In a popular episode of Family Guy, Peter Griffin has a few seconds of small-town fame on his “What Really Grinds My Gears” segment for the local news. Basically he had five minutes a day to complain about things that just irk him. But there are always just a few things throughout my day that minutely annoy me. I often don’t say anything for the sake of being a pleasant human with friends. But if Peter Griffin got his chance I think it’s only fair that I have mine. So here are the five day-to-day things that just grind my gears:
1. People who don’t shower often enough. My roommate likes to call me werewolf because I have a supernatural sense of smell. And like all werewolves, I notice when someone hasn’t showered in the past 24 hours just by being in the same room as them. There is no feeling more disagreeable than realizing someone didn’t shower three minutes into your 10:30am class. It’s in that moment you know you’re going to spend the next hour and thirteen minutes suffering. Sometimes, I have to turn to the side just to gasp for air.
2. People who chew gum loudly. Just picture it: it’s your third Behavioral Neuroscience midterm and your professor has just said, “you may begin.” You haven’t even finished writing your name and all of a sudden you realize Rice Krispies’ Snap, Crackle, and Pop are sitting next to you. How can you possibly remember what a dendrite is when all you can think about is your neighbor’s gum chewing? You might as well just bubble in a Christmas tree on your Scantron because it will make no difference. As indelicate as this may sound, Loud Gum Chewers: I hate you.
3. People who won’t stop talking in the library. I know it’s so much better to go to the study with your friends than alone. But if you know you’re going to talk, go study in a lounge or a dining hall. Please don’t make my homework any more difficult than it already is.
4. People who cut the line. I was in Eagles Nest two Wednesdays ago during the lunch rush. As I was waiting in line for a Baja Chicken sandwich, I noticed there was a guy “discretely” hovering around the line. He had obviously just gotten there so he knew he wasn’t in front of me. But he feigned an aura of aloofness with his oversized Beats headphones and frantic texting. At that moment I knew he was going to cut me in line and I was right. You know all chivalry has died when a guy blatantly cuts a girl in line. If he were in such a rush, he could have easily asked to go in front of me.
5. People who sit right next to you. Call me crazy but I don’t believe the T is a place to make new friends. So when there’s a virtually empty T-train and someone chooses to sit directly next to me, I hate it. Why would you do this to me? Have you no sense of personal space?
At the end of the day, we all have our pet peeves. I’m sure I’m guilty of “grinding someone’s gears.” And sometimes it’s fun to sit around with your friends and laugh about the dumb things that annoyed you throughout your day.
Photo Sources:
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