Your Grrrs, compiled by D.J. Shooter and Michelle Siegel, FOX News interns:
Megan in Cyberspace: Grrr! to the people who allow commercials at night to be broadcast three or four clicks louder than the show I'm watching. It not only makes me annoyed, it wakes up my husband, who often dozes in bed while I watch a late show. Scare tactics like these are, yes, more likely to get me to notice your poorly written ad — but it sure isn't going to make me buy your product. If anything, I'm going to avoid it!
Heather in Texas: Here’s one for all the Obliviots on the highway who slam on their brakes and slow down to 40 mph under the speed limit at the first sign of a police cruiser. Folks … just don’t exceed the speed limit, and you won’t get pulled over for speeding, OK? It’s that simple. You don’t need to stand on your brake pedal and crawl by a police officer at 35 mph in a 65 mph zone just to make it painfully obvious to the guy that you aren’t speeding. That’s why they have radar. You are a hazard to yourself and everyone traveling at normal speed behind you!! Please stop it now!
Jennifer in Minneapolis: My Grrr! goes to Pam in Owensboro, Ky., who is a self-professed left lane vigilante. Perhaps Pam needs to retake her driving test, as the left lane is for passing. A quote from www.wikipedia.com says that "a passing lane is often misnamed a fast lane, causing drivers to use it for extended periods of time. In theory, a passing lane should only be used for passing, thus allowing, even on a road with only two lanes in each direction, motorists to travel at their own pace. Good driving practice is to slip out of the passing lane once slower cars have been passed." Please Pam, do us all a favor and let our city's finest handle those who exceed the speed limit.
Cindy in Cyberspace: It's summer and time for all the Oblivions to jam into the nation's airports for vacation travel. I am a weekly business traveler and am constantly amazed at the Flying Oblivions. My big Grrr! is people who crowd around the door to the jetway so that passengers trying to board need a machete to get through the mass of humanity. As soon as they call boarding, regardless of their seat assignments, everyone springs forward and stands in a big wad in the middle of the path. I witnessed the usual crowd of Oblivions in Philadelphia this morning and watched as an elderly man attempted to push his infirm wife in a wheelchair through the crowd of people who just stood there as he tried to board as Zone 1 was called. I stood by my seat until Zone 2 (my zone) was called and as I tried to get through the crush of people, I overheard a woman telling her companions that they were in Zone 5 but she was just going to stand there so that she could be first in line! People, you won't get to your destination any faster by being FIRST IN LINE for Zone 5!!! Unless the plane breaks apart, everyone is going to the same place at the same time! Get a clue!
Tom in Utah: I travel almost weekly by plane, and I have come to loathe flying in the summer because of all the Oblivions! First off, keep your carry-ons within the rules. Two means two. When going through security, if you don't know what to do, watch those in front of you! Don't hold up the line to place everything on the conveyor at the last moment, then take two to three times to get through the metal detector because you were sure (even though the TSA officer told you to take it off) your watch or belt or something would make it through … And possibly the worst: Most locations have only a few exits through security per airline. And most airlines schedule arrivals/departures in the same time frame. So when we are all trying to leave at the same time, don't have your husband/wife/relative/friend meet you at the bottom of the escalator for hugs and catch-up while the rest of us have to try and find a way around you! Salt Lake City is by far the worst! The 50-100 immediate family members are there to greet. Grrrrrrrrrrr! I just got off a four- hour flight, I'm tired and I want to get home. So step away and let us through!
Chery in Virginia: My Grrr! is to all those ladies who won’t sit on a public toilet seat (for which I don’t blame them), but also won’t put down the “toilet cover” that is conveniently installed in many public restrooms. Not only that, they go one LOVELY step further and leave their piddle on the seat! Hello! How about wiping it UP??!! You’re the reason there are sanitary issues with the seat — you’ve left your nasty mess there! Get a clue!
Symmy in Cyberspace: Big Grrr! to the technologically challenged people who get in the self-checkout lanes at the grocery store. Exactly what are you thinking doing this? The people behind you don't appreciate having to wait for you, while you stare, deer-in-the-headlights-like, at the display screen trying to figure out what code to enter to price your oranges! If your VCR has flashed "12:00" for the last four years because you can't figure out the five button clicks it takes on the remote to set the time, you should probably stay away from the self-checkout lane. Also, if you are going to use these lanes, for the love of God, please use debit or credit cards. You make me want to start throwing my foodstuffs at you when you try to insert that crinkled $20 bill 15 times into the machine before giving up. Lastly, for those of you who use this lane with a shopping cart overflowing with groceries: Do you honestly believe you're going to check yourself out faster than a regular cashier? Grrr! to people wasting my time!
Stephanie in Cyberspace: This Grrr! is to Rhonda, who wrote in about having to enter her zip code at Wal-Mart. Number one, just by walking off and leaving all the groceries, you became an Oblivion yourself. What possible information could anyone possibly get on you just by your zip code? Number two, entering your zip code is something that has been established by American Express, not by Wal-Mart. So if you don’t want to enter your zip code, cancel your American Express card and don’t take it out on the Wal-Mart employee who had the privilege that day of waiting on a moron.
Karen in Cyberspace: I'd like to Grrr! the following Grrrr!: "Cathi in Cyberspace: My Grrr! goes to Kim, who took a cell phone call in a restaurant because a family member was in the hospital. Apparently, if the waitress and others around you knew what was going on, you were just trying to get attention. If you are waiting for such an important call, eat at home or at least step out of the restaurant to take your call. The rest of us do not care about the drama in your life." I don't understand this Grrr!. In restaurants, we're allowed to talk to our companions at our own table. How and why is it so much worse to talk on a cell phone? What's next, someone becoming irate because we're talking to our companions at the same table? I can completely see the "no cell phone" rule in places that are meant to be silent, such as theaters and public transportation. But last time I checked, restaurants were also partially social gathering places, where one might expect to have to endure overheard conversations that are probably not meant to "get attention."
Shannon in Maryland: I would like to know why some people in my office think it is perfectly normal to prepare a whole meal in our break-room kitchen? I was under the impression that it was there to store our lunches in the refrigerator and heat things up in the microwave. Instead, some people insist on cooking a whole meal taking up to 20 minutes at a time. That keeps us non-Oblivions, or really trying not to be Oblivions, from reheating our lunch. What is that? Oh yeah, it's great when someone brings the smelliest fish to work so that the stench lingers in the air all day, and I kid you not, there was once a fish head left on top of our microwave. Grrr!
Cheryl in TN: This week has been a rough one, especially today. The picture of you and your white socks, made me laugh and forget the terrible day I am having. Thank you for sharing your photo and making my day brighter. After proofreading my e-mail, I thought how selfish I am, complaining of my day when London has been attacked again. That being said, I'm still having a bad day and week, and your white sock picture made me laugh.
Brad in Cyberspace: Casual dressing is a pox on our society. Our society has lost civility, manners and the remotest hint of personal responsibility ever since the 1950s and 1960s, and the decline in proper attire is only one symptom of the problem. Young people should be taught proper attire for each situation, but alas, their Baby Boomer parents have no clue, either. This is because they choose the mantra of "comfort" over belonging to a polite society, a sure sign of the selfishness that pervades our nation. Their choice in footwear is disrespectful of the office of the president, and is not acceptable, as you said, because they consider President Bush to be accessible. They simply don't know how to dress respectfully. When I go out to a nice restaurant and pay $30 or more for a plate, I don't wish to sit near someone who is wearing shorts, his "best" T-shirt and sandals. Sadly, this happens all too often, and it shows that the person does not have enough respect for that restaurant to present themselves in a respectable manner. That lack of respect reflects directly back on themselves. Whatever happened to dress codes? They need to be reinstated and enforced. A properly-attired society is the sign of a healthy, moral and, most importantly, responsible society.
Elissa in Cyberspace: I agree that it is really no big deal that these women wore their fashionable flip-flops to meet the president. I don't think he even noticed, much less got offended by it. These shoes are very "in" right now. Living in Texas, I own several pair myself and the thought of wearing pantyhose in this heat makes me want to gag! What does bother me is that young women don't know how to dress for the occassion at all. My poor husband had to keep his head glued to the floor as we walked out of Sunday School last Sunday when a group of five girls from our youth group walked by wearing low slung mini skirts and skin tight tank tops — oh, and flip-flops of course. The flip-flops on their feet were all he could look at without feeling "dirty"!
Schmitty in Cyberspace: I have to agree with you [about the flip-flop flap]. There are too many issues confronting this country for people to be distracted by what kind of footwear people choose. My only concern would be the health of the girls. With all the "bull" coming out of that building these days, they may have picked up some nasty bugs.
Madelyn in Cyberspace: Sorry but protocol is protocol. I feel it wouldn't have hurt these girls to make the effort to show a little respect to the president/office of the president by wearing a little something more appropriate on their feet. Yes, it is hot, but as a working person, I would not show up at the office in flip-flops. Only one word applies to this behavior, and that is "tacky."
Melanie in Cyberspace: I would like to thank you for saying what everyone else was thinking [about the flip-flop flap]: Lighten up. Do people forget things like the London bombings so quickly that they have to look to things like this for “news”? I think people should be thankful that the biggest faux pas was their choice of shoes. If you look at some college campuses, we should just be happy they showed up clothed. (That’s not a knock to these girls, who I’m sure are wonderful; I’m just making a point.) Instead of gasping and shaking our heads, shouldn’t we be applauding these girls, not only for their triumph, but for being so secure in themselves that they don’t feel uncomfortable wearing what they like in front of the most powerful man in the country? In a day and age where a girl’s self-esteem is repeatedly squashed by advertising and peers, they were confident enough in their own personalities to know they were seeing the president for what they did, not how they look. They were being rewarded for what they did, so shouldn’t they be allowed to dress how they like? If you were the receiver of an award and decided to show up in flip-flops, would they not give you your award? Of course not. It was your fashion sense that got you the award in the first place. And besides, the last time I checked, there wasn’t a “Visitor’s Dress Code” hanging in the White House.
D in Cyberspace: I thought it was extremely entertaining that the bulk of the media reported "Flip-Flops Cause White House Flap" — which would lead one to believe that the White House was actually in an uproar. Of the half-dozen or so articles that I made the point of reading, not one reported that the White House was even aware of this supposed "flap." Sounds more like it was a "Fashion Maven Flap." It just seemed to me to be yet another example of intentional misrepresentation by the MSM (MainStream Media) hoping to shape the opinions of people too lazy to actually read beyond the headline.
Respond to Mike | Grrr! Lexicon
Mike Straka is the director of operations and special projects for FOXNews.com, and covers entertainment and features on the Sunday program "FOX Magazine." He also writes the weekly Grrr! Column and hosts "The Real Deal" video segments on FOXNews.com.
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