One of my pet peeves [Semi rant]

[Sea Skimmer]

They need to open up the regs so that cell-phone jammers can be freely sold to the public. I would gladly buy one, just to switch it on when I see some asshole starting to have a really loud conversation in a movie theatre.

There was a time when you could have bought all the parts you needed in the US via mail. Too day the Police got pissed when people started actually damaging their radars via high-powered jamming and they're where some massive parts restrictions imposed.

[Einhander Sn0m4n]

I just got my cell fone a month ago, and I'm a stickler for turning it to vibrate when I'm at a movie/restaurant/other public place where loud noises are frowned upon. The vibrate is extremely effective at alerting me, plus the default Sprint ringtone is just loud enough to get my attention unless I have it in my pocket where it gets muffled. The vibe makes that a m00t point tho

Plus the default ringtone is quite distinctive since no one else ever leaves theirs at default!

As for a cell jammer, I'm all for buying/building one. As long as I can recharge it on my cell fone charger!

[Gandalf]

I think I'm going to go get a shitload of electronic parts and just BUILD a damn jammer.

When I went to see TTT for the first time some damn freshman behind me was blabbing the whole damn time.

"Yeah, the movie sucks...yeah, Jim really is a fag..."

Next time that happens, -flick!- and that fucker gets what's coming to him...

Something like that happened a few weeks ago at a movie marathon, someone had, I figured, just left the tone running, every now and then the cinema staff would walk up there, but when they left the tones came back.

[weemadando]

Something like that happened a few weeks ago at a movie marathon, someone had, I figured, just left the tone running, every now and then the cinema staff would walk up there, but when they left the tones came back.

I have become the master of peanut M&M sniping. Though it seems a shame to waste one nailing someone who's talking or using a phone in the back of the head at high speed with one is too much fun to pass up. Also, parents who let their kiddies run around during the film... Prepare to have your kiddie meet with an "accident", like my leg being a bit further out into the aisle than it should be.

[HemlockGrey]

First step; take a few books out of the library.

The parts restrictions might be a problem...

[Johonebesus]

What most annoys me is slow people, fucking sheep mobs. Every single day, whenever going to and from the train station, most people shuffle along at snail's pace, and for people like me whose normal walking pace is a good, fast clip, it's a nightmare. The fucking idiots don't ever give way, will always move seemingly intentionally to block your way, and then give you hard time when you ask them politely to let you past. It's worse going up or down escalators, people standing right in the middle, or in a group blocking the way. The latter I ask, again politely, to give way, and if they give me shit (has happened a few times), I'll just barge past and very rudely shove them out of the way. If they want to make something of shit they started, that's their problem...
I guess this annoys me so much because I always keep tabs on what's happening around me and I immediately give way to people who are in a hurry and generally make a point of not getting into other people's way, something about 90%+ of your regular crowd does not do.

Edi

The worst is when they block your path in stores. One will take his cart down an aisle and stand next to it while browsing, completely blocking the passage, or two of them will stop to gab, or a gaggle of teenagers will creep down the way, usually giggling and yelling and acting like idiots, and when you try to pass them they give you dirty looks. Either that, or they act all apologetic and shocked, as if they had no way to know that they were blocking the aisle.

[Darth Wong]

The worst is when they block your path in stores. One will take his cart down an aisle and stand next to it while browsing, completely blocking the passage, or two of them will stop to gab, or a gaggle of teenagers will creep down the way, usually giggling and yelling and acting like idiots, and when you try to pass them they give you dirty looks. Either that, or they act all apologetic and shocked, as if they had no way to know that they were blocking the aisle.

Easily circumvented.

Option #1: push baby-stroller into their midst. Nothing deflates the angry reaction of a traffic obstacle like the knowledge that it was a baby whose path they were blocking, and they WILL get out of the way. Being rammed by a baby-stroller is not particularly pleasant, particularly when it's one of those Big-Wheels models and the wheels are dirty.

Option #2 (without baby): shoulder half-turn maneuver. Simply walk into the crowd at full speed, while angling your body slightly to present a shoulder block to traffic. Mutter "excuse me, excuse me, thanks, thanks" while shoving people out of your way. Obviously works better for males than females, and it helps to be reasonably broad-shouldered.

I have better things to do than wait for some gossipping jack-ass to finish his conversation before unblocking the aisle so I can continue on my way.

[Darth Yoshi]

*applauds Kevin Spacey* Seriously, does it really take THAT much consideration to at least turn the damn thing to vibrate when you go out somewhere? Jezus...

Shame if I did that in the middle of one of my concerts, parents would be up in arms to admin against me, since I would have offended them by putting their child's performance ahead of their business affairs or extramarital affairs or whatever. Teachers are the lowest of the low, if you didn't know. We aren't allowed to have strong opinions because--heaven forbid!--someone will get upset. Gah...

*rocks back and forth* It's almost June, it's almost June, it's almost June, it's almost June...

Well, you could just put a disclaimer somewhere that says you'll "interrrupt the concert to allow cell-phone users to have their conversations." Especially in bold on the program. Like so: Disclaimer: This idea may not be practical or healthy for your career.

[Einhander Sn0m4n]

Easily circumvented.

Option #1: push baby-stroller into their midst. Nothing deflates the angry reaction of a traffic obstacle like the knowledge that it was a baby whose path they were blocking, and they WILL get out of the way. Being rammed by a baby-stroller is not particularly pleasant, particularly when it's one of those Big-Wheels models and the wheels are dirty.

Option #2 (without baby): shoulder half-turn maneuver. Simply walk into the crowd at full speed, while angling your body slightly to present a shoulder block to traffic. Mutter "excuse me, excuse me, thanks, thanks" while shoving people out of your way. Obviously works better for males than females, and it helps to be reasonably broad-shouldered.

I have better things to do than wait for some gossipping jack-ass to finish his conversation before unblocking the aisle so I can continue on my way.

Ahead Full Throttle! Ramming Speed!

That'll teach those idiots clogging the aisles. Nice ideas, Darth Wong!

Another trick I used to do was RUN full-blast (and I run _very_ fast) right at a group of idiots and slice through the center of the group, flying through the gaps between the people. Works just like a neutron blowing through a heavy nucleus: The group is blown in half, and a LOT of secondary radiation (screaming) is released.

[Edi]

I tend to use the shoulder block maneuver constantly, too.

I used to know this one guy who never had trouble with crowds. He was big enough, and looked scary and psychotic enough that everyone who noticed him always got out of the way as if there had been an enraged wolverine coming at them. All you had to do was follow in his wake...

As for baby-strollers, there is a specific reason why they sometimes send my blood pressure spiking through the roof. That typically happens when there are two or more women out with their kids and they decide to go down the sidewalk side by side with their strollers (at snail's pace, usually), and if there's a more effective pedestrian traffic, I don't know what it is. I've yet to see an instance of this where the offending bitches would actually apologize after refusing to give any room to pass them. I don't require much in the way of space to get past, either. Normally I don't take any exception to people with baby-strollers (they've the same rights as everyone else and often merit special consideration like helping them lift the stroller into a bus or train), but this is something that pisses me off no end when done on sidewalks. In the park it's completely okay.

Edi

[Gandalf]

Something like that happened a few weeks ago at a movie marathon, someone had, I figured, just left the tone running, every now and then the cinema staff would walk up there, but when they left the tones came back.

I have become the master of peanut M&M sniping. Though it seems a shame to waste one nailing someone who's talking or using a phone in the back of the head at high speed with one is too much fun to pass up. Also, parents who let their kiddies run around during the film... Prepare to have your kiddie meet with an "accident", like my leg being a bit further out into the aisle than it should be.

When you combine that with your hosting a radio show and working in an internet cafe, you're like some sort of god to me.

[Tsyroc]

Option #1: push baby-stroller into their midst. Nothing deflates the angry reaction of a traffic obstacle like the knowledge that it was a baby whose path they were blocking, and they WILL get out of the way. Being rammed by a baby-stroller is not particularly pleasant, particularly when it's one of those Big-Wheels models and the wheels are dirty.

This reminds me of Disney World. They have big metal rent-a-strollers with big hard rubber wheels. Everyone moves those things like they have this huge catle catcher on the front, and yes, they do hurt.