Things that irk you......

People who don't know how to use self checkout. It has been around long enough that you should know the routine.

 

Even worse, people who can't figure out the drive-up ATM.

 

Or people that don't know to position their car so they have to get out to use the drive-up ATM or mailbox. Ugh. Seriously?

 

freq probably has some pointers to offer on drive-up ATM...

 

The moment you're about to fall asleep for a nap on an otherwise silent Tuesday in the downtown when all of a sudden you hear the ting-a-ling-a-ling of the bell and customers walk in and you spring to your feet.

And you're like FUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!

I was so ready to get 15-20 minutes of z's in.

 

Coming from trying to read the track and field column posted elsewhere:

"an historical"

I don't give a fuck if anyone thinks it's grammatically correct or not. It's stupid.

And FWIT, track and field is the biggest pain in the ass all year. Seven high schools in mu coverage area, three leagues, four regionals. That means three fucking track and field stories (complete with local agate) every motherfucking week of the spring.

 

People whose level of caring depends on what they can get out of a particular thing.

 

Even if you just type up the agate, track may have the worst column inches-to-people who give a shit ratio of any high school sport.

 

After I'd left one paper I called back a few months after to check in on someone and I opened with "I've got a track meet..." I heard the silent UGH!.

How tough is it though to just do a running box list of season top three marks in each event the area. Bold the ones in the last week. Maybe a two or three highlights from the week.

 

You're kind of wrong, and I'll tell you why. When you write a track and field story, every kid you mention has parents, friends, family who will cut out that bit and save it. And you mention a LOT of kids, and they're all in the agate.

Rarely do you ever see a defensive tackle or an offensive guard mentioned in a football story, and they aren't in the agate unless they score, basically.

 

If the 'h' is pronounced, then it takes 'a':
'A historical ...'

If the 'h' is not pronounced, the it takes 'an':
'An hour ...'

It's quite simple, and I agree with you 100 percent. It is irksome to see it wrong.

 

I agree with you Buck. The only hiccup for me is that "ahistorical" is a word and it's a little confusing at least verbally. English has a lot of flaws, really.