Pet Peeves

We all have things that just set us off. Here are some of mine.

Colorado drivers. My wife Kris used to complain about Virginia drivers and there certainly were valid grounds for complaint. Since moving to the golden west, however, I've become acquainted with Colorado motorists, and I must say they're every bit as bad. Around here, speeders and tailgaters are the worst! Sometimes I have to swallow the urge to shout at them, "If you want to risk your own life, I guess that's your business, if you're killed at least you'd be removing yourself from the gene pool, but don't endanger my life or my wife's." Maybe these fools should be obliged to ride with the rescue squad and find out how awful auto accidents can be.

People who are wealthier than I am, but persist in telling me how poor they are. I really don't need to hear that your investments haven't worked out, or how your pension is so pitiful when it's more than mine.

Global warming deniers. The evidence that global warming is happening is overwhelming now, yet wishful thinkers and people in the pockets of the oil companies persist in saying it's all a hoax. Have they noticed the severity of hurricanes in recent years, the large number of tornadoes this spring, the photos of retreating glaciers and melting icecaps? Many of these are the same people who refuse to believe the certainty that evolution has occurred and is occurring.

People who don't spay or neuter their pets and let their cats wander outside. Jonathan Franzen, in his book "Freedom" says domestic and feral cats kill one million songbirds a day in our country. The birds can't sustain these losses. In addition, unwanted pets are turned loose to starve or form into packs in our parks, forests and urban areas.

People who waste time telling me how busy they are. We all know folks who do this. It's all I can do when someone starts in like this to say, "If you're all that busy, why are you standing here talking to me?"

Cellphone users. They do it at the movies, they do it in the library, they do it while driving, they're loud, obnoxious and rude. Here's a tip: no one wants or needs to hear your conversations, and let me tell you, you're boring!

The person in line ahead of me who doesn't have his act together. I'm at the grocery store and the clerk finishes ringing up the order and only then does the customer start fishing around for a checkbook or credit card. Am I the only one this happens to? And it always seems to happen when I'm in a rush, because I know. . .

People who are chronically late. We're all late on occasion, but people who are late all the time are rude. They're saying that my time isn't very valuable, at least to them. There's something psychological going on there that I don't understand but that's not an excuse.

And finally,

People who use the expression "pet peeves."