Thursday, January 04, 2007

New Pet Peeve

Generally, I'm not a really easily annoyable person. There are really only a few things that drive me nuts: time left on the microwave, people who borrow stuff and don't put it back in the same place so I can never find it, overfilled dryer lint traps.I kind of pride myself on not having a ton of pet peeves. It allows me to delude myself into thinking that I'm "laid back." For this reason I try to give something a long time before I deem it one of my personal pet peeves.

Over the holidays something cemented itself staunchly in that catagory.

I absolutley CANNOT handle people talking on their cell phones on airplanes.

Seriously, why have the airlines started allowing people to use their phones the minute the landing gear hits the tarmac?!?!? When that sugary-sweet voice crackles through the PA system announcing our arrival, the local time and weather I start to feel the tension in my fingers build. As my nails are digging into the hard, cold plastic armrests I anticpate the new addition to her speil. When she actually says that people can use their phones if they can access them without opening any carryons I almost loose control.

I don't want to be sanwiched next to 25 people all calling Aunt Suzy to tell her that the plane just landed.

Why can't people just wait the extra 10 minutes it is going to take to let everyone off the plane? Is it really that time critical that you HAVE to make the call with my ear 6 inches from your obnoxiously loud converstaion?

Anyway, this is my new pet peeve.

People, I implore you, just wait a few minutes until the people around you aren't trapped into hearing about your experience on the flight and how long its going to take to get home through rush hour traffic.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm guilty.

-Colin

Stephanie said...

Hey-

I'm a lurker here but don't usually comment. You have a cool blog.

Here's my take on the cell phone thing. Some people have to call their ride. :-) Whenever I am flying to see my family, I call when I land. It takes them about the same amount of time to get to the airport as it does for the plane to get to the gate and me to get my luggage.

You'd think they'd figure out how to be there at the right time otherwise, but so far no. And yes 10 extra minutes in an airport with a toddler is not doable. LOL

Katie said...

OK, maybe a mom with a bunch of little kids is alright.

Colin, you have no excuse!

Anth said...

I totally agree. It always seems to be middle-aged men with NOTHING interesting to say. "Hi Frank, yeah, it's Jim. Just landed. Once I get my bags, I should be on the road by 10:30...blah blah BLAH."

I thought I was the only one annoyed by time left on the microwave. Ha ha

Al said...

It isn't the cell phone but the loudness of the voice, as if the caller thinks he has to shout to be heard. I don't mind a normal conversational voice. When Colin, or whoever, calls to say he landed safely, I'm glad to hear it, so I can stop praying for a safe trip!

jordan said...

Yeah, I call whoever is picking me up too. There is nowhere to park at the SF airport so whoever is picking you up has to drive around the airport loop a gazillion times in traffic. I think I am being polite. :)

My pet peeve is when people send me email forwards. Especially ones that have to do with Bill Gates or fighting the liberals. When I receive email forwards like that I think less of the person who sent them.