Planes, Trains and Automobiles.
by sam on 02/17/2004The New York Times has put out a series of articles on what may be my biggest pet peeve – travel-related aggravation.
First, there’s customer service problems, told from both the customer’s and the service agent’s points of view. I’ve encountered some rude airline customer service people in my life (largely when attempting to book tickets or upgrade over the phone), but I think too many customers take their frustrations out on the person nearest to them, even when they’re perfectly aware that the person at the gate is not the real cause of their problems.
Then, there are the other passengers – annoying cellphone users? I’ve managed to perfect my evil glare while riding the bus here in New York City. I never object to the quick phone call to let someone know where you are, when you’re going to arrive, etc., but I really don’t need to know the details of your boyfriend’s intimacy problems. Really. When someone calls me when I’m riding public transportation of any kind, my first words are "I’m on the bus/train/etc. and I’ll call you back when I get home in 20 minutes." And I know everyone does it, but why do people insist on practically shouting when they’re on the phone? It’s not 1983 – they actually make the darn things well enough now that they can pick up your voice at a normal conversational tone. We have an entire society of people who think they’re using cans and string to communicate.
Finally, there’s everyone’s favorite, road rage. I can’t tell you how glad I am that I don’t own a car anymore.