How Long Have You Got?

I find prompts like this quite difficult. How can I reduce all the things in modern life that irritate me into three examples?! 🤣🤣 I could be here all day if I don’t focus!

Well, first of all the word peeves indicates minor irritations rather than anger inducing major issues. So, I can fortunately, for both me and my readers, ignore politics and the dreadful straits our world finds itself in. Secondly, I can concentrate on the more niche irritations that reveal more about me than the person or people carrying out the irritating behaviour. So, without further ado, here we go!

1. Slow walking – although as my family and colleagues will tell you that can include pretty much 90% of the human population! When I am on my own, I am definitely trying to get somewhere as quickly as possible. If someone in front of me is going too slowly I will usually just overtake them, but if I can’t I get irritated and either mutter under my breath, stop to check my phone or find an opportunity to get out into the road (safely of course) and go past them at a jog!
2. Next up is people who are loud on public transport or, worse, have their phones on with no earphones. In the last few months I have used public transport very infrequently, no longer being a commuter, but I still have a commuter mindset! When you travel at rush hour the people around you tend to be silent, especially in the morning, or if they are talking they do so quietly. I have spent many an hour long journey in a carriage where total silence has reigned and it’s marvellous. I am not saying you can’t make noise, just be as quiet as you possibly can.
3. My final peeve is more of an attitude at large where people are ever less concerned with those around them. I suppose that the previous peeve comes from this approach, but this is much more all encompassing. It’s about a kind of blindness to the rest of the world. This comes from our increasingly atomised existence where we only worry about what we want rather than what effect it will have on other people. When I was in Salzburg last week, that was far less in evidence and I connected that to the far less widespread use of phones in public. Phones put us in a bubble and we forget about those around us. I know that I can fall prey to that so I am trying to reduce my usage, but for most people the phone is simply a physical extension of themselves at all times.

So there you have it. When it comes down to it, my main peeves all come from the same place, people being unaware of those around them. In many ways this is not a new phenomenon of course, but I definitely think it has got worse in the past decade particularly. So, if you see me, or anyone else, walking quickly towards you get out of the way! If you have earphones use them and if you want to talk, do so more quietly! Finally put that phone away and take account of the world around you.