And another (10) more things...

The delightful (and pushy) Gigglewick tagged me with a fabulous meme. And as she rightfully pointed out, I've been doing some harumphing practise all week, getting ready for the scorn-fest that is (Ta Daa!)

10 Thing I hate about Other People

1. Their over-developed sense of entitlement.
This is for all of Gen Y. And some of Gen X. And most of the Baby Boomers. And kinda, mostly for my sister, who has decided that the world owes her a living and if she ain't getting it, then it's Just Not Fair. She wants to be paid more - our brother is paid a ridiculous amount of money and therefore she should be too - she wants to be able to buy that cute little cottage in Mosman and it's just Not Fair that it's over $1 million.

It's the L'Oreal culture: Because I'm worth it. I guess we're all guilty of it to some degree, but where does 'oh that'd be nice' wistfulness turn into 'I've gotta have it' avarice? Why does it seem so hard to realise that we have to WORK for what we have? That we exist within a society where there is always someone worse off than us, why can't we be thankful for what we've got and think a little more about those that have so little? It's summed up by my sister-in-law, who once mentioned to me about how, when she was at uni and having a considerable sum of money in term deposits, would have a little giggle to herself every time the interest rates increased on their march to 17% (or whatever it was - can't remember, please remind me again Mr Costello), because even though it meant houses were being repossessed all over Sydney, the moolah was rolling in for her...

Which brings me neatly to:

2. Their obsession with interest rates.
Only 1/3 of the population has a mortgage. When we're carrying on about interest rates, why won't someone think of the retirees who are trying to eek out some semblance of a lifestyle on their investments???
This national sport of interest-rate-watching is just ridiculous! But I may be saying that in the smug knowledge that, because I don't have a mortgage of $50gazillion, slight variances don't bother me overly much.
And one more thing. The Governor of the Reserve Bank? COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT OF HOWARD THE MAGICAL MORTGAGE BROKER. I'm sick of having to repeat this to people.

3. Their children.
Seriously. Hell is Other People's Children. I have a very low tolerance threshold for children, other than my own (obvs) and a small select group consisting of some friend's children and one of my two nephews.

I like kids I can hold an intelligent conversation with. Even if they're only 2, it's still possible.

I dislike kids who are whingy, whiney, rude and ignorant. Which is pretty much all of 'em.

Of course I realise that my own kids probably fall into this category quite a lot of the time, and understand that others' aren't always enamoured of them. But I can deal with that. It seems most parents can't...

4. Their inability to return calls/ emails.
It's rude. It's inconsiderate. It's unprofessional. It's bloody annoying.

It's also how friendships die, and that's just so sad.



I am also a habitual offender, so I really need to lift my game...

5. Their lack of barista skillz.
OK - this is a little specific. There are 4 cafes in Jannali (where I work), with another one being fitted out as I type. And yet I buy my coffee in Sutherland (the next suburb). Now, why is this so? Because merely having an espresso machine installed in one's shop does not a barista make. It should be a Rule that everyone using an espresso machine should have gone to Coffee School. It makes me so very very cranky that people think just whacking the beans in the machine will do the job. They have NO IDEA. And also, neither so most of the people patronising these establishments. Why are they letting these cafe proprietors get away with serving substandard coffee? Why do they display such a lack of discernment? WHY?

6. Their massive 4WDs
I have a nice sensible Zafira ('Champagne' coloured of you must know. I would have preferred the blue, but never mind) with it's 7 seats, but which is still smaller than a Commodore. I have a LOT of trouble getting out of car parking spaces if I've been hemmed in by 4WDs. I can't see around them, I can't see under them, I can't see through them, I just got to HATE them.

Why do they have to be so BIG? Dumb dumb dumb.

Also - I saw a mini next to a Land Cruiser the other day - not a new-fangled wankmobile, but an actual olde worlde mini. It was hilarious! The roof of the mini was at the height of the BOTTOM of the Land Cruiser's door. They could see UNDER the 4WD. Hee! But eeek! Dangerous much?

7. Their lack of compassion.
This really goes without saying. It astounds me how easily Other People can see the suffering in our communities and turn their backs. How ready they are to blame the victim, to demonise them. Look at how we treat refugees, the homeless, the poor and needy. There was a study done a few months ago, I think by ACOSS, which as well as finding that a staggering percentage of homeless are actually children, also discovered than an overwhelming number of Other People thought that if someone was homeless, they had only themselves to blame.

We really do have it so easy don't we? We have a roof over our heads, full bellies, internet connections, so we're set. And so few of us see it as good fortune, but simply as what we deserve.

8. Their driving.
Others have commented on the general lack of courtesy on the roads. I just want to mention the complete lack of awareness some people have for the prevailing conditions.
Yes, you Mr Green P Plater tailgating me on the freeway on Friday night. In a once-in-thirty years storm. In the dark. There is no way in hell you would have been able to stop if I'd had cause to brake suddenly, such as , you know, the car right in front of me stopping, or indeed the car in front of that. Idiot.

I see it all the time, experiencing as I do the joys of freeway driving on my daily commute... People hurtling along at 120kph in the near-darkness without their lights on. People constantly tailgating, and I mean so damn close you can't see their headlights in your rear vision mirror tailgating. Which is intimidating at 60kph. It's downright terrifying at 110kph.

And so many of the offenders are P Platers, which means I know they don't have the experience necessary to safely get out of any problem they may find themselves in. Idiots.

9. Their use of the term 'Union Bosses'

Moir, From the SMH 09/06/07

This one really gets me cranky. It's as bad as all these modern independent women writing off 'Feminists' as being too hardcore and pushing impossible dreams and swinging the pendulum 'too far'. The average working Australian enjoys and takes for granted benefits that those 'union bosses' struggled and fought for over many years. Women who are happy to demonise the dreaded unions, yet enjoy equal pay for equal work, maternity leave allowances and the like.

They are happy to cheer on the ACTU in it's fight against James Hardy, yet the very next day denigrate them as being diehard socialists hell bent on dragging Australia back to the 'Bad Old Days'.
It doesn't make sense. Some consistency would be nice people.

10. Their need to use memes to preach to the converted.
Er, yeah. Sorry about that. I realise that it's turned into a soapbox and I've been all earnest and angst-ridden.

Most of the people on my blogroll seem to have done it already, but Chris has promised to reduce the object of his hatred to the Magic Number of 10. Mex? W? fancy a try?