Complaint Thursdays

[Buffalo Wings]

1. When is the NYS DMV going to revise what is included on the road test? Take out ###### like parallel parking and 3 point turns, and include having to go on a busy street(road test locations of East Aurora and Orchard Park don't cut it), make people get on and off the thruway and when possible have them go thru a traffic circle(see my rant below). Also, make it so that once you hit a certain age, you need to take a road test every 5 years(70 or 75???)

 

2. There are several new traffic circles that have been constructed in WNY over the last few years, and people are clueless as to how something so simple works....the cars ENTERING the circle YIELD to cars IN the circle. Do you idiots not know what yield means?

 

This is a MAJOR pet peeve of mine. People who don't know the rules really piss me off, but more so than traffic circles are the ones at 4-way stop intersections. They never know who should go first (so there's a lot of starting & stopping), when you know you're next, some jackwagon waves you through like he's doing you a favor, and there are people who just piggyback behind others to get through before everyone else.

 

The pumpkin iced coffee has worn off - my golf round was canceled today because the course is closed. I can understand it because we have a 3-day tournament this weekend and they haven't been able to maintain the course since last Friday because of the rain, so they want it in prime shape. But that means I have to be at work all day. <_<

[shrader]

Sunday afternoon I was on Grand Island Blvd just north of Fantasy Island and came across this scene just after it happened:

 

An elderly woman had "fallen asleep" at the wheel, drifted off the right side of the road, ripped off her oil pan and exhaust when she "passed over" a sewer entrance, then drove/coasted another 100-150 yds(!) through brush and between trees before her car died from lack of fluids. No skid marks it seems she "slept" even through that bumpy terrain until the car stopped on its own. We stopped to help and she got out of her car, said "I fell asleep - it happens all the time". She said her brother lived right around the corner and she was going to walk there. We called the cops and by the time the police showed up she was gone. We talked to the cops and he said "I think I know who you're talking about - she was driving around her son's apartment parking lot last weekend hitting dumpsters (plural)" Then she comes wandering back and I point her out to him and he says "yeah that's her".

 

I hope he took her license but somehow I bet she's out there "driving" right now.

 

I know I shouldn't be laughing, but I am. It must be because I know I'm far away and safe from this woman. But you're absolutely right, there's no way they should allow someone like that to keep her license.

 

This is a MAJOR pet peeve of mine. People who don't know the rules really piss me off, but more so than traffic circles are the ones at 4-way stop intersections. They never know who should go first (so there's a lot of starting & stopping), when you know you're next, some jackwagon waves you through like he's doing you a favor, and there are people who just piggyback behind others to get through before everyone else.

 

I've got a slightly different variation of those people who wave you through that I can't stand. All the time I'll be waiting to turn left through two oncoming lanes of traffic. Someone in the first lane will stop and wave me through, which is nice and all, except for the fact that they don't think about that second lane with cars still flying through. They tend to get frustrated when I don't turn, but hey, I'd really rather not get creamed by that other car going through at full speed who doesn't have to stop just because another one did.

 

And this has me thinking of another one from this morning. I'm second in line waiting to turn left at a standard 2 lane road. Someone in the other direction stops to let the first car go, but for whatever reason, they refuse to turn. The stopped car then gives the old high beam flash to signal them... but they still refuse to turn. 3 signals later, the car finally got it and went. Of course, by this point, that stopped car had waited too long or otherwise they would have let me go too. So there's another slight delay in getting to work (that however is not a complaint).

[dEnnis the Menace]

It took me an hour and a half for a regularly 50 minute commute today because EVERY car is being routed AROUND Ithaca. I am not looking forward to my drive home tonight, as the one street was bumper to bumper from one end to the next, and it's a pretty long road in the grand scheme of things (Route 13A).

 

Also, me not trying to drive through the flooded streets and what not in Dryden/Freeville/Ithaca to get to work angered my boss, so he is giving me the silent treatment, after explaining to me that the girl and her boyfriend (who live on the far side of Ithaca (as in the heading to Elmira side) got to work just fine this morning. I tried explaining that I talked to her and it took her a long time just to get out of Ithaca, and that she doesn't drive across the county to get to work...he just doesn't feel like listening. UGH@! 5pm please hurry.

[Andrew Amerk]

There is a new jerk at work since last week.

 

He has been playing his radio on and off since he started, despite being told numerous times that we are not allowed to have radios. They are quite distracting to our jobs. To make matters worse, he plays the bland commercial station that only rotates the same 4 songs over and over.

 

I had warned him all day yesterday to stop. He didnt listen.

 

As of an hour ago, the power cord to his radio was mysteriously cut in half. No more radio.

[LGR4GM]

There is a new jerk at work since last week.

 

He has been playing his radio on and off since he started, despite being told numerous times that we are not allowed to have radios. They are quite distracting to our jobs. To make matters worse, he plays the bland commercial station that only rotates the same 4 songs over and over.

 

I had warned him all day yesterday to stop. He didnt listen.

 

As of an hour ago, the power cord to his radio was mysteriously cut in half. No more radio.

:thumbsup: winning

[neverenough]

There is a new jerk at work since last week.

 

He has been playing his radio on and off since he started, despite being told numerous times that we are not allowed to have radios. They are quite distracting to our jobs. To make matters worse, he plays the bland commercial station that only rotates the same 4 songs over and over.

 

I had warned him all day yesterday to stop. He didnt listen.

 

As of an hour ago, the power cord to his radio was mysteriously cut in half. No more radio.

 

Nothing wrong with cutting the cord :w00t: 4 songs over and over :wallbash:

[MattPie]

Went out to lunch with some coworkers. Despite my renewed compliance to my diet, I was seduced by a cheesesteak on a *garlic bread* roll. Now I have to have a labotomy do forget how amazing is tasted.

[shrader]

Went out to lunch with some coworkers. Despite my renewed compliance to my diet, I was seduced by a cheesesteak on a *garlic bread* roll. Now I have to have a labotomy do forget how amazing is tasted.

 

And if it's a big enough lobotomy, you'll lose the same amount of weight you just added.

[MattPie]

And if it's a big enough lobotomy, you'll lose the same amount of weight you just added.

 

I have to be careful though, too much and I'll become a Flyers fan.

[shrader]

I have to be careful though, too much and I'll become a Flyers fan.

 

As long as you leave something you should be all set.

[Kevbeau]

Sunday afternoon I was on Grand Island Blvd just north of Fantasy Island and came across this scene just after it happened:

 

An elderly woman had "fallen asleep" at the wheel, drifted off the right side of the road, ripped off her oil pan and exhaust when she "passed over" a sewer entrance, then drove/coasted another 100-150 yds(!) through brush and between trees before her car died from lack of fluids. No skid marks it seems she "slept" even through that bumpy terrain until the car stopped on its own. We stopped to help and she got out of her car, said "I fell asleep - it happens all the time". She said her brother lived right around the corner and she was going to walk there. We called the cops and by the time the police showed up she was gone. We talked to the cops and he said "I think I know who you're talking about - she was driving around her son's apartment parking lot last weekend hitting dumpsters (plural)" Then she comes wandering back and I point her out to him and he says "yeah that's her".

 

I hope he took her license but somehow I bet she's out there "driving" right now.

 

Some 80+ year old lady hit my wifes car in a parking lot Sunday as we were loading groceries into it. Basically she was pulling into a spot and all of a sudden accelerated. Tried to drive off and some guy who saw the whole thing blocked her escape with his truck. No visible damage to our car even though she bumped it pretty good, so my wife didn't ask for insurance/info/anything despite my repeated suggestions we call the cops so it's at least on her record when she kills someone. Crazy ##### wasn't even apologetic and spent most her time cursing out the guy who blocked her escape.

[Kevbeau]

I know I shouldn't be laughing, but I am. It must be because I know I'm far away and safe from this woman. But you're absolutely right, there's no way they should allow someone like that to keep her license.

 

 

 

I've got a slightly different variation of those people who wave you through that I can't stand. All the time I'll be waiting to turn left through two oncoming lanes of traffic. Someone in the first lane will stop and wave me through, which is nice and all, except for the fact that they don't think about that second lane with cars still flying through. They tend to get frustrated when I don't turn, but hey, I'd really rather not get creamed by that other car going through at full speed who doesn't have to stop just because another one did.

 

And this has me thinking of another one from this morning. I'm second in line waiting to turn left at a standard 2 lane road. Someone in the other direction stops to let the first car go, but for whatever reason, they refuse to turn. The stopped car then gives the old high beam flash to signal them... but they still refuse to turn. 3 signals later, the car finally got it and went. Of course, by this point, that stopped car had waited too long or otherwise they would have let me go too. So there's another slight delay in getting to work (that however is not a complaint).

 

In Georgia people stop at blinking yellow lights. I'd sayt least half the people driving have no idea how to handle them.

 

Also, I kid you not, the drivers test is given in a parking lot and not on the actual road....and is cancelled if it's raining.

[frissonic]

suicide.

 

now ... before everyone goes bat#### psycho on me for "complaining" about it, let me explain.

 

our good friend and neighbor across the street lost her daughter yesterday to suicide. she--the daughter--was in her late teens, done with high school, and from all accounts getting ready to go to college. all of a sudden, she decided not to go. a week later, she killed herself. no indicators, no signs. generally happy go-lucky outward appearance.

 

the more i thought about it, the more depressed and overwhelmingly sad i became at not understanding why. she left no note. she exhibited no signs. her mom and dad had no idea. and these are not inattentive parents; they're on top of things. they keep tabs on their kids pretty closely. not to the point of hovering over their shoulders, but enough to know be able to recognize any signs of suicidal tendencies, were any to have been exhibited. but that's the problem--she exhibited precisely none.

 

i guess this isn't really a complaint so much as it is a vent. our whole neighborhood is reeling.

[dEnnis the Menace]

suicide.

 

now ... before everyone goes bat#### psycho on me for "complaining" about it, let me explain.

 

our good friend and neighbor across the street lost her daughter yesterday to suicide. she--the daughter--was in her late teens, done with high school, and from all accounts getting ready to go to college. all of a sudden, she decided not to go. a week later, she killed herself. no indicators, no signs. generally happy go-lucky outward appearance.

 

the more i thought about it, the more depressed and overwhelmingly sad i became at not understanding why. she left no note. she exhibited no signs. her mom and dad had no idea. and these are not inattentive parents; they're on top of things. they keep tabs on their kids pretty closely. not to the point of hovering over their shoulders, but enough to know be able to recognize any signs of suicidal tendencies, were any to have been exhibited. but that's the problem--she exhibited precisely none.

 

i guess this isn't really a complaint so much as it is a vent. our whole neighborhood is reeling.

 

That's really sad and my condolences to the family and to the neighborhood. It's a difficult thing to deal with. My close friends father committed suicide my senior year of HS (her sophomore year). He was a police officer, and showed no signs. I actually had conversation with him two days before hand and he was talking about how excited he was to go to my friends sporting event and what not. caught A LOT of people of guard. It's tough when it's someone you know, and tougher if it's someone close. Good luck with everything.

[korab rules]

The disappearance of the negative rep button. It served a purpose, and I find myself in need of it today.

 

And there doesn't appear to be any place on the web to buy a Pavol Demitra Yaroslavl Lokomotivs jersey.

 

And the use of "winning" and "fail". I haven't heard it come out of the mouth of anyone over 16, thank goodness. It makes the user, whether oral or in writing, sound like a pimply faced compulsively ma$turbating fool.

[LGR4GM]

...winning

 

epic fail

 

also at -261, I win.

 

Korab since I have the compulsively ma$turbating balls to actual say who I am talking to, troll away because Boyes can still play center :thumbsup:

[spndnchz]

Lindy having an aerobatic aircraft flight with the John Klatt Airshow Team at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station on Friday. Bad karma man.

[shrader]

The disappearance of the negative rep button. It served a purpose, and I find myself in need of it today.

 

And there doesn't appear to be any place on the web to buy a Pavol Demitra Yaroslavl Lokomotivs jersey.

 

And the use of "winning" and "fail". I haven't heard it come out of the mouth of anyone over 16, thank goodness. It makes the user, whether oral or in writing, sound like a pimply faced compulsively ma$turbating fool.

 

My roommate has had a random Russian jersey for years that his brother randomly gave him years back after a trip to Europe. It just happens to be a Lokomotiv jersey. There's some random name on it too, but not any of the current guys.

 

And yes, all of those internet phrases are awful. It's the constant dumbing down of america where they're too lazy to say more than one word.

[wjag]

Could I have just a bit more rain in MD... We are just short of 10"... Thank god Katiya missed us because we would have missed out on this deluge from Lee...

 

I spent back to back days driving the 70 miles into DC.. This monsoon we are having is impressive.

[Eleven]

NEVER do a "stay-cation" in Buffalo. Freaking forget it. You'll run into everyone you didn't want to run into. It's my own fault that I'm not in Toronto, or even better, some joint in old "upper Canada" right now, but dammit, please do not repeat my mistake.

[SwampD]

It's cool.

 

But as far as scientific acumen in concerned, I have just a smidge less respect for the Divinity School dropout than I have for the former playmate/ candies model / autism activist. Primarily because she doesn't seem to have a financial interest in pushing her brand of stupidity, though she has to date caused more personal suffering than he has, but I have faith that he'll catch up in time.

So, crusading against Global warming is "pushing [a] brand of stupidity"?

 

Do you really think that the four scientists that you mentioned don't make money specifically because of their scientific beliefs? I find it funny and somewhat ironic that you criticize Gore for making money off hawking his beliefs, yet Dick Chaney stands to make WAY more money if the the whole global warming "myth" would just go away.

[Taro T]

So, crusading against Global warming is "pushing [a] brand of stupidity"?

 

Do you really think that the four scientists that you mentioned don't make money specifically because of their scientific beliefs? I find it funny and somewhat ironic that you criticize Gore for making money off hawking his beliefs, yet Dick Chaney stands to make WAY more money if the the whole global warming "myth" would just go away.

Actually, convincing otherwise reasonable parents to not have their children vaccinated over an imaginary and made up scare about the preservative used in the vaccine causing autism is the brand of stupidity I was referring to.

 

Interesting that you choose the term "crusading" to refer to what Al Gore does. He might not push stupidity per se, but he does push a mindbogglingly blatent version of hypocricy. I also find it funny and unfortunately not ironic that you refer to Al Gore in the same paragraph as you refer to some actual scientists and equate both of their levels of involvement as "belief." But really, your issue "isn't political." If I take you at your word and accept that your issue isn't political, why equate legitimate scientists to Al Gore?

 

I would be shocked to learn that those scientists that I mentioned earlier have made a fraction of what the IPCC golden boys such as Mann have made in the study of this issue. And they, unlike the Michael Manns of this world, are actually running experiments to test their "beliefs" (most people would call those "theories" &/or "hypotheses" as they appear to be actually following the scientific method to see if they can disprove them (again, I don't have access to the Nature article, so I can't state equivocally any more than they appear to be following the scientific method), but apparently according to you they are only beliefs) and they are making their data available for peer review. And btw, at least 2 of those 4 are on record as stating that they believe that a component of global warming is due to anthropomorphic sources. Their research is an attempt to see what sort of a role cosmic rays may play in climate change (both warming and cooling), if any. The popularly accepted (by the cult of the IPCC) models of climate are wildly inaccurate and have a rather limited selection of variables which they include. One should hope that scientists would try to improve their models, at least I would.

 

I'd be interested in learning how Dick Cheney stands to reap Billions if the "myth" of global warming goes away; Gore stands to make them if he can keep it up. Perhaps Cheney will make serious money off global warming going away (I haven't followed his financial positions so I don't pretend to know how his holdings will fare (I'd expect any Halliburton he still holds would fare well but don't know that he still holds any), thus the prior statement), but the divinity school dropout has made a lot already off it and will make a mint if it doesn't go away.

 

You state that you "have no patience for people who would rather listen to an industrialist about scientific theory, than listen to actual scientists." I'm sorry for getting into this discussion as I doubt it can lead anywhere fruitful, but I have no patience for people that would rather listen to an opportunist than listen to actual scientists.

[darksabre]

My complaint is that I missed all of Thursday.

[FogBat]

My latest complaint is that it can be extremely difficult to keep my mouth shut on some very charged topics when it is best to leave opposing parties to duke it out between themselves. Makes it hard for me to find something useful to occupy my time.

 

EDIT: Now that it's Friday, the usual cast of characters will probably be back here next Thursday with something else to complain about.

[LastPommerFan]

Just trying to get in on the new fad of posting here on a friday...

 

A fitting place for my 500th post :)