With 56 days to go before life as we know it returns to normal, and not much happening at the moment, I thought it would be an idea to fill the void with a Room 101 thread. Hopefully most have watched the TV program of that name hosted by Frank Skinner, or have even read Orwell's 1984 wherein the idea originated - but if not, Room 101 is simply a place to which you can consign your pet hates, whatever/whoever they may be. Being a bit of a GOM, I have a few pet hates - but my current list-topper is blister packs. For some reason, certain manufacturers take great delight in packaging their products in the damned things - most probably so that they can sit back and chuckle as they mentally picture my attempts to open them without stabbing my hand with the sharpest knife I can find, or slicing my fingers off with my garden shears - the only scissors strong enough to cut through the stronger-than-steel plastic that they unaccountably feel the need to seal their products into. Over the years, I have sworn on many an occasion never to buy another product so-wrapped, but always manage to forget and fall to the temptation. Last week, I had cause to shop around for some interior door handles - the 1812 vintage handles on our dining room door had finally given in to the ravages of time - and all those that I could find were in blister packs. Succumbing, I bought the set that my wife insisted was the only acceptable one, got it home and spent fifteen minutes stabbing, slicing and cursing before finally extracting the contents - only to find that the spindle, which had been hidden inside, was three times too big for our door. Had the dimensions - or the spindle itself - been displayed on the outside, I would never have bought the damned thing - and having completely destroyed the packaging. I couldn't really return it as, embarrassingly, the DIY store where I bought it is completely staffed by women....... My kids are wondering why I have painted 101 on the side of our wheelie bin when we live at number 27.
Nice one BB and being a fellow GOM and a MOG too boot, I am more than happy to contribute...here goes:- - Fans of non-league clubs who won a couple of dodgy cups years ago and still believe they are "something" - The 0 point size font on the cooking instructions on ready made food - I have reasonably good eye site for my age and have to wear really weak reading glasses when I am desperate. But I have to use a magnifying glass to read the instructions to cook the garlic bread for 12 minutes - Anyone who does not wear a watch because they have a phone with the time on - yeah until the bastard battery runs out and you are late again! i.e. my family! - Reality TV shows I could go on for hours...
Doors, especially those for commercial premises, that are on corners so that no-one can see anyone coming the other way - there are quite a few in St. Helier.
My pet hate is people that are late. If you know you have to be somewhere at a certain time, make sure you leave with plenty of time. I once arranged to give a mate a lift to a Norwich game, and to meet him at 1pm. By 10 past he hadn't turned up, so I went without him. He wasn't happy, but he was never late again when i told him to meet me at a certain time. Also this thing with kids using new words in the English language. If something is 'sick' it apparently means it's good. Can someone explain 'peng' and 'ber' to me as well please. There are plenty more, but I feel a rant coming on, so I'll shut up now.
The film starts at 8.00 ... on no it doesn't 1 Ads for venue 2 Ads for G and T and Sondgrass and Hildeburgtrash that you don't even know what they are about 3 Pathe - are they still going... what on earth do they do 4 Trailers for a bunch of films that confirm to you they are not worth watching ... up to now no point in even watching/listening as the entire audience is talking, walking, texting, dropping popcorn etc... 5 Dolby sound boomer trailer 6 cell phone and pagers old crackly warning 7 Please don't talk for the benefit of all patrons sign then Finally 8 The pre-film credits roll. 9 No wait a minute late arrivals push past you 10 The people in front of you are in the wrong seats or are they and eventually move when asked by the even later arrivals another 5 minutes of film guff trailing the 10 companies that are involved in making this film 11 THEN 26 minutes in The film starts so yes multiscreen cinemas to room 101 please Mind you the local independent actually has an intermission after step 5 to get you to buy ice cream etc from the poor usher who has to go down to the front and waits for any of the 8 of you there in the entire cinema to buy something
W_Y I'm with you on reality TV shows, I've yet to see anybody that looks anything like an inhabitant of the real World! My biggest hate is cyclists who think it's ok to swing straight onto a main road from a side road because they "don't take up much room!" If they drove, they would realise what a potentially life-threatening effect they have on drivers!
Yes to reality shows... I remember watching the first couple of series of big brother and then saw that they were making it into a complete spectacle.... a caricature of real life..
Huge portions of poor quality food in chain pubs. Quantity over quality is not value for money. Over officious immigration officials at airports and ferry ports who keep you hanging around when you have already proved at departure that you are not on any known list of terrorists. TV reporters who are sent out to comment on a news item with outside broadcast camera and sound man to stand in front of a closed door in the pouring rain.
People in the office who talk about their wives and kids by their names as though you should know who they are immediately. People who don't say please or thank you Men in their 40s who send texts using text speak
One of my new pet hates is iphone users using all the charging points in airports selfish cnuts! Soaps , reality TV xfactor BGT etc 99% of sports journos! Holloway British transport police ( after wobby article today) Most Norwegians in Rogaland traffic cops in Rogaland Rogaland in general. think thats enough to go with
Cyclists who do not use the £Gazillion cycle paths built for them and insist on holding up us tax paying insured drivers by dawdling along at 25mph on a 60mph limit A Road. Get on the bloody cycle path or prepare to die!
1. extendable dog leads 2. beetroot 3. broadcasters who don't know what 'iconic' means 4. sellotape 5. BT call centres Better stop at 5...the other 137 are quite trivial
putting something down and not remembering where I put it my cats coming in the house and then using the cat tray
People who dont bother to indicate at any round-a-bout they come to (must think we are all psychic) People who will do 40mph on national speed limit A roads yet stay at 40mph in a 30mph zone??? Right, so your prepared to not only break the law but put other peoples lives at risk in busy and dangerous built up areas, but when your actually allowed to speed up, when it's perfectly safe to go faster, you dont!!?? What the hell!!! Where is the logic in that??? The lack of free air and water units at petrol stations across the country (ones that actually work I mean) The cost of Grapes. £2 for Strawberry's - fair enough, but the same price for Grapes!??? Nah! People who work in telesales constantly harassing people who are not interested in what they are selling (i.e me!!) Get a proper job. Actually, they now do that automated voice don't they, obviously a money making/saving scheme right there. Young people and, erm, people who are not old??? That walk round supermarkets dead slow (like a zombie 1mph slow). Listen, just because you have nothing better to do and all the time in the world to ass about doesn't mean everyone else is like that!! If people around you are moving quicker than you and your not disabled or elderly then wake up and get with it!!! Young student lads who wear ridiculously tight/skinny green/maroon/yellow jeans. Firstly, you look like an idiot (and a homo). Secondly, you will only have yourself to blame when you find out later on in life you cant have kids due to a low sperm count.
Any bloke wearing their jeans so low that their underpants, or, worse still their arse is showing. FTLoC it's US prison slang for "I'm available, come take me big boy", not a piggin' fashion statement, so pull yer trousers up!
Could I take that further and say any white person trying to be black?? (or is that against the pc rules these days???) Yeah, you like Hip-Hop, thats perfectly fine, but are you ashamed to be white or something???
