Things that make me go “aaarghhhh!!!”

By Anu Dev

Throughout your day, there are always people out there who just make you want to pull your hair out and wonder, “Why in the world would they do that?”
There’re the little things.  Like when you’re at the supermarket idly wondering whether you want chunky or smooth peanut butter. Then some random shopper just reaches over you and grabs something from the shelf as if you were completely invisible! So you end up snapping, “Excuuuuuuse me!” because they just couldn’t say, “excuse me”. We’re all too busy with our self-centred lives to bother with things as petty as manners.
And then there’re the bigger things. Like people who talk on the phone while driving. I mean, if it’s an emergency, at least pull over to the side of the road and answer the call. No? Because there’s no telling what kind of news you might get. What if it’s something so momentous it makes you swerve into oncoming traffic in shock? And I’m in that “incoming traffic”. But the absolute biggest new abominables, are people who text while driving.
I mean sure there are some people who are so adept at texting that they can do it without looking.  But they’ll still have to use their hands to type out the words, no? So what is going to hold the steering wheels, firmly? Their tongues? And I’m pretty sure that even the most hardcore texters haven’t developed the power to read a text without glancing at their phone’s screen.
So how do they keep track of the cows, goats, sheep and other miscellaneous animals – not to mention other vehicles on the road? So it boggles the mind as to why people would take such unnecessary risks with their lives and with everyone else’s lives as well.
And then there’re people who seem to think it’s their god-given duty to blast the rest of their village with music every morning, every afternoon, every night, every day – 24/7.
Now it’s not a bad thing to listen to music. In fact, I love music. I listen to music all the time – but with earphones.  Yes, those snazzy little devices that you can plug into your ears and listen to whatever you want, at whatever volume, without disturbing the person next to you. I know, they sound too good to be true, but they are available to everyone and more people should take advantage of them.
What is it about some people that they need to broadcast whatever they’re listening to so that EVERYONE can hear it? Are they seeking approbation from the neighbours? ‘Hey bud, that music you were playing at 2 am? WOW! Classic! Ever thought of becoming a DJ? Such groovy taste in music’. I for one don’t enjoy being shocked out of my sleep by Ravi B and whatever other chutney artiste’s song they’re blasting. Think of experiencing ‘road rage’ in bed.
It’s a good thing the Guyana Constitution doesn’t allow the right to bear arms! Such annoyances build up resentment and make it pretty difficult to go about your day being all bright and shiny and happy with the world.
Nobody’s perfect and the world is definitely not a perfect place, but you could do your part and try to avoid doing things that make other people go “aarghhhhh!!! For the sake of world peace, of course.