Comedic "things you would ban": minor things that irritate you

[Gloster]

People who get on a bus, let their horde of children head off to grab seats and then ask where the bus is going. After several times asking the driver if he is sure that it isn’t going where they want, they call up the staircase to their brats to come down. Getting no reply, they go upstairs and gradually herd the little beasts down and out onto the pavement. Just as the bus is about to move they shout, “Where’s Jason,” and rush upstairs again. After an age they come down, ask the rest where Jason is and then look around the bus. Finally they see a face peeking out from behind a seat on the lower deck and they then collect it (much too gently, in my opinion) and leave, pausing only to exchange insults with someone who is muttering about the delay.

 

[AM9]

On the point of dangers to health and nanny state love of banning certain things. Scotland has put a bigger tax on alcohol but, I believe, it has made next to no difference.

So, your assertion that the unit price rule was a failure has been debunked by others here, what other points do you want to air about the state trying to compete with big business damaging public health?

 

[yorksrob]

Minimum unit pricing only affects alcohol sold in supermarkets and other retail settings, and raising the price of alcohol sold in shops would arguably help the hospitality trade, as there would be less of a price difference.

I don't know how much an average pint in Scottish pubs costs these days, but an average strength beer (4% ABV) at £4 per pint equates to £1.76 per unit.

Indeed. Hospitality is already sufficiently taxed.

 

[Richard Scott]

So, your assertion that the unit price rule was a failure has been debunked by others here, what other points do you want to air about the state trying to compete with big business damaging public health?

I didn't assert it all I asked was why you stated Sugar and Tabacco didn't you consider alcohol? That's all, to be honest I don't care either way, don't drink or smoke nor drink full sugar coke.
In future I'd appreciate you being a little less snotty and full of yourself.

 

[AM9]

I didn't assert it all I asked was why you stated Sugar and Tabacco didn't you consider alcohol? That's all, to be honest I don't care either way, don't drink or smoke nor drink full sugar coke.
In future I'd appreciate you being a little less snotty and full of yourself.

So nothing at all really.

 

[xotGD]

I want to ban the New York Times Spelling Bee game from rejecting perfectly good British English words just because they aren't used in American English.

 

[AM9]

I want to ban the New York Times Spelling Bee game from rejecting perfectly good British English words just because they aren't used in American English.

Maybe there's an opportunity for an International English Spelling Bee game?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I want to ban the New York Times Spelling Bee game from rejecting perfectly good British English words just because they aren't used in American English.

Flipside, I suppose, is that the long running "Countdown" TV programme on C4 invariably always bans any American variant spellings of English words.

 

[Calthrop]

I want to ban the New York Times Spelling Bee game from rejecting perfectly good British English words just because they aren't used in American English.

Is this the one generally known by the name of "Wordle"? -- I've found it quite remarkably accepting of, anyway, obscure English-language words whose home, shall we say, is Britain. Or are we thinking of American versus British spellings, rather than vocabulary?

 

[dangie]

On the point of dangers to health and nanny state love of banning certain things.

I suppose we could start with the motor vehicle. Probably causes more misery each year than anything else.

Ok, of course that’s not going to happen, the number who are affected is extremely small to the total number of users.

The same with alcohol. It would be penalising the many to safeguard the health of the few.

Note: I do think supermarkets sell alcohol too cheaply. Last week I saw a 3 litre bottle of strong cider for less than £5. Not very responsible in my opinion.

 

[nlogax]

Is this the one generally known by the name of "Wordle"? -- I've found it quite remarkably accepting of, anyway, obscure English-language words whose home. shall we say, is Britain. Or are we thinking of American versus British spellings, rather than vocabulary?

Probably helps that Wordle was invented by a Welshman.

 

[Purple Train]

Is this the one generally known by the name of "Wordle"? -- I've found it quite remarkably accepting of, anyway, obscure English-language words whose home. shall we say, is Britain. Or are we thinking of American versus British spellings, rather than vocabulary?

No, it's different to Wordle. And slightly more irritating, in that you need to subscribe to the New York Times to complete the challenge!
It's essentially the same as the word wheels in several daily newspapers.

 

[AM9]

No, it's different to Wordle. And slightly more irritating, in that you need to subscribe to the New York Times to complete the challenge!
It's essentially the same as the word wheels in several daily newspapers.

So it is a puzzle in an American newspaper for Americans to guess words. Why are so many in the UK getting so indignant about spelling rules?

 

[Purple Train]

So it is a puzzle in an American newspaper for Americans to guess words. Why are so many in the UK getting so indignant about spelling rules?

Because the Americans need to be taught how to spell

The serious reason, I think, is that it has a global application by being from the same site as Wordle, so all standards should be acceptable.

 

[Calthrop]

No, it's different to Wordle. And slightly more irritating, in that you need to subscribe to the New York Times to complete the challenge!
It's essentially the same as the word wheels in several daily newspapers.

Ah, thanks. I find Wordle enough for me to contend with ! -- don't think I'll be making the acquaintance of the Spelling Bee thing.

Because the Americans need to be taught how to spell

I always see Noah Webster (1758 -- 1843) -- lexicographer and Brit-hater -- as the villain of this piece !

 

[AM9]

Because the Americans need to be taught how to spell

The serious reason, I think, is that it has a global application by being from the same site as Wordle, so all standards should be acceptable.

The problem there is that so many in the US don't even know that there is any other 'english' that the one that they speak. They would just complain that the puzzle seems to allow entries that have wrong spellings in them.

 

[Gloster]

The problem there is that so many in the US don't even know that there is any other 'english' that the one that they speak. They would just complain that the puzzle seems to allow entries that have wrong spellings in them.

There are plenty of people from across the pond who wonder what language these folk in that quaint little island of Enger-land speak. And are surprised when they find that it bears similarities to theirs.

 

[AM9]

There are plenty of people from across the pond who wonder what language these folk in that quaint little island of Enger-land speak. And are surprised when they find that it bears similarities to theirs.

But amongst those at whom the New York Times is aimed at, i.e. US residents, far fewer of them realise that their language was derived from ours just over 400 years ago.

 

[birchesgreen]

But amongst those at whom the New York Times is aimed at, i.e. US residents, far fewer of them realise that their language was derived from ours just over 400 years ago.

I would have thought people who do spelling exercises in the NY Times are fairly likely to know where their language originally came from.

 

[Gloster]

But amongst those at whom the New York Times is aimed at, i.e. US residents, far fewer of them realise that their language was derived from ours just over 400 years ago.

Do you mean the New York Post? A paper that Sun readers would be ashamed to read.

 

[duncanp]

Can we ban Aldi from putting loose items of fruit and veg on sale without the little bar code sticker on them, and then telling me I have to go back to the relevant shelf and pick up another item which does have a bar code on it when I can't ring the item through the self service till.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Can we ban Aldi from putting loose items of fruit and veg on sale without the little bar code sticker on them, and then telling me I have to go back to the relevant shelf and pick up another item which does have a bar code on it when I can't ring the item through the self service till.

Don't Aldi self-service tills have the ability to select between various different types of loose produce from a menu? Or is this to stop someone trying to ring through something relatively expensive like avocados, as carrots?

 

[duncanp]

Don't Aldi self-service tills have the ability to select between various different types of loose produce from a menu? Or is this to stop someone trying to ring through something relatively expensive like avocados, as carrots?

At my local Aldi some items of loose fruit and veg have bar code stickers attached, and some items can be rang through the till by searching on the screen.

 

[Thirteen]

Not things but people who don't read signs properly or at all. I remember being in a cinema once and the fire alarm in the foyer went off but luckily it was a false alarm. I found out it was someone who had went out to go to the toilet, went through the fire exit by accident and then press the alarm to alert that they was trapped!

 

[Trainguy34]

Not things but people who don't read signs properly or at all. I remember being in a cinema once and the fire alarm in the foyer went off but luckily it was a false alarm. I found out it was someone who had went out to go to the toilet, went through the fire exit by accident and then press the alarm to alert that they was trapped!

Trapped in what?!

 

[Thirteen]

Trapped in what?!

The fire exit which is silly because you can escape a fire exit but clearly the person in question wasn't thinking straight.

 

[yorksrob]

Men who treat the toilet seat as a urinal.

You people are a disgrace.

 

[Thirteen]

Men who treat the toilet seat as a urinal.

You people are a disgrace.

People who don't flush are even worse!

 

[dangie]

Men who treat the toilet seat as a urinal……

People who don't flush are even worse!

I’d like to point out that poor toilet manners are not just men.
Our Micro pub has one lavatory with one standard toilet urinal to be used by both sexes. It’s not uncommon to follow a female and see no attempt has been made to flush the toilet.

As for hand washing……..

 

[yorksrob]

People who don't flush are even worse!

I suppose in that instance, there might be the situation where the cistern hasn't filled up and it isn't flushing. Ideally one should wait though.