the callers. Poor guys, they have pressure and targets to meet and have to work at ungodly hours and for some its their rozi-roti.. I don’t buy any of the products out of sympathy, but I try never to be rude to them.

  10. OMG, Shilpa, Are you a mind reader?

    Ditto, ditto feelings shilpa. …. and If i can add eight to this list – the sulkers. I hate sulkers and people with negative thoughts. I run a mile away from them.

    Even i am no authority in English but i hate when people misplace ie and ei like in their, thief etc…( though in a hurry, even i sometimes type wrongly).

    I love watching the movie same way as you do and hate it when people come in late and block your vision. Ditto feeling with telecallers and customer care. Some regular telecallers, i have saved their number as Nonsense1, nonsense2 and so on. ….

    customer care… it is so irritating to listen to their practiced courtesy, in fake accents “thank you for calling ma’am, have a good day” etc.
    I have the experience of loosing books too… with some friends i ask them to return back.

    OCD and driving also same feelings.

    Overall, i would send similar stinkers too.

    1. I LOVED your Nonsense 1, Nonsense 2 idea… this is brilliant. Am sure seeing the caller as Nonsense would invariably bring a smile. 😀
      Glad to have your company in sending these stinkers 😀

  11. I am agree with you in every point, except #3. I am really very strict when some one wants to read my books by taking them away. I make them sit on my couch and read them only there and keep them on place after reading. I never ever lend someone my books!

  12. Literally the bane of our existence, Shilpa. My pet peeve is the telemarketer who has something to promote and wants to know why we don’t want it! Arrgh. I am with you on each of these. Incidentally the do not disturb registry is not effective, really.
    I travel by bus occasionally and simply hate those loud phone callers. Utterly gross. Worse if they are holding one of the overhead bars and their armpit…well. less said the better. 🙂

    1. I guess, DND is effective but am fed up of calls from the telecom companies whose services we use. They are forever calling to change the tariff plan. Twice, I have changed because I just wanted to get them off my back. 2 months later they were back again with a new tariff plan. 😐
      I imagined the scenario in the bus.. it is so gross 😐

  13. I don’t like when someone borrows my book and don’t return it for months even after constant reminders. It’s just plain annoying. That pasting a note part never helps. My grandfather had a note pasted at the door of his study, “Yadi koi zaruri kaam nahi hai to 10 minute se zyada samay na baithen.” Everybody read, nobody followed. 🙁

  14. I can empathise with all of them, though I don’t have OCD. I have a solution for you for the first though. Register your phone with DnD. No more telemarketing. Bliss!

    1. I have DND activated on my phone. Thankfully, the calls from people who would sell a rare Rudraksh or a spy camera are nil. But how can I ban the tele-callers of the telecom companies whose services we use? They have our phone nos. are forever calling to change to the new, ‘beneficial’ tariff plan. 😐

  15. I’m a mega hater of these tele-callers. I’m in complete in agreement with you. At least you are diplomatic in saying ‘ If you call me again I will call my lawyer’. But in my case, I used to threaten them with dire consequences LOL :-)))))

  16. Number 2 experienced on Sunday! So damn irritating! I mean you should either come to theater without kids or ensure they are not a nuisance. Spoils the mood instantly. :/

    1. I think I wrote about this on some blog. Last time, we had a woman playing with her kid and talking to her in baby talk, loudly during the movie… can you beat that? 😐

  17. Ha Ha Ha…could relate to almost all of them. I guess each one of us finds all of the categories along our journey. Don’t let them clutter your mind and just throw away the trash. 😀

  18. Very valid peeves Shilpa…I am reminded of your washing lays chips packets reading your OCD cleanliness point – it must be sterile in your house. I have great regard for people who are organized.

    I go grrrr at people who don’t get direct messages and if they keep or return ruined books, I’ll go double grrr….
    :))

    1. LOL 😀 You remember that post! 😀
      Only those who don’t get direct messages are callous enough to have disregard for the books too. It comes with their territory I guess 😐

  19. Those tele callers are truly a nuisance. I used to be polite and listen to the whole spiel but now I just cut them short with a no thanks.

  20. Agreeing with all the points. Esp the books and tele-callers.
    Recently when I went to see Chennai Express, the theatre was full of Arabs,God knows what they were doing for a Hindi movie, and despite that, they were just screaming and laughing and talking so loudly, I had to get out of that row!

  21. Very well researched.
    Try and download truecaller which will help you avoid silly calls.
    To watch movies peacefully,we go for morning 10 am shows where only VELLAS like us come and Sr citizens can hardly flirt( exceptions,though).
    I am jot a b great book collector,but,would hate to lend my stock.
    We are mixed in English English and Amreekan English.But ,does it matter?Important is that we should understand the msg…which we do.
    I admire those who wash hands frequently.I for one wash at least ten times a day,one even after a shake hand.
    And Shilpa,all that matters is reading such lovely blogs..just keep writing.

    1. True caller is a nice app. Should use that!
      10 am show is wow… but guess, it would not be possible for us 😛
      yes, even I wash hands after handshakes 😛
      Thanks for all your support, Mr Chowla 🙂

  22. Delightful post!! Am dodo or just lazy when it comes to rectifying my grammar errors. Thanks to social media, we now use shortcuts for everything.
    Yeah i hate telemarketers or door-to-door salesman. There timing is so irritating & usually spoils my aft siestas.

    1. Thanks Anu 🙂 Oh, yes, when you get into the sleep mode, you will hear the doorbell or the tring tring… it is like a ritual!

  23. You so right Shilpa and full agree with you whether agents, book thieves and grammar. Though I am guilty with my grammar and gotta brush my stuff for better and concise write-up.
    Awesome write up.
    Cheerz

  24. I have a bit of all points but its point 2 and 3 movies and books which are almost like gospel truths for me. And I believe for all customer care harrassments lawyers should work for free 😀 😀

  25. Agree on all points Shilpa, you had me saying oh yes for everything except #2 which I got used to over time… The IVR is the most irritating thing one can encounter, it eats your time and sanity..

  26. Spot on, Shilpa! I especially like the book borrowers – once someone returned a book to me in such a shabby state that I ended up asking them to keep it – and bought a new copy for myself! 🙂

  27. for the first one you can contact me…and i simply loved the example you gave for the fourth one and this makes me double check my comment 🙂

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.