(CONTENT WARNING - SWEARING) Things that irritate but, perhaps, shouldn't

[Phil Istine]

My current pet hate is the recent change at a local corner shop. I might go in there to buy several items, only to have them trying to foist additional items onto me at the checkout. So far my response has been "No thanks," but what I really feel like saying is, "Fuck off. Do you think I haven't got a mind of my own and can decide for myself what I fucking want?"

Alternatively, I might gather up all the items they're offering and exaggeratedly ask them for a quotation, whilst grabbing other items off the shelves and asking for quotations for them too. Imagine John Cleese in full flow.

If it persists, I may well stop going in there; there are plenty of other corner shops.

If I haven't made it clear, it really fucking pisses me off.

When something feels that way, it can be a sign that something from my distant past is about to break the surface - a something that will help me make sense of a feeling that I know is irrational in its intensity.

[druid12000]

Having worked in retail, I have been in the position of the employee who is told by their manager that they need to 'upsell' at checkout. It was always awkward for me because I am NOT a salesperson and have gone to great lengths to allow folks to enjoy their shopping experience without me hovering like a gnat.

I had one manager who was cool and it became a running joke with us. He would see a customer roaming in the furniture department, I would simply say 'Yes, I have already bothered them'. We were a good team

I do agree that when I'm feeling something intensely irrational like that, it's usually a reaction to something I haven't dealt with that is trying to come to the surface.

[bazz cargo]

Getting old. Should be happy considering the alternative.

[PiP]

Things that irritate but, perhaps, shouldn't

People who wear masks as chin straps.

One of our neighbours cats using our raised veg garden as a litter tray. Every night it comes into the garden just to take a poop ... I know because I watch his comings and goings on the security cameras I don't mind cats I just get a little peeved at putting my hand in cat's poop

[vranger]

People who wear masks as chin straps.

One of our neighbours cats using our raised veg garden as a litter tray. Every night it comes into the garden just to take a poop ... I know because I watch his comings and goings on the security cameras I don't mind cats I just get a little peeved at putting my hand in cat's poop

And the damnable thing is the cat poop isn't even "worth a shit" as fertilizer. Ask them to get a dog!

[Phil Istine]

Having worked in retail, I have been in the position of the employee who is told by their manager that they need to 'upsell' at checkout. It was always awkward for me because I am NOT a salesperson and have gone to great lengths to allow folks to enjoy their shopping experience without me hovering like a gnat.

I wonder if the manager realises how short sighted an upsell policy can be. They might sell more of the items at the checkout, but they could lose sales overall due to customers going elsewhere to avoid the upselling. It feels like something that has been imported from the USA. Anyway, I finally opened my mouth yesterday when I went back in there and they tried to upsell something to me that had high sugar content (I was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and my first step, before meds, is to control it by diet). I asked the guy, in front of the manager, if he would like to buy some arsenic from me. I had a very blunt conversation with the manager too. No, I wasn't rude or sweary but said that I no longer found shopping there enjoyable due to the regular upselling. It's not really a UK thing, but has slowly crept in at some places.

[vranger]

I wonder if the manager realises how short sighted an upsell policy can be. They might sell more of the items at the checkout, but they could lose sales overall due to customers going elsewhere to avoid the upselling. It feels like something that has been imported from the USA. Anyway, I finally opened my mouth yesterday when I went back in there and they tried to upsell something to me that had high sugar content (I was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and my first step, before meds, is to control it by diet). I asked the guy, in front of the manager, if he would like to buy some arsenic from me. I had a very blunt conversation with the manager too. No, I wasn't rude or sweary but said that I no longer found shopping there enjoyable due to the regular upselling. It's not really a UK thing, but has slowly crept in at some places.

I can't recall a time I've ever had a clerk in a store try to sell me something extra. We might expect that from a salesman in a furniture store or a car dealership, but you wouldn't commonly see it in a grocery store ... possibly certain areas of a department store (perfume or jewelry or such). Over here, upselling would typical apply to vanity or big ticket products, not anything off the shelf. I've never seen it in a hardware store, either.

[PiP]

One thing that used to annoy me when we visited the uk was at the checkout at the big supermarket chains and payment by credit card: Do you want cash back? Foolishly I accepted once, only to find you start paying interest immediately. Which we found particularly annoying as we always settle our credit card bill when re receive the monthly notification. A lesson learned.

One day I was so fed up I actually told the checkout cashier if I wanted cash, I'd go to the hole in the wall and draw direct from my bank account.

The other annoying thing about uk supermarkets or indeed any pharmacy is being interrogated about medical history in front of a queue of people before buying over the counter medication.

The most stupid involved interrogation regarding Halls lozenges throat sweets. The assistant wanted to know what other medications I was taking and demanded the information in such a condescending manner...i became worzel gummage ....I was feeling particulary mischievious that day and asked her if she was a qualified medic, and then told the young kid I was buying the Halls lozenges to commit suicide... okay... it was a joke in poor taste... but her face ... if there was a panic button under the counter, I would probably have been removed by security... the people behind me sniggered... afterwards I felt bad, because she was only doing her job in a politically correct world of lawyer ambulance chasers.

i come from a generation where people still had a sense of humour...

[vranger]

One thing that used to annoy me when we visited the uk was at the checkout at the big supermarket chains and payment by credit card: Do you want cash back? Foolishly I accepted once, only to find you start paying interest immediately. Which we found particularly annoying as we always settle our credit card bill when re receive the monthly notification. A lesson learned.

One day I was so fed up I actually told the checkout cashier if I wanted cash, I'd go to the hole in the wall and draw direct from my bank account.

The other annoying thing about uk supermarkets or indeed any pharmacy is being interrogated about medical history in front of a queue of people before buying over the counter medication. The most stupid involved interrogation regarding Halls lozenges throat sweets and she wanted to know what other medications I was taking in a condescending manner...I was feeling particulary mischievious that day that day and asked her if she was a qualified medic, and then told the young kid I was buying the Halls lozenges to commit suicide... okay... it was a joke in poor taste... but her face ... if there was a panic button under the counter, I would probably have been removed by security... the people behind me sniggered... afterwards I felt bad, because she was only doing her job in a politically correct world of lawyer ambulance chasers.

i come from a generation where people still had a sense of humour...

It's not uncommon for me to tell someone "No". Then they come up with this ridiculous reply "You have to. It's the rules."

Then I explain, "Those are YOUR rules. I have my own, and they don't include doing what you requested I do."

I'm not unreasonable, but I have a low (meaning zero) tolerance for stupid shit. Of course, if it's a law, I typically can't go there. But if it's just store policy I disagree with, they don't stand a chance of pushing it on me.

[druid12000]

I can't recall a time I've ever had a clerk in a store try to sell me something extra. We might expect that from a salesman in a furniture store or a car dealership, but you wouldn't commonly see it in a grocery store ... possibly certain areas of a department store (perfume or jewelry or such). Over here, upselling would typical apply to vanity or big ticket products, not anything off the shelf. I've never seen it in a hardware store, either.

I don't see it much anymore either, and never at a grocery store.

I read a story about a guy who asked a young Target employee if he could open a camera to check it out. The employee looked him dead in the eye and said 'You could literally murder someone in front of me and I wouldn't care'.

Ah, the joy of youth