It’s that time of year again when I get to do a little venting by listing my personal pet peeves which this year has a couple of new additions – paper straws and Orléans drivers. I like to call it self-therapy.

In that same vein, I like to occasionally reel off some of my leading pet peeves in the hope that some people might change their behaviour.

The latest addition to my list of pet peeves are people who don’t seem to know how to drive in parking lots. The lanes are not one-way. The are designed for traffic to go in both directions, but I am forever trying to turn into a lane that is blocked by someone coming in the other direction and blocking the entire lane.

People who feel it necessary to take up two spaces is also a big pet peeve of mine. In fact, Orléans drivers in general and their refusal to signal when they are changing lanes, or even checking their mirrors, are a pet peeve.

Another new addition to my list of pet peeves are paper straws. Why? Are plastic straws taking up so much space in our landfill sites that we have to switch to paper straws? And don’t paper straws take up just as much space? And before you tell me that I should be recycling my paper straw, please, don’t even go there.

Oh, and while were on the topic of utensils, those half spoon, half fork thingies are another new pet peeve of mine mostly because they never work.

You maybe happy to learn that checkout clerks who ask if you would like any bags when you have a shopping cart filled with items, or your arms are overflowing with them, is still on my list. Of course, I want bags. If I didn’t need any bags I would tell you. In fact, there is one store in Orléans in particular in which all the checkout clerks have been put on notice – if I have more than two large items in my hands, I want a bag. Two items, two hands. Three items or more, a would like a bag please.

Speaking of bags, the switch from paper bags top those composaible fabric bags is another new pet peeve of mine, but that’s only because I can never remember to bring it back to the store when I go shopping and I inevitably have to buy a new bag. Thus, I had to throw out 15 compostable fabric bags the other day because they were taking up too much space under my sink.

Another favourite pet peeve of mine (oxymoron intended) is the announcement you get when you pull up to the drive-thru menu board at Tim Hortons to please have your method of payment ready to prevent delays in the drive-thru, or something to that effect. How about they please have my order ready when I get to the drive-thru window to prevent any delays.

Two other pet peeves when I’m out shop-ping are lottery people and dividing bars.

It happens without fail. Whenever I’m in a hurry and I want to pay for my items there is always someone with a fist full of lottery tickets holding up the line as the checkout clerk dutifully checks every ticket to see if the person has won anything. They could save a lot of time by just giving me their money and skipping the part of actually buying the tickets in the first place.

Which reminds me of another pet peeve check out people who feel it necessary to tell the customer in front of you their whole life story, or think it’s okay to put you on hold while they answer the phone. Hey buttercup, put the caller on hold, I as here first.

The dividing bars stores use to separate orders at the checkout counter have always been a pet peeve of mine because they are an excuse for people for not having to converse with other shoppers. Before the advent of dividing bars you used to have to talk to the checkout person to make sure they knew when the order in front of you ended and yours began.

Fortunately, with the introduction of self checkout machines I can avoid having to use dividing bars, so they are quickly dropping off my list.

Another pet peeve are people who insist on cycling on the sidewalk. If you are over the age of 12, you should not be cycling on the sidewalk, period, end of sentence.

Last, but by no means least, are gas pumps that are out of paper when you need a receipt forcing you to go inside to get said receipt. How hard is it to keep paper in the printer?

Well, that just about does it. In fact, I feel so much better now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, at least until I have to get gas from a pump that has run out of paper and then stop by a store where I have to wait five minutes for lottery person to check all their tickets only to be asked if I need any bags once I do get to the counter.

(If you wish to comment on this or any other View Point column please write to Fred Sherwin at fsherwin@orleansstar.ca)