Oof. Well, this one is actually turning out to be a bit more in depth than I expected. I’m going to go with the knee-jerk responses, then dive deeper into the underlying problem.

1.) Tailgaters: This does not refer to the people that gather around to let their tailgates down and drink and sing and generally have fun (not my bag, but it’s cool). Nay nay. This one is specific to moving traffic. Those jerkwads that drive so close to your ass end that you can’t see their headlights?! I mean… if you’re lucky it isn’t a jacked up Penis Truck with their LED headlights bouncing off the rearview and straight through your corneas, anyway. My Pet Peeve with these types is visceral, sure, but… what really gets me is someone that gets downright PISSED at that type of person, yet turns around to do the exact same thing to other people. This is called “hypocrisy” (the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one’s own behavior does not conform). I must note that this “Pet Peeve” applies to a lot more than just hypocritical tailgaters, though. Anyone that gets negatively affected by something, but does that exact thing themselves… that is the core of this Pet Peeve.

2.) Cell Phones: The Boyfriend and I went to a new-to-us pizza joint a while back to see if it was any good. Upon walking in, we discovered that it was take-out only (no dining whatsoever). There were 3 people sitting on the bench along the wall waiting for their orders when we went up to ask a couple questions of the cashier. Two separate customers came in behind us, the 2nd of whom was talking – loudly – on her phone. We moved out of the line to look at the menu screens and decide what we wanted, then got back in the line behind the phone-talker lady to wait our turn. When it was the her turn, she did not hang up her phone. Nay Nay. She kept holding her conversation, while also intermittently answering the cashiers inquiries. Now… this Pet Peeve centers on the Disrespect some people have towards everyone around them when it comes to cell phone usage. In this instance, there is literally nothing so pressing that you have to be so rude as to keep talking when there’s someone in front of you just trying to do their job, let alone people behind you waiting on your dumb ass to muddle through your shit because you can’t concentrate on both things at one. Hang up the fucking phone and complete your task or get the fuck out of line and finish your conversation elsewhere. Seriously can’t stand people that do this.

Side Quest/Honorable Mention: Playing music on your phone where everyone else can hear. Get ear buds.

3.) Karens & DudeBros: There’s nothing more irritating than these types, me thinks. And when I say “Karens” – I include females and males (since the jury’s still out on a nickname for the male version of a Karen). DudeBros are just the guys (I call them “Chads,” but it seems the internet disagrees). I’ll include Google terminology for both:

“Karen” is a pejorative slang term for a white woman who is perceived as entitled or demanding beyond the scope of what is considered appropriate. This behavior is often depicted as being racist, classist, or acting with privilege to get what she wants. The term is frequently used to describe individuals who are often middle-aged, aggressive, or confrontational in situations where they feel inconvenienced or angry, sometimes to the point of escalating conflicts and involving law enforcement inappropriately.

“DudeBro” is a derogatory term for a young, usually white male who is perceived as obnoxiously entitled and often prejudiced or narrow-minded. [See also: Incel]

This Pet Peeve is about Entitlement, as you likely perceived upon reading the definitions. I truly can’t understand how people like Karens and DudeBros can feel as entitled as they do. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I understand the psychology and environmental influences behind it… where it comes from and why it happens. I just… I suppose it would be more accurate to say that I can’t fathom how someone can legitimately exist that way and not feel a shred of guilt or shame about it. I can’t imagine treating people the way these types do.

Hell, my former friend Darryl was a HUGE Karen. I can remember so many instances when we’d be at a specific fast food joint and he would treat those poor cashiers (you know, the young and inexperienced?) like they were the stupidest people on Earth. And fucking forbid if they got his order wrong and didn’t leave off the damn tomatoes like he asked. He had zero chill (patience) and was not afraid to yell at someone for making a mistake. I expressed my displeasure with this several times. Eventually, he would excuse himself and call to bitch where I couldn’t hear it. Never did truly learn the lesson. Then again, he never once had to work in the service industry and deal with people like him, so… not all that surprising.

Anyhoo… guess I’m gonna hop off here and watch some Netflix until therapy. Just finished the “Monster: Ed Gein” series and started the “Jeffrey Dahmer” one. I dislike all the blood and gore and sexual violence, but… I find the psychology behind serial killers (and the similarities they have) extremely fascinating.

[The site where I got the featured image: https://www.stevenjosephauthor.com/pet-peeve-crankatsuris/]