I was asked for my pet hate recently and came up with so many minor irritations of modern living that I couldn’t make a choice. The point about pet hates is that they must impact personally and cannot be the really big things like Trump, Leo and Brexit over which we have no control. Also, I am pretty sure that I cannot use the word ‘hate’ and have toned it down to ‘dislikes’ in the title. Please don’t judge me on the basis of this list as I am really a nice person.
- Talking during a performance at the cinema/theatre/concert hall etc. Why? What is so important that it can’t wait until the interval? A major indication of someone who has no respect for others. Suggestions as to how we stop this? (Employing a sniper is not a solution!)
- Parking on the line in a multi-storey car park thus taking up two spaces.
- The word ’emotional’ in all it’s forms used in sports commentary. “Tell me, how do you feel emotionally after training for four years for this race and coming fourth?”. A gold medal to the first athlete who summons up their last reserves and decks the interviewer.
- Trolleys abandoned in the middle of supermarket aisles whilst the owner drifts around the shop in their own world.
- Loud music played on the train/back garden/park or, any other open spaces by an individua. Same comment as point 1.
- Televised pranks played on unsuspecting members of the public. Is it really that funny to humiliate someone going about their business? Would it count as self defense to promote the solution in item 3 (Gold medal in the post. No questions asked)
- Save us from amateur entertainers, especially singers. There are very few people who can sing in tune unaccompanied but very many who thing that they can.
- Aggressive drunks. They are not victims. The victims are all those people who have to deal with them or clear up after them. It is time we treated this seriously and really forced them to face the consequences of their lack of control.
- People who drop litter. For normal people, picking up their litter was something that was drummed into them as soon as they could walk. It is so engrained that I am not sure that I could drop a wrapper in the street even at gunpoint. I just don’t understand and don’t get me started on ‘fly tippers!’.