20 Things That "Bug" Me:
1. When people don’t clean up after themselves.
Why the “bug” exists: In some households, it may not have been necessary for young adults to clean up after themselves. People always had parents to clean up after them when they were younger, so now that they are by themselves in college, they are not used to doing it themselves.
2. People not using their signal indicator before changing lanes.
Why the “bug” exists: People forget to use their signal because they have a habit of not using it. They may think that other cars behind them know what they are doing already. People simply don’t care to use it. Their signal indicator might be broken.
3. When people smack their food while eating.
Why the “bug” exists: People are used to doing it at home, so they don’t realize that they are doing it in public. Some people have a disorder that makes it hard for them to chew with their mouth closed.
4. People choose to lie for small reasons.
Why the “bug” exists: They thinks it’s better to lie than to tell the truth, so they don’t hurt or disappoint you. Or, they think that the small lie won’t make much of a difference from telling the truth. People want to avoid getting in trouble or embarrassing themselves.
5. When customers at work whisper their order.
Why the “bug” exists: People may feel that they are speaking loudly, so they choose to speak in a comfortable tone. The passenger in their car may be on the phone and they do not want to disturb their conversation. The person is shy, so they talk quietly.
6. The garbage truck comes early in the morning and makes so much noise.
Why the “bug” exists: The workers come early to avoid all the morning traffic, so it is easier for them to move in and out of neighborhoods when picking up trash. If the trucks come during daytime, every time they stop, they may hold up traffic.
7. On the highway, people like to speed up and cut in front of others.
Why the “bug” exists: When some people drive, they don’t match the speed limit and it slows traffic down for others. People may be in a rush to get to their destination. A person may like to speed and like the thrill of moving in and out of lanes.
8. When walking, people try to fit into small spaces and don’t like to say excuse me.
Why the “bug” exists: People commit to the walking path they already planned and don’t feel the need to move around. Some people don’t know that it is good manners to say excuse me when squeezing by somebody. People are scared to speak up and would just rather slide by.
9. When accepting money from customers at work, they slide the money on the counter.
Why the “bug” exists: Sometimes customers have to wait for the cashier to get ready, so they set it on the counter for them to grab it whenever they are ready. The customer may not want to touch the other person’s hand and slide it to avoid the interaction. Or, the customer sorts their money out on the counter to make it easy for the cashier to count.
10. When people call my phone randomly.
Why the “bug” exists: Calling is an easier way to reach to somebody because people don’t check their text messages often. It is quicker to make a call rather than typing a message. It is easier for the person to reflect interest and tone in a phone call rather than trying to do it in a dry text message.
11. In the bathroom, there is urine on the toilet seat.
Why the “bug” exists: People squat over the toilet seat when using the bathroom because they are not comfortable with sitting on toilet seats that other people sit on. When squatting, people may be unaware of the urine getting on the toilet. People simply choose not to wipe up their mess.
12. People talk to me when I am sleeping.
Why the “bug” exists: My parents think I hear them since I am a light sleeper. They might not have another chance to tell me the information. People may forget, so they want to tell me as soon as possible.
13. Restaurants wait to bring out everyone’s order at once.
Why the “bug” exists: They want to make sure everybody at the table is eating at the same time. It would be weird for 3 people to have their food, but 1 person still waiting for their food.
14. Hairstylists want to charge you additional fees for being late to an appointment.
Why the “bug” exists: Many clients show up late to their appointment without telling the stylist, which wastes their time and can delay their schedule for the whole day. Some people don’t even show up to their appointments, which is an inconvenience to the stylist because they could’ve had another client. Charging fees is a precaution to prevent clients from doing this.
15. Hairstylists want you to come washed and blow-dried.
Why the “bug” exists: It speeds up the process of getting your hair done, so you will not be in the chair long. The hairstylist may be working out their house, so they make not have the equipment to wash your hair.
16. During lunch rush at Chick-Fil-A, the line is always wrapped around the building.
Why the “bug” exists: People are usually hungry around this time, so everybody shows up at the same time. Chick-fil-a isn’t properly ready for the rush, so they are slow at getting everybody in and out efficiently. Customers may not know what they want when they get in line to order, so it slows the line down.
17. When catching a flight, you have to come 2 hours before your flight.
Why the “bug” exists: People have to worry about traffic and parking their car at the airport. You have to check in your luggage before getting on the flight. Before you get to the gates, you have to go through TSA and be screened. It gives you time to deal with any unforeseen circumstances that may arise. You can give yourself extra time to find your flight, so you are early for boarding.
18. You can’t bring bottles with fluid on a flight or a cruise.
Why the “bug” exists: It allows the airport or cruise line to make more money by making people purchase drinks or liquid products from them. It is a safety measure to prevent the risk of people trying to smuggle illegal things on the flight or cruise.
19. When people smoke cigarettes in public.
Why the “bug” exists: People use cigarettes as a stress reliever. Some places don’t allow smoking inside, so they allow people to smoke outside. Nicotine is addictive, so people can’t help but smoke.
20. When people get too close to me when talking.
Why the “bug” exists: People think that I don’t hear them, so they come closer. They may not understand that some people value personal space. People may see that your body posture is inviting them to come closer.
Reflection:
This assignment wasn’t necessarily that hard, but it did make me think about what I get bothered by. Usually, many things bother me on the daily, but I never discuss them with others or note what these things are. Once I started the assignment, it was a little hard me for me to think of “bugs”, but once I got on a roll, I couldn’t stop listing “bugs”. Listing the “bugs” was easier in comparison to explaining why the “bugs” exist. Explaining why the “bugs” exist made me consider why a person may be doing that action or why that rule is in place. It changed my perspective of things and made me have a deeper appreciation and empathy for why people and things are the way they are. I liked this assignment because it helped me get closer to figuring out what problems we have in the world and help me start to brainstorm ways to solve these problems.
