Things that annoy you - the official thread

[Buffalo]

Hello new dude

[Moggy]

Or in practice, how many people have died today, what celebrities are currently doing, and what sporting events are currently occuring.

So in other words, the news?

[Rightey]

The News

Story 1: People screaming, children injured, many emotions all around.
Story 2: LOL LOOK! These Australians got a selfie with the queen!!! And we won some medals!!!!!

Why on earth wouldn't they talk about other serious stuff, go to break, and then come back with the light gooseberry fool.

Seconding this. The news is a joke. The single easiest thing you can do to make your life better and just enjoy yourself more is to avoid the news at all costs. The news hasn't been about actually informing the public for a very long time. It's about playing to all of the lowest common denominator human emotions. i.e fear, desire, competition. Or in practice, how many people have died today, what celebrities are currently doing, and what sporting events are currently occuring.

I think the reason they go to commercials on something light is because you are more likely to stick around if they say, and after the break we will tell you about serious event X rather than and after the break we will show you some funny clips of dogs doing stuff from the internet.


Also my girlfriend.

She is in Japan right now and commutes to work on a bicycle, and apparently no one over there wears helmets, not sure what the norm is in the UK but here almost everyone wears one. So I told her she should get one and for some reason she finds this hilarious.

I told her I was serious and she goes on to tell me how no one over there wears a helmet so it's ok, blah blah blah etc.

I then asked her is the ground made of sponge? Is gravity lighter over there? What solid reason could she possibly have for not wearing one?!

She finds my concern incredibly cute (so there's a good tip for anyone else out East, just get a girl a bike helmet and watch them melt in your hands!) but she still doesn't want one.

I'm thinking of just buying it for her and either having it shipped via Amazon, or bringing it myself when I go over there.

[1cmanny1]

Dude that is clearly their culture. Even though you don't agree, you would be quite a dick to try and change it. Expressing your concern is fine, but don't bully her into anything.

[Buffalo]

It's not going to work out, Rightey. An LDR like that, are you kidding?

[bigcheez2k3]

Over here it's 50/50. Those who take it seriously, commuters for example, wear helmets, the rest aren't too bothered.

[Rightey]

It's not going to work out, Rightey. An LDR like that, are you kidding?

Dude that is clearly their culture. Even though you don't agree, you would be quite a dick to try and change it. Expressing your concern is fine, but don't bully her into anything.

I can't tell if these two are sarcasm or genuine.

I'll assume genuine and ask why would it not work? She will be back here in a few months so it's really no big deal, yeah it's a bit annoying but certainly not something that's impossible.

On the second thing she also mentioned the cultural aspect but that has nothing to do with it. This is a bike helmet! It's a practicality thing. If I was telling her to throw on a veil or never wear some piece of clothing, yes that would be a very dick thing to do, but this is something that could make the difference between being dead, and walking away from an accident.

[aayl1]

If you buy her one, she won't wear it. So save your money.

They're more concerned with their hair than their safety.

[Rocsteady]

Suck a dick, if a girlfriend from afar bought me a helmet I might appreciate the gesture but like strawberry float it would be getting worn.

[Rightey]

Wow what a pleasant guy you are, and I'm sure you'd feel the same way if you smacked your head against the pavement right?

Nah you seem too 'ard for something like brain damage.

[SEP]

:|

Wow what a pleasant guy you are, and I'm sure you'd feel the same way if you smacked your head against the pavement right?

Nah you seem too 'ard for something like brain damage.

Is that what you said to her?

[Errkal]

To be fair if I didn't want to wear one I wouldn't especially if someone was trying to make me.

You can't tell her to wear one, you can suggest it but if she says no that's all you can do, pushing the matter will only cause arguments.

[Lotus]

I wouldn't buy one for her, it'll just be a waste of money. Doesn't sound like she'd wear it.

I can't imagine not wearing a helmet. I went out this morning and was tearing along some country lanes. If a car hit me, or I came off for some reason, I'd be done for. At least the helmet would give me a chance of surviving. Even going slowly, if I come off, my shoulder/head would blatantly be the first thing to hit the ground.

Sounds more like a cultural/education thing, which you might have to work on. Don't spend money just yet. Seems odd that Japan isn't into the old 'safety' thing though, thought they were quite hot on that. Is she Japanese herself? Or just doesn't want to stand out be wearing a helmet?

[The Grassy knoll]

After losing my remote control for a couple of days I've realized how gooseberry fool TV is without one.

[Fatal Exception]

I bought my Girlfriend a helmet, apparently no one wears them in China either. I've always worn (I was made to by my parents) one and they've saved my head a few times. I noticed no one in Holland wearing helmets either. A guy at work recently was in a bad accident with a car and his helmet was smashed to pieces. Imagine if he hadn't been wearing one? Hes be dead.

I guess in the UK it just isn't safe to not wear one. Our roads are in a strawberry floating state and most drivers are banana splits. Just yesterday I witnessed the car behind me driving with half his car in the cycle lane. I was driving and I didn't see any bikes, but still, stop being a banana split. There was no excuse for it. Keep out of the strawberry floating cycle lane.

[Joer]

A woman I work with was hit by a car a few days ago while riding her bike. She wasn't wearing a helmet and is still in hospital as they fear brain damage. I'm not riding my bike to work again until i've got a helmet.

[Rocsteady]

:|

Wow what a pleasant guy you are, and I'm sure you'd feel the same way if you smacked your head against the pavement right?

Nah you seem too 'ard for something like brain damage.

Yeah sorry I don't even remember posting that. To be fair if you take out the first three words it's a brilliantly well reasoned argument.

[Imrahil]

For all the dodgy drivers out there, I have to say I'm also constantly amazed at some of the idiot cyclists I see. Some wear dark clothes at dusk with no reflectors, many go down main A-roads without helmets, etc.

Same with some joggers I've seen wearing dark clothes at dusk - on windy roads with no pavements. I mean what's the worst that can happen, right?

[Green Gecko]

Tbh the roads in Japanese cities are basically perfect and traffic stops automatically very regularly. Taxi drivers are pretty aggressive but I cycled around Tokyo every day for 12 days and the worse that happened was getting stuck between a bus and a taxi driver for a few seconds. Other than that I felt very safe.

[Memento Mori]

When you agree to chip in some money for a gift for someone and the person buying the gift decides to spend three times as much as you all agreed. I could have bought a cheaper gift myself than the amount I'm paying now.