Why do people ....?

[school17777]

Open my screen door when they ring the doorbell so when I open the door, the dogs run out instead of leaving it closed until I open it?  There used to be one person the I knew would do this so I would purposely lock the screen door when I was expecting them (which is not practical on a regular basis - too many people coming and going)

So, what do people do that baffles you?

[Arctic Bunny]

Not really the same thing, but still baffling. Took my mom out shopping today, after picking her up from her house, where I grew up (age 8-17), and where she has continued to live. She gave me driving directions to get back. I don’t know how I managed on my own pre-Google when I was 16, much less now!

[Stacia]

1 hour ago, school17777 said:

So, what do people do that baffles you?

There are SO many things I could list. I feel baffled by others a lot of the time.

One... why do some guys spit so much? Not tobacco. Just spit. Open the car door & spit while in traffic. While standing on the sidewalk. Walking down the street. Before walking into a building. Just everywhere (hopefully outside).

Is it excess saliva production? Or something?

🤔

[Tap]

Why do people take a job as a manager....if they don't want to manage people?

I have the nicest manager you will ever meet! He even told me that he gives everyone the highest marks on their eval possible (including bonuses)....just so he doesn't have to do the paper work to let them know what to work on.  One of my coworkers does maaaaybe 2 hours of work a day. The rest is spent on his personal phone. He is like this every day. There is no point talking to the manager about it, he won't do anything. Employee is 32 and healthy, just lazy.

[Petrichor]

Check to make sure your doorbell isn't behind your screen door. 😂

I can see opening the screen door if there's no doorbell and you need to knock on the solid door. Maybe there is someone else they visit a lot who doesn't have a working doorbell so they just default to opening the screen door to knock, even after ringing the doorbell, just in case the doorbell doesn't work. A stretch, I know, but I'm the kind of person who has trouble adjusting to different situations like that.

 

can't think of one right now other than - Why do my kids need to ring the doorbell (so many times, too!) when their father is currently in the process of opening the door with the key? There are days I feel like disabling the doorbell.

[J-rap]

Gosh, I think I've opened the screen door while waiting, figuring it was polite/friendly!

[Garga]

In an empty public bathroom, with 3 or more stalls, why do women choose the one right next to you to use?  Why not choose one a little farther away?  This grosses me out so much.

[marbel]

It would never occur to me to open the screen door while waiting for someone to answer it. When I have had to open a screen door to knock, I close it immediately after knocking. So, OP, I would find it baffling too!  

[school17777]

1 hour ago, Petrichor said:

 

Check to make sure your doorbell isn't behind your screen door. 😂

I can see opening the screen door if there's no doorbell and you need to knock on the solid door. Maybe there is someone else they visit a lot who doesn't have a working doorbell so they just default to opening the screen door to knock, even after ringing the doorbell, just in case the doorbell doesn't work. A stretch, I know, but I'm the kind of person who has trouble adjusting to different situations like that.

 

 

But no one knocks on the door after they ring the doorbell.  They just open the screen door and wait for me to open the front door even though they can hear the dogs barking so no surprise that the dogs are on the other side of the door. I can’t see that the screen door is open before I open the door.  The dogs are easy for me to grab once the door is open because they are excited to see who is at the door are preoccupied by that.  They are tricky to grab before I open the door.  

[school17777]

1 hour ago, J-rap said:

Gosh, I think I've opened the screen door while waiting, figuring it was polite/friendly!

 

Interesting!  When I’m at someone else’s house, I feel like I’m intruding if I open the screen door.  Like Marbel, I would close it after I knocked if I had to knock.

[school17777]

40 minutes ago, Garga said:

In an empty public bathroom, with 3 or more stalls, why do women choose the one right next to you to use?  Why not choose one a little farther away?  This grosses me out so much.

 

I have observed this too.  I don’t understand it either.

[marbel]

1 hour ago, Garga said:

In an empty public bathroom, with 3 or more stalls, why do women choose the one right next to you to use?  Why not choose one a little farther away?  This grosses me out so much.

Maybe they aren't paying attention. Or maybe the other stalls are dirty or otherwise unusable.  

[kiwik]

It is really unusual to use the front door here.  Only salespeople/collectors/new acquaintances would use it.

[marbel]

I am at work and bored right now, don't mean to dominate the thread. But re: people making and taking phone calls in the bathroom... I do customer service for a bank and you would not believe the number of calls we get where it's obvious that the customer is using the toilet. Yes folks, we can hear you peeing, and flushing, and everything else.  So weird. 

[Arctic Bunny]

It has taken me.... 23 years.... but I just noticed after reading this thread that my DH no longer carries on phone conversations in the bathroom. It is truly a thing with his family. I just don’t get it. And it’s not like I’ve ever spoken to his parents on the phone so long that it would be necessary. They all start conversations while in there; if someone calls, they’ll hand try handing you the phone... just... no.

[Tanaqui]

Screen doors: I feel weird and awkward waiting for somebody to answer the door while I have an extra barrier between us, like I don't really want to talk. Might I suggest you put up a sign at eye level?

[Chris in VA]

I love screen doors because they allow me to answer the door and talk to someone with an extra layer of privacy between us. I mean with strangers and sales people; I would immediately open and invite in a friend.

[HomeAgain]

6 hours ago, marbel said:

I am at work and bored right now, don't mean to dominate the thread. But re: people making and taking phone calls in the bathroom... I do customer service for a bank and you would not believe the number of calls we get where it's obvious that the customer is using the toilet. Yes folks, we can hear you peeing, and flushing, and everything else.  So weird. 

I went to Target one day and was so shocked to hear the variety of business in the next stall that I actually said something.  Probably too loud. 😄 "Oh my gosh!  Ew!! Someone is actually on their phone while using the toilet!"

I have never felt the same, knowing that someone way too far away was listening to me pee.

[Arctic Bunny]

8 hours ago, Tanaqui said:

Screen doors: I feel weird and awkward waiting for somebody to answer the door while I have an extra barrier between us, like I don't really want to talk. Might I suggest you put up a sign at eye level?

 

5 hours ago, Chris in VA said:

I love screen doors because they allow me to answer the door and talk to someone with an extra layer of privacy between us. I mean with strangers and sales people; I would immediately open and invite in a friend.

These two one after another made me lol 🙂

[SKL]

10 hours ago, Garga said:

In an empty public bathroom, with 3 or more stalls, why do women choose the one right next to you to use?  Why not choose one a little farther away?  This grosses me out so much.

And my question would be, why do people want to use the farthest possible stall in a public restroom?  Personally I go for clean and has toilet paper.  😛

[J-rap]

5 hours ago, Chris in VA said:

I love screen doors because they allow me to answer the door and talk to someone with an extra layer of privacy between us. I mean with strangers and sales people; I would immediately open and invite in a friend.

I always thought the sole purpose of screen doors was to keep bugs out, and let in a breeze if you want to keep the main door open.  

[SKL]

Why do people pass the car in front of them on the on-ramp when they're trying to enter the freeway?

Why do people get in the far lane to pull into their driveways?

Why do people reply without actually reading their emails / texts?

So many others, but that's a start ....

[SKL]

The cell phone in the bathroom - I know at least two workaholic women who do that regularly.  No point wasting potty time when you could be double tasking!  I have informed one of them repeatedly that people can tell what she is doing.  She doesn't believe me or something.

Even if you like talking on the phone in the toilet and you think you're being discreet or it's just your husband, consider that the others in the public john don't want to share!

One of the women who does this used to be my boss's wife.  I mean like I want my male boss hearing my toilet sounds.  No!

Confession:  I sometimes go to the bathroom on a long conference call. But at least I mute my phone!

Edited June 12, 2019 by SKL

[mlktwins]

17 minutes ago, SKL said:

And my question would be, why do people want to use the farthest possible stall in a public restroom?  Personally I go for clean and has toilet paper.  😛

I saw something on tv recently (maybe Myth Busters) where they tested the cleanliest of the stalls in a public bathroom.  The testing showed that the 1st stall is usually the cleanest, but most people walk to the stalls farther away.  I use the 1st stall now :-)!!!!

[mlktwins]

12 hours ago, arctic_bunny said:

Not really the same thing, but still baffling. Took my mom out shopping today, after picking her up from her house, where I grew up (age 8-17), and where she has continued to live. She gave me driving directions to get back. I don’t know how I managed on my own pre-Google when I was 16, much less now!

I have been spending a lot of time with my 84 year old dad this past year.  A LOT OF TIME!  I am 52 and you would think I don't know anything about anything.  Drives me nuts!!!  And...he was giving me directions through my old neighborhood too - I was 8 months old when we moved in and we are just now selling his house.  I try to keep my mouth shut, but I am doing pretty much everything for him now - driving, grocery shopping, all his financial stuff.

[Arcadia]

9 hours ago, marbel said:

 I do customer service for a bank and you would not believe the number of calls we get where it's obvious that the customer is using the toilet. 

 

My husband has a phobia of the IVR system. It is so hard for him to understand the prompts and normally the wait is 10-20mins to get a customer service representative so I won’t be surprised if he and his colleagues thinks there is enough time for a toilet break while calling insurance and CollegeBoard. While we were at Wells Fargo to do a wire transfer to our mortgage lender for loan closing (we paid off our loan), the call took so long to get the correct recipient details for the wire transfer that I could make a few trips to the toilet (the bank rep was on the phone not me 🙂 and my husband was there)

[Laura Corin]

19 minutes ago, SKL said:

Why do people get in the far lane to pull into their driveways?

It depends on the driveway.  Attached is my driveway - it's physically impossible to turn between those walls without swinging into the far lane.

 

Driveway.docx

[Arcadia]

13 hours ago, arctic_bunny said:

Not really the same thing, but still baffling. Took my mom out shopping today, after picking her up from her house, where I grew up (age 8-17), and where she has continued to live. She gave me driving directions to get back. I don’t know how I managed on my own pre-Google when I was 16, much less now!

 

My childhood home’s region has changed a lot. Street names (urban) stayed the same but many major landmarks are gone. I won’t get lost walking to my childhood home or my parents current home because the homes are just off heavily used major thoroughfares. The public bus routes have however changed.

13 hours ago, Stacia said:

Is it excess saliva production? Or something?

🤔

 

Spitting into a spittoon was in my grandparents culture as kids in China and I know people my parents age who grew up spitting because that’s the norm for them. House.gov says spittoon was common in the US https://history.house.gov/Collection/Detail/15032438498

[SKL]

5 minutes ago, Laura Corin said:

It depends on the driveway.  Attached is my driveway - it's physically impossible to turn between those walls without swinging into the far lane.

 

Driveway.docx 1.28 MB · 2 downloads

OK, but we don't have walled driveways here, LOL.  😛  I have seen accidents caused by people trying to pass on the left (which is legal) because someone got into the right lane to turn left into their driveway.

[alisoncooks]

Gosh, if I have to open a screen to knock, I close it and then take several steps back. I'd find it super intrusive/creepy to be *right there* when someone open the door. 

And I can't stand when people are in the phone in public restrooms. Makes me want to carry a whoopie cushion in my purse so I can make obnoxious and disgusting sounds. 

[J-rap]

I guess two things that bug me are:

When you're in a quiet place, and one person is talking loudly on their cell phone in front of everyone.  Do they really think everyone wants to listen to their end of the conversation?  

Another one is when someone is turning off a road and they start going really, really slowly about 1/2 mile early, and how they even have an option to move into a turn lane but don't, until the very end.  So everyone behind them has to slow down, waiting for them to move into the turn lane and turn.

[Home'scool]

Why do male drivers have to back into parking spaces?

I get that it is easier to pull out, but it seems so hard to back into a space it would be easier to pull nose in, and then have the whole parking lot to back out into!

I find this especially with men with HUGE trucks. It's annoying tho, when you are behind someone in a parking lot and they drive past a spot, and then reverse, causing all types of jam ups, and then take forever to back into a space

[Chris in VA]

1 hour ago, J-rap said:

I always thought the sole purpose of screen doors was to keep bugs out, and let in a breeze if you want to keep the main door open.  

Well, now you know another one!😂😉😜

[Arcadia]

4 minutes ago, Home'scool said:

Why do male drivers have to back into parking spaces?

I get that it is easier to pull out, but it seems so hard to back into a space it would be easier to pull nose in, and then have the whole parking lot to back out into!

 

Females back into parking spaces too. We guess they must be employees who would be working until the stores’ closing time. In fact I have to pass that test to get my driving license in my country of origin which is why my brother had to take his driving test multiple times to pass that and the parallel parking test. 

My husband once nearly had a head on collision doing the nose in thing at a supermarket parking lot. A driver was speeding and just turned abruptly into the lot that my husband has drove partially into. It is easier to do a nose in safely when there are lots of empty parking spaces. 

What I hate is people speeding in parking places, both open air and multistory garages. They were going at freeway speed. 

[SKL]

I don't have a screen on my front door.  I guess that makes me really weird ....

[Katy]

The screen door thing drives me batty too.  I've been known in nice weather to LOCK the screen door and leave the front door open.  And I always lock the screen door when someone might come over and annoyingly try to just walk in.   We had one social worker who would schedule a visit and then show up 10-15 minutes early and try to just walk in every time.  IDK if she caught a lot of abuse that way or what but there's no way she didn't know that was inappropriate.  We have an automatically locking electronic deadbolt so it never worked on our house, it just made this alarm noise that made the dogs go crazy.

I think backing big trucks into parking spaces happens a lot in areas where the driver can see there are no kids around now, but there are likely to be kids around when they leave. It can be very dangerous to back out a big truck, and if you see there is no traffic NOW it's safer to back in now rather than back out later.  And it's not about ease, once you've been driving a huge truck for a while you get used to backing it in.  I rarely do this myself but I have at times.  I often find spaces I can just pull through and walk from further away.   I saw this a lot more in Oklahoma, where many people drive huge trucks and parking lot spaces seem tighter as a result.

[SKL]

It's actually easier to maneuver backing in than driving front-first.  That assumes you have good mirrors and a sense of where you are in space.

The reason I usually do not back in is that leaving is easier when backing out.  But if I'm parallel parking, I almost always back in.

[PeachyDoodle]

3 hours ago, mlktwins said:

I saw something on tv recently (maybe Myth Busters) where they tested the cleanliest of the stalls in a public bathroom.  The testing showed that the 1st stall is usually the cleanest, but most people walk to the stalls farther away.  I use the 1st stall now :-)!!!!

I knew it! 😂

I always use the first stall too. I've just always had a hunch that it's the least-used. Maybe because I know that I have a tendency to walk past the first one if I'm not paying attention.

I can't think of a good story to share in response to the OP, but it makes me think of something my grandmother always said: People are crazier than anybody!

[stephanier.1765]

16 hours ago, arctic_bunny said:

Not really the same thing, but still baffling. Took my mom out shopping today, after picking her up from her house, where I grew up (age 8-17), and where she has continued to live. She gave me driving directions to get back. I don’t know how I managed on my own pre-Google when I was 16, much less now!

Oh my gosh, my mother does the same thing! I lived in that house from the age of 6 - 20 and she'll give me directions to the grocery store that's not 5 minutes away. The area hasn't changed one iota since I lived there and I only live 20 minutes away now. I just let it go and chalk it up to aging.

[happi duck]

Regarding bathroom stalls...I am paying *zero* attention to other people doing their business.  I would hope that other people are not paying attention to me!

Notice stall door ajar...check for tp...cleanliness check...go...flush etc...wash hands...leave.  If I end up next to someone I would not even take note.

[Arctic Bunny]

41 minutes ago, stephanier.1765 said:

Oh my gosh, my mother does the same thing! I lived in that house from the age of 6 - 20 and she'll give me directions to the grocery store that's not 5 minutes away. The area hasn't changed one iota since I lived there and I only live 20 minutes away now. I just let it go and chalk it up to aging.

Yeah, I let it go. It’s on my very long list of things not to do when I’m old. Unfortunately, I will probably forget the list.

[moonflower]

In Colorado they have signs up on many highways that say "slow traffic keep right" or "stay right except to pass" or something similar.  It seems like basic driving 101 and you'd think no one would need the sign to know not to drive (especially slowly!) in the left lane when traffic isn't heavy, but here in Missouri, and most other places we've lived, it's like no one has heard of this concept.  They just stay in the left lane, driving the speed limit or 5 under, with an open right lane beside them.  If you come up behind them, about half the time they'll eventually get over, but sometimes not, which is the kind of driving obliviousness that makes me nervous.  

[Elfknitter.#]

Put their cellphones on speaker for a conversation in public indoor spaces like a library? And the ones who do always seem to have the volume turned up loudly. Honestly, the rest of us do not need to know or care about your financial or medical business...

(It should go without saying that my comment does not include with hearing issues.)

[Laura Corin]

1 hour ago, moonflower said:

In Colorado they have signs up on many highways that say "slow traffic keep right" or "stay right except to pass" or something similar.  It seems like basic driving 101 and you'd think no one would need the sign to know not to drive (especially slowly!) in the left lane when traffic isn't heavy, but here in Missouri, and most other places we've lived, it's like no one has heard of this concept.  They just stay in the left lane, driving the speed limit or 5 under, with an open right lane beside them.  If you come up behind them, about half the time they'll eventually get over, but sometimes not, which is the kind of driving obliviousness that makes me nervous.  

Lane discipline is very much the social norm in the UK, and passing on the wrong side almost never happens.  I have to look out the side window when Texan Husband is driving on the motorway here, because he does sometimes sit in one of the overtaking lanes when there is space in the driving lane.  Eeek.

Edited June 12, 2019 by Laura Corin

[Wheres Toto]

1 hour ago, moonflower said:

In Colorado they have signs up on many highways that say "slow traffic keep right" or "stay right except to pass" or something similar.  It seems like basic driving 101 and you'd think no one would need the sign to know not to drive (especially slowly!) in the left lane when traffic isn't heavy, but here in Missouri, and most other places we've lived, it's like no one has heard of this concept.  They just stay in the left lane, driving the speed limit or 5 under, with an open right lane beside them.  If you come up behind them, about half the time they'll eventually get over, but sometimes not, which is the kind of driving obliviousness that makes me nervous.  

NJ has signs at stop lights that way "Wait for Green Light".   That seems pretty obvious too.

We do have the "Keep Right Except to Pass" as well.   I'm pretty sure it's not a suggestion, it's actually a law. 

[KidsHappen]

Why do people take food out of a public fridge that does not belong to them? For instance, take someone else's food out of the fridge at work? Who does this? And why?

[Laura Corin]

Why do people pick up after their dog, then leave the plastic bag by the road?  Either stick-and-flick without a bag, or bag it and take it to the nearest bin.

[Arcadia]

1 minute ago, KidsHappen said:

Why do people take food out of a public fridge that does not belong to them? For instance, take someone else's food out of the fridge at work? Who does this? And why?

 

My university hostel in the early 90s had people taking food that doesn’t belong to them out of the shared fridge in the kitchenettes. I would assume people who do that are

1) sleep deprived neighbors 

2) selfish neighbors and/or guests 

 

 

[Tenaj]

7 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

It depends on the driveway.  Attached is my driveway - it's physically impossible to turn between those walls without swinging into the far lane.

 

Driveway.docx 1.28 MB · 17 downloads

Or if you drive a longer vehicle and you need to pull in straight.  Some of the older people in our extended family think that it is helpful to park at the end of our double driveway but it makes it near impossible for me to get our big van into the drive without pulling into the left lane.

Edited June 12, 2019 by JanOH
Clarity

[Guest]

6 hours ago, SKL said:

I don't have a screen on my front door.  I guess that makes me really weird ....

I have no screen doors, either. One of my doors has a storm door, which dh installed about a year after we moved in. I hhhhhaaaaattttttttteeeee storm doors, though! HATE them! To me, they are an additional awkward barrier when guests arrive. And our storm door has the configuration I hate most! The storm door handle is on the left, while the inner door handle is on the right...those are so, utterly awkward when you are the guest. 

He had no idea I hated storm doors when he installed it, but after he installed it, he said he wanted to do the front door, too. I begged him not to! 

If I came to a house with a screen door, I am sure I would open the screeen door, wedge myself in with it behind me, and then knock/wait for my host to come. Even if I could hear dogs, I would not assume they were dogs who will bolt out the door. 

My door pet peeve is this: I want ALLL guests to come to my front porch door, not the little service entry door you pass first on my sidewalk. It’s part of the reason I painted the porch door YELLOW; so it would stand out and nudge people to go there. But some people still come to that first, bitty door that I hate and that has an awkward storm door on it and that dumps guests into the garage hallway, which is not much of an entrance.