Margaret at Cachando Chile challenged her followers to write a post about “Stuff that just bugs me…”
This challenge was not too difficult as I’ve definitely become more “grumpy” as I’ve grown older! Not that all older people are “grumpy”, I hasten to add!…Hmmm I think I am digging a deeper hole here so I will move swiftly on!
On a positive note, the wisdom of age has taught me how to “manage” my frustrations, be more tolerant, deal with my
“Pet Peeves”, “Grumbles and “Bugs” – grade them in order of annoyance and then deal with them accordingly! I also waffle more with age…
So here goes.
Pet Peeve – is literally a “Pet” Peeve
Dogs not kept on the leash on Blue Flag beaches
Dogs pooing on beaches has to be top of the list. It really concerns me especially when the beaches are crowded with young children playing in the sand.
Related Post: Dogs on beaches – please “scoop their poop”https://pigletinportugal.wordpress.com/2010/10/21/dogs-on-beaches-please-scoop-their-poop
Grumbles
People demanding money to find you a parking space in an empty car park!
It does not matter whether you park in a side road or in a free car park the “Parking Scammers” are lurking – just waiting to spring into action by directing you into a “free” parking space.
Related Post: Parking Scams in Portugal https://pigletinportugal.wordpress.com/2011/03/08/parking-scams-in-portugal/
Inconsiderate Tourists
One of the downsides of living close to the beautiful beaches of the Western Algarve is the Tourist Season or as we have aptly named it “The Terrorist Season” Portuguese, Spanish, French and a handful of British Tourists descend on this normally quiet and as yet unspoilt area from mid July to the end of August.
Related Post: Tourists terrorize the locals – Vuvuzelas find new use!https://pigletinportugal.wordpress.com/2010/07/29/tourists-terrorize-the-locals-vuvuzelas-find-new-use
Hole in the ground Toilets – Turkish Loos
No I have not got a toilet fetish but I did find it amusing that a café that charges €7.00 for two cups of coffee had the nerve to offer such primitive toilet facilities as a Turkish Loo to its patrons. That or I have led a very sheltered life!
Related post: A Turkish “experience” in France https://pigletinportugal.wordpress.com/2011/01/23/a-turkish-experience-in-france/
What else BUGS me…
Joke Emails
“Friends” who send loads of joke emails but never write and enquire as to how you are.
Rip off Restaurants
I have lost count of the numerous times restaurants and cafés have overcharged us – or attempted to! Perhaps this is because we live in a tourist area and they think it is acceptable to overcharge tourists.
Hey, I’m on a roll here so just one more…
Errr no, nothing else springs to mind!
“CALL FOR A GROUP POST!”
What’s bugging you? Write a post about it on your blog, link to this one and I’ll link back to you! Alternatively, please share your “Pet Peeves”, “Grumbles” and “Bugs” in comments below
Piglet in Portugal 
The joke emails drive me nuts, but some of them are from 100 year old relatives, so I can’t get mad…
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I groan every time I receive one…but some are quite funny!
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Superannuation companies or advisors (not sure which yet) that LOSE MY MONEY!!!!! http://teamoyeniyi.com/2011/07/06/a-private-bureaucracy-drives-me-nuts-now/
Agree 100% on the joke emails – the asian toilets don’t bother me so much – you realise they think our western toilets are awful!
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Hi TO, just read your post – words fail me! that’s a MEGA PEEVE!
Re toilets I suppose it’s what you are used to. If I went to a country where they were the norm it would not be so bad.
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The tourist one got me. We feel the same way when we’re at the beach house. We grumble about the tourists in season. The locals laugh at us and tell us that we’ve become locals ourselves!
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Yep the tourist season is now in full swing!
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“Friends” who send loads of joke emails but never write and enquire as to how you are
Yes! and those silly emails that want you to send on to 43 other people or you will die, or your cat will die in 3 days. Real friends don’t send them at all!
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Exactly FD…as they say empty vessels!
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I had a pet peeve thrust upon me this morning in the car park by the ticket machine. It said £1 per hour. Fair enough. I arrived back 57 minutes later and the ticket machine wanted to charge me £3.50! I had a swift argument with a moron through the speaker then marched into the tiny sweltering hot office and demanded they refund me £2.50.
I got my refund and wanted to push the matter further. How many people get ripped off and never take any notice? But it was so hot in there I just took my money and left. Stupid car parks!
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Hi Noob,
That sounds a real “Victor Meldrew!” moment do you remember Victor Meldrew. He made grumpiness an art form. 🙂 Parking machines infuriate me!
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I’m SO with you on the tourists… They can be really annoying and stupid from time to time. Where I live unfortunately there are always tourists, not only in summer… You get used to it a little I guess
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Hi Lian,
I think some of the tourist leave their brains behind. You can always tell the “bifes” after the first day of their holiday; they are bright red with sun burn. We always say “bet that’s gonna hurt tonight” I am pleased to say our terrorist season is only in the summer!
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That pissed off bee is a riot! I love your list; the hole in the ground got me… 7 euros for coffee and they can’t give you a flushing toilet… 😆
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Hi 737,
Looking back it was funny but certainly not at the time. I was glad at the photo op, Mr Piglet was grumpy because I kept him waiting for his gold plated coffee which was going cold!
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Great list of grumbles. I agree that with age brings life experience and teaches how to better handle the stuff that bugs us, but some days a grand old rant sure can make you feel better, I know it does me.
Right now the only thing that’s really bugging me is a certain monster-department store came into our town and shut down all the craft/sewing shops by out competing them price wise … and now that certain monster-department store has reduced their craft/sewing items they carry down to 3 short isles. They don’t carry bolts of fabric, no wide variety of patterns or anything like that anymore. In my opinion, It really isn’t right or ethical of them to have done that.
I wanted some fabric and thanks to that certain monster-department store I’ve no place to buy it. Ordering fabric online is so frickin’ expensive. All I need is a half a yard a of novelty fabric, but I refuse to pay 9 to 12 dollars plus shipping and handling. ~stomps foot~ But I’m happy to report that I went through my fabric and coffee-dyed a piece that will do just fine for what I want & it didn’t cost me anything. 😉
Oh well, it’s all good. 🙂
Thanks for the opportunity to vent my Grumble of the day.
🙂
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Hi EC
I know exactly what you mean re monster department stores and shopping malls which were usually out of town in the UK. This meant that the little towns and shops gradually went out of business because as you said they could not compete with the monsters.
Still, it’s amazing how creative you can become when needs must and you ahve a special skill! Loved your latest post :)You really do inspire me…I just need a course on Time Management to get everything done!
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Oh, you’re right on with the aging and getting grumpier thing, PiP. At least you are in my opinion. Before logging on, I had just told my husband that I seem to be getting crabbier every day and I don’t know why. So, I’ll go with what you said about maybe it being the age thing. Riding the Midlife Train Ride seems, at least for the present time, to have dumped me at a Whistle Stop called Grumpy – and I’m not Snow White! Here in Colorado we have a lot of “visitors” who come here illegally AND STAY. That bugs me because I live by the laws of my country and wish others did too. Otherwise, legal visitors who pay their own way are most welcome! Grumble: it bugs me that HP printers are dirt cheap, but their ink cartridges are grossly expensive. And then this major pet peeve: we have great toilets here in the U.S., but they never build enough stalls in the Ladies’ room to meet the demands of women with little kids and just being a woman. The lines at public events for the Ladies Room can be 30+ minutes long while the Men’s Room has more stalls than needed and there’s never a line!
How’s that for bugs and grumbles? Sorry. I ranted a bit, but it sure felt good! Now, maybe I can be sweet as pie for at least 30 minutes. : )
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Hi Jackie,
some good grumps there. I especially like the peeve about ladies toilets, they are never enough and yes we alsways have to queue. I became so desperate at the Silves Medieval Fair one year I actually used the men’s toilet (Yes, it was a proper toilet) I checked first! there were 20ladies queuing and no men! 😳 Well, needs must!
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Hi Pip- Great list! And we’ve got the whole dog, parking, and overcharding issues here in Chile too. Fortunately I haven’t seen any hole-in-the-ground toilets though!
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Hi Margaret,
None that I’ve seen in Portugal but there are plenty in France!
PiP
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Good list! Nothing’s bugging me at the moment . . . so I’ll just live vicariously through your gripes. 😉
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LOL 🙂
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