Pet Peeves of the Day

We haven't had a Pet Peeves Roster in awhile and now seems like a good time for a list.

Because OhHai! I woke up in one of those moods today.

Headlights

Now, really. In theory, I have nothing against headlights. They serve a good purpose, when used correctly, and have probably prevented countless accidents.

Unfortunately, people are idiots, and nobody can seem to use them properly.

Things that piss me off about headlights (YES it's a list within a list shutup):

1. Inappropriate use of high beams: For fuck's sake, if you need your high beams on in the middle of the damn day you should probably not be driving. Further: Just. Stop. Using. Them. If there are other vehicles in your vicinity, you should not be using your high beams. End of explanation.

2. Inappropriate use of fog lamps (i.e. "ever"): I don't know about y'all, but I grew up in what is possibly the Fog Capitol of the USA. I grew up listening to endless morning news reports warning us about the fog and chastising us to not use our high beams because, when it comes to fog, more light = bad. So I totally fail to grasp the concept of fog lights (i.e. "more light"). No matter, however, because it appears that fog lights are used not so much "in case of fog" as "is the vehicle on?"

3. Inappropriate use of headlights: In other words, not using them when you should use them. Such as when it's dark. Or raining. Or foggy. Or in that dim and/or glary period between "dark" and "daytime". Surprisingly, headlights not only allow you to see others, but they also allow others to see you. I know! Amazing things, these "headlights". So, you know. When your vehicle would otherwise blend with its surroundings, headlights give other drivers kind of a heads up that you're there. Which, trust me, is a good thing.

4. Halogen headlights: And whatever fucking other kind of brightass headlights are out there. I mean really. You live in the city, for fuck's sake. There is approximately a 2 square mile area, combined, that is not lit. Do you really need headlights that bright? No, dipshit, you don't.

For those of us who live in the city or other largely urban areas, headlights have, largely, become more about warning others that you're there, and less about actually seeing. Because there is more than enough light, even in the middle of the night, to drive by. So I wish everyone would just get over needing to have their headlights be as bright as possible. There's a reason regular headlights don't seem to provide much light - there's so much light pollution that headlights can't compete and, frankly, are rendered largely redundant. So why don't we all save the Super Brights for when we feel like driving In The Country, when they're actually needed.

M'kay?

Passive Aggressiveness

Passive aggressiveness just pisses me off, and I have entirely too much of it in my life.

My neighbor is passive aggressive. He pisses me off a lot. I'm not going into details, because that's not important.

But next year?

Next year we're getting chickens.

And a rooster.

(Technically, I have to find out what our lot size is, first. But if it's over the required amount: roo. ster.)

Red Light Violators

Specifically, those assholes who turn right on red even when there's a sign specifically telling them not to.

For example:

There's a light in Roseville on a particularly busy intersection where lots of people are either coming from or going to the freeway. One of the sides of this intersection has a big sign next to the light that instructs drivers to not turn right if the red arrow is lit up.

Now, let's stop for a minute. There is the regular red "circle" light, which applies to everyone, but you can still turn right after a stop if it's safe to do so. In addition to this, there is a separate, arrow-shaped red light specifically warning you to not turn right, along with a big sign explaining what should be obvious.

As if that weren't enough, there is a second sign, next to the light iteslf, and lights up red and flashes with huge text telling you, basically "DO NOT TURN RIGHT".

Oh, yes, they did still do it.

In fact, the only intersection I have never, not even once, seen someone make a right hand turn on a red light when instructed not to is the intersection where Oak Avenue crosses Folsom-Auburn Road in Folsom.

Why?

Because Oak Avenue connects to Folsom-Auburn at about a 45-degree angle, so you can't see more than a hundred feet or so up the street. And because the speed limit on Folsom-Auburn Road is 55. Add the two together and you've got a recipe for disaster that's, apparently, obvious enough that even the idiots & assholes can figure it out.

Weird, huh?