Pet Peeve of the Day

[cynsaligia]

Re: Pet Peeve of the Day

"Cyn," are you using "Eric"'s account just to confuse us? Someone will probably get peeved about that.

no one is more peeved about it than me. eric's got the "remember me" thing turned on for his laptop. i signed him out, signed me in, and posted...under his name. admin can vouch that i asked late last night if it's possible for that post to be labeled properly with my name on it. i need to remember to preview post first, esp on his computer. my apologies to anyone who is confused, but hey--it's clear eric and i have very different writing styles and ways of expressing ourselves, eh?

You know, I've noticed that a number of your posts have to do with finding fault with other drivers' habits. Perhaps you need to find ways to chill out more when you have to deal with traffic lolos; they will always exist, they will always do things that put others at risk, they will always remain clueless about what they have done. The only thing you can control or change is how you deal with the situation.

Their behavior is never worth having a stroke over. The more you can relax and slough it off, the better your own driving experiences will be, and the less susceptible you will be to road rage (or causing it in others.) Drive nice!

admittedly, a number of my posts have to do with others' bad driving habits. what this should tell you is that i don't have a myriad of little peeves which get to me. bad driving is one of two things in this world that inspires such passionate aggravation in me (only the bush presidency has the same kind of effect).

let me also point out this pet peeve is something not as innocuous than let's say, oh, people parking in your reserved parking spot without your permission, or people giving you fake phone numbers or going to a movie only to have rude people yack throughout (all of which are very valid pet peeves) in that bad driving can have very severe consequences for others. people can die because of this thing that you suggest i "chill out" about.

their behavior might not be worth literally having a stroke over, but i wish more people would speak up and correct others (with a honk, or by calling their plates in to the cops) when they drive so poorly. that most of us allow such bad driving to become the norm by being silent and saying it's not worth having a stroke over just bites the big one. keep on this way, and more and more drivers will make left turns from lanes that aren't meant for left turns, will run red lights, go down the wrong way on one way streets, and talk on their cell phones, pick their nose, and smoke a cig all whilst driving.

i do drive nicely by the way. i check my mirrors, glance behind or to the side, as appropriate, i signal, i don't use my cell when driving, i abide by traffic rules and i do not bully my way through traffic. i make mistakes, sometimes, but they're rare. i know this sounds totally arrogant of me, but really--in terms of driving habits, i wish more people were like me.

the question is, leo--and you keep your answer to yourself--are you the kind of driver who would tick me off?

[Sprite]

Re: Pet Peeve of the Day

Pomai, I can understand the frustration! They have told me on the phone that they have something; then when I physically get there, that they DON'T have it!

I don't know about you but when I want something, I want it... NOW! So, I have actually driven to Kapolei just because that inCOMPetent USA had what I wanted.

In all fairness, they have been good most of the time, but the bad stuff is like a bad stain, it's hard to remove from your memory when it happens -- especially when it happens more than once. Oh, and over-populated we are!

By they way, I asked you this on your blog, what kind of camera do you use?!? My stomach is always growling when I leave your blog! Your pictures are awesome!

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Pet Peeve of the Day

On Ace employees: Working for Home Depot we get a few from Ace. They tell us that management is not as good as HD so that tells me that Ace needs to work on their management team really badly.

On Ace sales ads: Yes being in Hawaii we do get shipments late. Home Depot in Hilo is as bad as the sales ads are nationally printed and distributed to local newspapers in time for the sale...however weather permitting, stock may or may not arrive on time on the docks in either Honolulu or the neighbor islands.

On Hilo we are dependant on Young Brothers to get the merchandise to us in time.

One of the problems with a national store such as Ace or Home Depot or even Sears or CompUSA is that the pricing is tied to a regional area such as the west coast pricing using UPC barcoding. This coding system tags an item into a national pricing scheme that is adjusted by the regional areas affects all stores in that region. So if on a sale date a certain UPC registers a sales price, every item with that code will ring up that way all across that region.

Once the sales are over, the UPC is readjusted to it's non-sales price. Okay so here we are in Hilo and YB couldn't sail because of bad weather or something. We get the sale products in three days after the sale ended and you try to buy it. The UPC will ring up the regular price instead of the sale.

Home Depot doesn't do rainchecks but if you squawk loud enough each store manager has the descretion to honor the sales price depending on inventory and sales plan projection conditions. A store manager cannot simply honor a sales for everyone simply because sales is reflected on staffing.

If your sales plan isn't met on a daily/weekly or monthly basis, your staffing is adjusted to meet the sales volume. Low sales plan = low staffing. Low staffing = low sales. If the manager allowed too many rainchecks on a given week, his sales plan is reduced due to the markdown prices. That in effect causes staffing to drop as well. When staffing drops, sales drops.

It's a catch-22 but national stores are tied to this and it affects everyone in a negative way. The store managers duty is to maintain stock and staffing. He cannot maintain staffing if his stock is sold lower than projected sales plans for that period. It's like cutting his own throat by offering prices lower than what the regional sales plan allows.

Hawaii and Alaska are unique that national sales affect us in a negative way. Is there a way around it? Unless the regional district distribution division sends out their products to facilitate Hawaii and Alaska's geographical situation we are sh*t outta luck. Can they do it? Regional can only ship out product to us when they receive it and there in lies the real problem.

Our (Home Depot) west coast distribution system is dependent on the manufacturer's ability to ship out product to our regional warehouses on the mainland. Manufacturers won't ship out special sale products or promotional goods until they decide to. This is due in part to ensuring product and/or pricing of products is not prematuraly retailed or advertised.

Why is this important? Because these manufactures sell to everybody. And each retail organization has a unique relationship with them so pricing is a guarded secret. If Lowes knew that Home Depot was selling a Dewalt 9-piece cordless tool set with a Home Depot $100 gift card as a cash reward, you can bet they'd use that information and make the jump to market their own store brand product to counter the projected loss sales when the sale goes public.

So manufacturers hold onto product until the last moment. Product usually gets out on time for the sales but for Hawaii and Alaska? Like I said, weather permitting.

It's all about marketing strategies and corporate pricing schemes. Too bad because in the end all of that ends up hurting the very people they're in business for...the customer.

[Pomai]

Re: Pet Peeve of the Day

Jeeze - that's definitely peeve-worthy material, Pomai. Just curious - do you think being in Hawai`i also means that a company like CompUSA doesn't keep their Island stores stocked as well as they would Mainland ones, or is that just an old way of thinking?

Indeed there's shipping issues that factor in with retail in the islands, which is why planning ahead is crucial in running advertisement campaigns.

Not speaking for whatever CompUSA does from a corporate perspective, but as a CUSTOMER, I've encountered this problem way too many times attempting to buy items on ad from them.

Either that, or there's just way too much demand (over-populated) in Honolulu for the average retailer to keep up.

Frustrating.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Pet Peeve of the Day

Ace Hardware Employees. What's the deal? Every Ace I go to on the island has disgruntled unfriendly employees. It's the worst customer service on the islands.

Makes you wonder if it's a crappy place to work - the effect on morale of a bad company can be tremendous.

[frankyP4lover]

Re: Pet Peeve of the Day

1. Arsonists. Not only are the crimes they commit despicable and cowardly, these individuals are a drain on society. If they're looking for attention, one might suggest they immoliate themselves in the Afghan mountains with a wide-dispersal Napalm charge in protest of Dubya's ever-changing Iraq occupation goal. It might kill four birds with one stone: a) flash fry Osama in the process, b) prevent the terrorists & secterian combatants harming any more of our troops, c) prod the windbags in D.C. into pulling out of Iraq and ... d) get rid of the arsonists.

I agree. I got stuck in Lahaina overnight in my car the other day cause of these schmucks. I had to go back to work after sleeping in my car.

[frankyP4lover]

Re: Pet Peeve of the Day

Ace Hardware Employees. What's the deal? Every Ace I go to on the island has disgruntled unfriendly employees. It's the worst customer service on the islands. Why don't people say hello back to you when you say hello when purchasing something? Is that too much to ask? They will be joking and smiling with other cashiers, then look at you with a frown. What is it about me that pisses them off so much? I've even tested it by smiling largely and being extra friendly. Still nothing.

This is not only a peeve with ace. I notice this in other places too, but always at Ace.

ahhhhh.... I feel better. Mahalo.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Pet Peeve of the Day

InCOMPetent USA's continued practice of not bringing in enough stock for ad items. An ad just broke yesterday for a bunch of stuff, including a 1 gig USB jump drive for $12, which according to their website, the Kaka'ako location had IN stock. So I go in yesterday and what? ZERO. ZIP. NODDA. NOTTIN'.

The guy tells me, "our system shows negative 30, so that could mean the corporate sales department sold all of them to a school or somethin'."

Jeeze - that's definitely peeve-worthy material, Pomai. Just curious - do you think being in Hawai`i also means that a company like CompUSA doesn't keep their Island stores stocked as well as they would Mainland ones, or is that just an old way of thinking?

[Pomai]

Re: Pet Peeve of the Day

InCOMPetent USA's continued practice of not bringing in enough stock for ad items. An ad just broke yesterday for a bunch of stuff, including a 1 gig USB jump drive for $12, which according to their website, the Kaka'ako location had IN stock. So I go in yesterday and what? ZERO. ZIP. NODDA. NOTTIN'.

The guy tells me, "our system shows negative 30, so that could mean the corporate sales department sold all of them to a school or somethin'."

[joshuatree]

Re: Pet Peeve of the Day

"Cyn," are you using "Eric"'s account just to confuse us? Someone will probably get peeved about that.

I actually did get confused for a second, "hey wait a minute, wasn't there another person with a reference to Eric....". But not peeved.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Pet Peeve of the Day

while eric and i moved on

"Cyn," are you using "Eric"'s account just to confuse us? Someone will probably get peeved about that.

You know, I've noticed that a number of your posts have to do with finding fault with other drivers' habits. Perhaps you need to find ways to chill out more when you have to deal with traffic lolos; they will always exist, they will always do things that put others at risk, they will always remain clueless about what they have done. The only thing you can control or change is how you deal with the situation.

Their behavior is never worth having a stroke over. The more you can relax and slough it off, the better your own driving experiences will be, and the less susceptible you will be to road rage (or causing it in others.) Drive nice!

[SusieMisajon]

Re: Pet Peeve of the Day

i think this qualifies as my pet peeve forever: people who are selfish, non-signalling, inconsiderate and dangerous drivers. i swear, they multiply like tribbles, and they care for nothing but themselves and their own convenience.

We are only allowed to pass from the left hand lane...no weaving in and out of traffic. It's a much better way to drive safely.

[MixedPlateBroker]

Re: Pet Peeve of the Day

i think this qualifies as my pet peeve forever: people who are selfish, non-signalling, inconsiderate and dangerous drivers. i swear, they multiply like tribbles, and they care for nothing but themselves and their own convenience.

just this past sunday, while going from h-1 to the likelike, passing the kalihi Y, we were in the far left lane. this woman in an MPV in the lane to the right of us started moving into our lane, nearly swiping everything forward of my right front tire with her MPV okole--no signal or anything, on top of that. she would have hit us if eric didn't honk at her. and then she drifted without any sense of urgency back into her original lane. i was so incensed i rolled down my window and yelled at her to pay more attention when we met at the likelike-school street intersection. the driver gave me this cowlike blank look, as if nothing in the world was ever wrong.

still, she stayed in her lane while eric and i moved on. (i guess the image angry fili woman gesticulating at her might have been a little peturbing, even if it's likely she didn't understand why i was yelling at her). i watched her in my visor and side view mirrors and saw her switch back into our lane, three cars behind, again not signalling. luckily, she she did so without being near anyone else.

much to my amazement, a minute later, i saw her move from the lane we shared, which was the very left lane, cut rather closely across the nose of an x5, which was in the middle lane, and then cut again across the right-most lane in just enough time to make the last right turn possible to get off likelike. and she did this all without signalling, and all in one fell swoop. unbelieveable!

one of these days, that lady is get into an accident, and it aint gonna be a mere fender bender. the sad thing is she'll likely hurt someone else more than she'll hurt herself.

[nikki]

Re: Pet Peeve of the Day

I live on Maui, and I just hate it when I hear on the radio or TV, an advertisement where they mispronounce Kahului and say "Kahalui". I don't mind at all if I hear it on the street, but not on the air!!!!

Or if they say "Hanalulu" instead of Honolulu. Grrrrr!

[MixedPlateBroker]

Re: Pet Peeve of the Day

I have two peeves today (I've been saving up):

1. Arsonists. Not only are the crimes they commit despicable and cowardly, these individuals are a drain on society. If they're looking for attention, one might suggest they immoliate themselves in the Afghan mountains with a wide-dispersal Napalm charge in protest of Dubya's ever-changing Iraq occupation goal. It might kill four birds with one stone: a) flash fry Osama in the process, b) prevent the terrorists & secterian combatants harming any more of our troops, c) prod the windbags in D.C. into pulling out of Iraq and ... d) get rid of the arsonists.

2. Hate/Fear Mongers. They twist and manufacture "facts" to suit the outlandish generalizations they crap out of their mouths. Whether the goal is to boost ratings/circulation or to bend a populace to support your imperialistic policies, the sad fact of the matter is that many Americans have historical ADD. How else can you explain why a country would tolerate the kind of yellow journalism and jingoism that is so pervasive in today's society? Hearst would be proud.