Patience is a virtue. Yet, it’s undeniable certain things really push our buttons. What are your top gripes? One of mine would have to be the experience of “talking” to a machine on the phone. I’ve learned the trick of saying “Speak to a person,” even when that option isn’t presented. Another gripe of mine is rude parking lot drivers, such as people who are so busy looking for the perfect spot that they don’t watch for pedestrians.
In September, Consumer Reports polled more than 1,000 Americans, asking them to rate 21 gripes on a 1 to 10 scale, with 10 meaning that something annoys “tremendously,” while 1 meaning that something does not annoy at all.
The top five annoyances as rated by the nationally representative survey participants:
- Hidden fees — 8.9
- Not getting a human on the phone — 8.6
- Tailgating — 8.3
- Drivers using cell phones — 8.0
- Incomprehensible bills — 7.8
Just missing the top five were failure to scoop dog poop and unreliable Internet service, both with a rating of 7.6. I’ve had to put up with the dog poop problem at my apartment complex, but unreliable Internet? That wouldn’t be a gripe of mine as I’d find a new provider in a snap. Consumer Reports indicated that people living in densely populated urban areas tended to be more annoyed by unscooped dog poop than those living in rural areas.
People surveyed were forgiving of inaccurate weather forecasts. That rated the lowest with only 4.3. I can’t remember ever getting angry over an inaccurate weather forecast. In fact, I always enjoy seeing the local weather forecasters around town, even when they make mistakes!
According to Consumer Reports, women were more annoyed than men about speeding drivers, remembering passwords and PINs and products shrinking but still costing the same. People older than 50 also tended to be more annoyed than younger people by speeding drivers, as well as e-mail spam and cell phone usage while driving.
What are your top gripes?
(Image via flickr/justephens)
Post from: Blisstree