Get Your Grump on Thursdays - Was (What's chapping my @ss today?)

[johnmdesigner]

I ran into Saul Berenson in Riverside Park this morning.
He pretended to look at his phone. I kept walking.

[johnmdesigner]

I haven't left a grump for awhile and in the spirit of the airline thread...

Why is it that whenever I fly overseas there is always some jackass man who is too cheap to buy a seat with extra legroom sitting in front of me squirming and trying to turn an economy seat into a first class one?
My knees are rubbed raw and I couldn't even put my table down because of this asshole.
It's no wonder people get into fights on airplanes. No manners at all.
Be a man and suck it up and accept your fate.
The clown in the seat across from me spent 20 minutes picking his nose using the same tissue which he then proceeded to deposit into the seat pocket.

[monadnocky]

I haven't left a grump for awhile and in the spirit of the airline thread...

Why is it that whenever I fly overseas there is always some jackass man who is too cheap to buy a seat with extra legroom sitting in front of me squirming and trying to turn an economy seat into a first class one?
My knees are rubbed raw and I couldn't even put my table down because of this asshole.
It's no wonder people get into fights on airplanes. No manners at all.
Be a man and suck it up and accept your fate.
The clown in the seat across from me spent 20 minutes picking his nose using the same tissue which he then proceeded to deposit into the seat pocket.

Can I add to this the jerkweeds who have no understanding of leverage, mechanical advantage, and physics in general who leverage themselves up from a seated position by grabbing onto the headrest in front of them, perhaps using the headrest as an aid to get themselves into the aisle, and then letting go suddenly, thereby catapulting you into the stratosphere?

I mean... Jesus on a motorbike, it's really not that hard to get to the aisle without doing this.

[j44ke]

I haven't left a grump for awhile and in the spirit of the airline thread...

Why is it that whenever I fly overseas there is always some jackass man who is too cheap to buy a seat with extra legroom sitting in front of me squirming and trying to turn an economy seat into a first class one?
My knees are rubbed raw and I couldn't even put my table down because of this asshole.
It's no wonder people get into fights on airplanes. No manners at all.
Be a man and suck it up and accept your fate.
The clown in the seat across from me spent 20 minutes picking his nose using the same tissue which he then proceeded to deposit into the seat pocket.

Use their seat headrest as a handle/pry bar/wrestling partner for getting up and sitting down - if recliner complains say "Yeah I know, it is horrible how little room there is on these planes, isn't it? Wish there was something I could do about it." And continue to do it.

Can I add to this the jerkweeds who have no understanding of leverage, mechanical advantage, and physics in general who leverage themselves up from a seated position by grabbing onto the headrest in front of them, perhaps using the headrest as an aid to get themselves into the aisle, and then letting go suddenly, thereby catapulting you into the stratosphere?

I mean... Jesus on a motorbike, it's really not that hard to get to the aisle without doing this.

Yeah that's me. You are destroying my kneecaps.

[gregl]

My worst airline seatback experience was on a redeye from Honolulu to Chicago. 75% of the passengers were seniors. As they walked down the dimly lit aisle to the lavatories, many invariably grabbed each aisle seat headrest for support. I had an aisle seat. And I was jostled awake continuously all night long...

Greg

[bironi]

The airlines used by the public are the bus lines of my youth.

[vertical_doug]

The airlines used by the public are the bus lines of my youth.

Ride the Dog Bro.

[Chik]

Ok, not Thursday today, and it was on Friday that it happened... It's been a little while since this happened so it did leave an impression:

I was on a solo ride, minding my own business. Some guy overtakes me. Instead of leaving me in the dust, he continues at more or less my speed. Therefore, I'm now in his wheel, not because I wanted to be a wheelsucker but because he put me in that position. We had a tailwind anyway.

Personally, it doesn't bother me if a stranger drafts behind me. It's not like I'm worse off, and if someone wants to stare at my backside, I'm flattered.

In contrast, this guy kept turning around to see if I'm still drafting. Clearly, he was bothered by the fact that I'm riding less than a foot behind him and for a longish period (perhaps 7 km?), until we came to a fork and he went left whereas I went right.

I wasn't really annoyed that he was annoyed. Rather, I was kind of amused, but I find it bemusing that some people create the situation themselves and get wound up about the other person.

[Kev inc.]

At least he didn’t wave…
Wavers are the worst!

[echappist]

Ok, not Thursday today, and it was on Friday that it happened... It's been a little while since this happened so it did leave an impression:

I was on a solo ride, minding my own business. Some guy overtakes me. Instead of leaving me in the dust, he continues at more or less my speed. Therefore, I'm now in his wheel, not because I wanted to be a wheelsucker but because he put me in that position. We had a tailwind anyway.

Personally, it doesn't bother me if a stranger drafts behind me. It's not like I'm worse off, and if someone wants to stare at my backside, I'm flattered.

In contrast, this guy kept turning around to see if I'm still drafting. Clearly, he was bothered by the fact that I'm riding less than a foot behind him and for a longish period (perhaps 7 km?), until we came to a fork and he went left whereas I went right.

I wasn't really annoyed that he was annoyed. Rather, I was kind of amused, but I find it bemusing that some people create the situation themselves and get wound up about the other person.

I'd presume that even in a country with relatively high proportion of amateur racers, most riders probably have no concept of speed differentials and efforts needed to create and maintain a gap.

Your average joe sees a rider up the road, and the dog-chase-red-truck instinct kicks in. Does quite the anaerobic effort to overtake, but too ragged to be able to continue the pace, yet can't admit that he just doesn't have it to continue the pace of the (unsustainable) effort. This actually happens rather often, although most of the time, I experience it as someone chasing to get on my wheel.

Also, while I do mind the presence of just some guy on my wheel, not for any reasons related to ego, but for reasons related to liabilities related to potential accidents. Something I need to keep in mind in the States, but probably a non-issue in Europe.

[Chik]

At least he didn’t wave…
Wavers are the worst!

Wave as in a more obvious gesture than an elbow flick? I don't mind it so long as the guy goes to one side so I can just move ahead instead of me having to go around him.

I'd presume that even in a country with relatively high proportion of amateur racers, most riders probably have no concept of speed differentials and efforts needed to create and maintain a gap.

Your average joe sees a rider up the road, and the dog-chase-red-truck instinct kicks in. Does quite the anaerobic effort to overtake, but too ragged to be able to continue the pace, yet can't admit that he just doesn't have it to continue the pace of the (unsustainable) effort. This actually happens rather often, although most of the time, I experience it as someone chasing to get on my wheel.

Also, while I do mind the presence of just some guy on my wheel, not for any reasons related to ego, but for reasons related to liabilities related to potential accidents. Something I need to keep in mind in the States, but probably a non-issue in Europe.

I sometimes give someone a chase if I think that his bike looks interesting from afar. The other week, I was rewarded with a pretty Ritchey Logic, which I had never seen in Belgium previously. I rode alongside him for a bit, checked out his rig, complimented him on his bike and went on my way.

Your last point is interesting. Based on the rules applicable to motorcars, I would have thought that generally speaking, you wouldn't be at fault if someone crashes into you from behind.

[echappist]

Your last point is interesting. Based on the rules applicable to motorcars, I would have thought that generally speaking, you wouldn't be at fault if someone crashes into you from behind.

That would be the operative assumption for motor vehicles, even in the U.S. But it's also not out of the imagination for someone who crashed (whether b/c a pothole not pointed out or by touching wheels) to sue for damages. I'd much rather not having to deal with any of this.

My own experiences are also colored by incidents mainly from my more hot-headed days a decade ago, where politely asking the drafting rider to keep a distance (after the drafting rider had a mile+ of draft) often ended in a telling-off for me. I sorta just assumed (assumption being the operative word here) that were something to go wrong, these riders would take the lack of civility to another level.

Fortunately (and knocking on wood), I have yet need to see whether this assumption is valid.

[Chik]

That would be the operative assumption for motor vehicles, even in the U.S. But it's also not out of the imagination for someone who crashed (whether b/c a pothole not pointed out or by touching wheels) to sue for damages. I'd much rather not having to deal with any of this.

My own experiences are also colored by incidents mainly from my more hot-headed days a decade ago, where politely asking the drafting rider to keep a distance (after the drafting rider had a mile+ of draft) often ended in a telling-off for me. I sorta just assumed (assumption being the operative word here) that were something to go wrong, these riders would take the lack of civility to another level.

Fortunately (and knocking on wood), I have yet need to see whether this assumption is valid.

Yeah, well, in the US, if your neighbour can sue you for walking onto your property, tripping, and hurting himself, then your scenario is certainly conceivable.

[Chik]

At least he didn’t wave…
Wavers are the worst!

Got it, belatedly. I just read the thread...

[johnmdesigner]

King of the Grumps here a day early.

Anyone here experienced the Weponized Flu of 2023? I'm assuming it was the Flu. I never had Covid so I thought the worst but after 2 tests no go.
Started on the 14th with a dry cough. Then horrible all night cough. Temp shot up to 100+ for several days, chills, sweats, complete weakness.
Then days all night coughing up phlem. No chem poison or home remedy seemed to calm it down. Spent evening watching Alien.
Then the added bonus arrives - conjunctivitis!
Oh, and I had no idea the human body puts such a high priority on protecting the seed of a 65 year old. I didn't know giblets could hang all the way down to your knees.
Didn't know what day it was, didn't care.
Today sitting on the living room floor like a steaming pile. Cough stopped, fever gone, all ready to start life anew. Right.
Now wife is coughing...

[rwsaunders]

https://www.scientificamerican.com/a...much-pink-eye/

[johnmdesigner]

Great. What's next....

[j44ke]

Great. What's next....

The arcturus variant will “evade” covid testing and give false negative indicators.

[rec head]

Sorry, not Thursday but my work week is a little different so it may as well be. Ever have one of those days at work that starts with all of your skills being questioned for no reason by people you already have no respect for? That was yesterday.

[bigbill]

Sorry, not Thursday but my work week is a little different so it may as well be. Ever have one of those days at work that starts with all of your skills being questioned for no reason by people you already have no respect for? That was yesterday.

Yes, and that is what helped drive me into retirement.