Wow! It’s Wednesday! The Lack of Standards In This Country
Somehow I’ve gotten both crankier and laidback with age. For whatever reason, the stuff that used to bother me (like traffic, hubris, and reality TV shows) really doesn’t bother me these days. But on the otherhand, the things that I used not to mind (like mommy-slammers, out-of-fictional-character actions, grammar nazis [not one of which I guarantee you writes and all-white movies or TV shows) really irk me.
But these days nothing seems to get crank up quite like the lack of standards in this country. I’m not talking moral requirements, but the standards by which we measure.
Photo Credit: Timothy Valentine
Take for example Shipping and Handling. One thing that makes it hard for me to shop on Etsy is the fact that so many people try to hose you on shipping. I’m sorry, but if you live in the domestic U.S. of A, it does not cost $5 to ship a pair of earrings. I know this, b/c most other sellers only charge $2 for shipping. And don’t get me started on sellers who insist on charging the same
This is also a big problem for me outside of etsy. I was in the middle of purchasing something off the internet this morning with a $14.95 price tag, when I was informed at checkout that it would cost five bucks to ship the item I wanted. Really? It cost more than a third of the sale price to ship it? I canceled my order. This scenario happens to me at least once a month. And the funny thing is that I wouldn’t have minded paying $20 for the item. I just knew that it shouldn’t cost $5 to ship it.
IMO, all shipping should be free. Or if you just really want to hose me on the shipping, then absorb it into your upfront sale price, so that I at least think it’s free. Don’t try to trick me with a low selling price then pull a gotcha with shipping. This just irritates the hell out of me.
I also feel that there should be one standard for volume across all television channels. I’m constantly pounding on the up and down volume button whenever I go to watch more than one program, b/c different channels choose to broadcast at wildly different volumes. Adopt a standard, bitches!
And don’t even get me started on clothing and shoes. I don’t have a lot of time, and I sick to death of having to find out that while I’m a large in some brands, I’m a medium in others. I don’t mind being a large. You won’t hurt my feelings by telling me the truth. But either way, adopt a friggin’ standard!!!
Anyway sound off on the little things that used not to bother you but now make you wanna spit in the comments.
P.S. — If you haven’t visited Delia from “Chic Geek” over at Market[Store(Shoppe) recently, she’s got a lot of clever new things up right now and she’s all about the free shipping. Good job!
Shipping charges bother me to no end. I find I will spend more at a site just to meet the minimum requirement for the free shipping.
The number one thing that bothers me to no end are people who don't return their shopping carts to the proper place. Instead, they just leave them stranded in the parking lot. It takes 30 seconds to return the cart. How lazy are you people! Maybe that's more of a moral standard, but that's my gripe.
That and people who feel it's okay to lecture pregnant people on anything and everything. That last one could be the hormones talking.
Oh, the shopping carts peeve me off, too. But I also get peeved off when an establishment has no shopping carts return structures. It's like they want you to either walk it all the way back into the store or leave them in inconvenient places for other customers.
Shipping charges bother me to no end. I find I will spend more at a site just to meet the minimum requirement for the free shipping.
The number one thing that bothers me to no end are people who don't return their shopping carts to the proper place. Instead, they just leave them stranded in the parking lot. It takes 30 seconds to return the cart. How lazy are you people! Maybe that's more of a moral standard, but that's my gripe.
That and people who feel it's okay to lecture pregnant people on anything and everything. That last one could be the hormones talking.
Oh, the shopping carts peeve me off, too. But I also get peeved off when an establishment has no shopping carts return structures. It's like they want you to either walk it all the way back into the store or leave them in inconvenient places for other customers.
I'm noticing the insane difference in volume between the show and the commercials. The ads are so much louder, I've gotten into the habit of hitting mute when they go to commercial.
I admit I'm a little bit of a grammer nazi ("You're still in the running towards becoming America's Next Top Model" — it's toward, Tyra! The word is toward!!!) and I also hate the shopping cart thing, but I really lose my shit when I see someone flick a cigarrette out a car window. I've even started beeping my horn at them when they do it in front of me. From inside my car, I scream at them and send mental bad karma their way. I guess that's not good when I'm behind them on the freeway…
Lucy, that's cigarette thing is so dangerous in SoCal w/ all the wildfires. In cases like that, I wish that I could catch them doing it on camera, so that I could send it to the cops. It's so wrong. Idiots.
I'm noticing the insane difference in volume between the show and the commercials. The ads are so much louder, I've gotten into the habit of hitting mute when they go to commercial.
I admit I'm a little bit of a grammer nazi ("You're still in the running towards becoming America's Next Top Model" — it's toward, Tyra! The word is toward!!!) and I also hate the shopping cart thing, but I really lose my shit when I see someone flick a cigarrette out a car window. I've even started beeping my horn at them when they do it in front of me. From inside my car, I scream at them and send mental bad karma their way. I guess that's not good when I'm behind them on the freeway…
Lucy, that's cigarette thing is so dangerous in SoCal w/ all the wildfires. In cases like that, I wish that I could catch them doing it on camera, so that I could send it to the cops. It's so wrong. Idiots.