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That's a product of the asinine spelling system, not the individual.
I disagree. I can't disagree with you that our spelling system, if you can call it a system, is asinine, but if that were the real problem, nobody would be able to spell, period. The core problem is the asinine public-school system, which on average teaches American children 12 -- not always the same 12 -- spelling rules out of the 181 that exist in English.
Now there's another pet peeve: English teachers who try to get out of doing their jobs by saying "English isn't phonetic." Hello? A language that isn't phonetic can't be expressed in writing.
Now there's another pet peeve: English teachers who try to get out of doing their jobs by saying "English isn't phonetic." Hello? A language that isn't phonetic can't be expressed in writing.
"English isn't phonetic" is not a statement intended to be taken literally. It is a generalization, based on the fact that any language can be phonetic to a variable degree and English is one of the least phonetic languages in the world. If somebody says "Drunk drivers cause accidents", do you protest that not all drunk drivers cause accidents or that not all accidents are caused by drunk drivers, or can you accept it as a generalization that reflects enough reality that it is a useful statement? Chinese can be expressed in writing, but it is not phonetic. So your generalization is even less true than the one about English not being phonetic.
As for the 181 rules, it is easier to learn to spell the words, than to learn 181 rules and stop and apply the correct one before typing a word? That's why they don't teach them.
Here are some of the rules. "Fish" is spelled GHOTI except when it is spelled FISH. (GH as in "enough", O as in "women", and TI as in "nation".) COFFEE and KAUPHY do not have any "phonetic" letters in common. So, yes English is phonetic, but it doesn't matter which letters you use.
To top it all, there are some related families in Henrico County, Virginia, whose family name is spelled "Enroughty", and they pronounce it "Darby".
A few of the last posts reminded me of a few things....
People who use you for your house/food/money/car etc. but when you need help or simply a shoulder to cry on, they disappear.
Roommates who move out in the middle of the night after throwing a HUGE party while you were away for the weekend on your anniversary trip. Maybe that's just me... but I've had 4 roommates total move out in the middle of the night a few days before rent is due.
My biggest one lately:
People who don't merge until the VERY LAST SECOND even though there were signs for road construction saying 'left lane closed' going back at least a mile.
Going back the OP's original subject; yes I know exactly what you are talking about. I came to realize that there are many companies who now use what I call hostile customer service. Charter Cable was one of them. They constantly failed to provide a decent picture and I constantly complained and all the while their reps were getting nastier and nastier. I eventually told them to cancel it and remove their equipment. Afterwards I realized that their hostile customer service was a deliberate tactic to get me to cancel. I also believe that their negative service is also effective in frightening off customers, especially seniors and women.
Charter is amazing I was cleaning out a rental property and found the people had left their digital box behind. I phoned Charter and asked if they wanted it, they said bring it in. I told them to come and get it, and they said they would charge me a service call. I said if they want it, come and get it for free, they said just throw it away. Then later, when I canceled my own service, they said they would charge me $75 if I didn't bring it back in.
What things really get you mad...I mean "seeing red" mad? AND what do you think should be done about them?
I'll start out:
My biggest irritant is "service" people who are burley, rude, or otherwise refuse to be helpful...It irritates me so much that I sometimes just want to get violent or scream ..or both! I think there should be a service academy and anyone getting a job where they are supposed to provide good service should have to graduate from before they can even say "hello" to a customer.
GRRRR!!!!!!!
In turn, I get annoyed by customers who think we have to suck up to them. I know about ten years ago, I was working in a place, and the customer tossed me a list, and wanted to get them every single thing on that list. Hey--it's a store, and I am working for the store--I'm NOT your "personal shopper". You want one of those, hire someone specifically to do that for you!
I also get annoyed by coworkers who don't take as much pride in doing a good job as I do. This morning, one of the people on the freight crew said she had to leave at 5. No matter what. I ended up getting overtime, because *I* don't leave until the job is finished! Yeah, just leave your work for someone ELSE to do, thanks!
In turn, I get annoyed by customers who think we have to suck up to them. I know about ten years ago, I was working in a place, and the customer tossed me a list, and wanted to get them every single thing on that list. Hey--it's a store, and I am working for the store--I'm NOT your "personal shopper". You want one of those, hire someone specifically to do that for you!
In turn, I get annoyed by customers who think we have to suck up to them. I know about ten years ago, I was working in a place, and the customer tossed me a list, and wanted to get them every single thing on that list. Hey--it's a store, and I am working for the store--I'm NOT your "personal shopper". You want one of those, hire someone specifically to do that for you!
This happened once in ten years, and it's the worst thing that ever happened to you in that job? Is it OK if a customer asks you where a certain product can be found? Or do you just say "Look for it yourself---I'm here top help my boss take your money, not do your shopping for you."
Sixty years ago, there were no self-service stores at all. In the grocery store, you stand at the counter and tell the clerk you want a can of peas and he goes and gets one off the shelf and sets it on the counter. Some older people still think store employees are there to help the customers.
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