Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Public Restrooms, FedEx and Nigerian Scammers

What Do They All Have In Common?

Public Restrooms, FedEx and Nigerian Scammers: What do they have in common? They have have caused me some form of irritation during this past week.

Public Restrooms

Public restrooms are just that public. Now let's all be grown up we know what goes on in there, but we all should have some common courtesy that we use in public situations. The exhaust fan should be left in the ON position when it is needed. No one wants to enter into a restroom that has been, shall we say marinating for any length of time. Along this same line, what is it with people and the over use of an air fresher?

Isn't the idea to cover up an offensive odor, not overwhelm you with a new one? Being assaulted with some of the fragrances is almost nauseating, especially when the fragrance is not a match to the location being used. Candy in a restroom. Yuck!! Then again, I almost don't know what is worse having the odor ooze out of the restroom and into common areas or it oozing out with that same nasty odor with the addition of the smell of food. Both are disgusting.

The two lessons here: 1) use the exhaust fan that is why it is there and 2) don't over use air fresheners.

FedEx

"When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight" - that is unless you need shipping boxes from them. Then you need to wait several days for them to arrive. You would think that they would hustle those things out right away, under the premise that people can't ship more stuff without them.

On another note, I did run out and try to wrangle up some boxes from local FedEx locations. I did manage to get some, but only because I needed them now! They really didn't even want to give any out at all. Hard to believe.

Nigerian Scammers

Over the past week or so I've been noticing that the internet at the office & home has been sort of dragging along. I hadn't given it much thought beyond noticing until I heard a commentator on the radio discussing it. He stated that one of "the reasons is that there are now nearly 2 billion internet users."

Now that is a big number and with people downloading files, watching videos and all the other activity that is done online these days it is no wonder that things do slow down, especially during 'business hours'. But taking it beyond those activities I bet of that of those 2 billion users that nearly 1 billion are purveyors of porn, info-marketers, and Nigerian scammers all out there working to sell the other 1 billion and each other something.

All those email offers from Nigeria wanting me to help them get large sums of money out of the country are just clogging up way too many email inboxes and give those involved in legitimate commerce a bad rap when they attempt to send out offers to consumers. Speaking of legitimate commerce - if you get email from some place and you don't want more click the unsubscribe button. Darn almost need to hit the easy button for that suggestion.

And just to throw in my last pet peeve for the week....

Random Callers

Back a few months ago, we had a land line installed at the house for those odd times when a cell phone just won't work. Anyway we have started receiving phone call on the land line for an in-law, who has never lived with us - does not have the same last name. I can only assume that they are beating the bushes to find this individual for some good purpose, but it is extremely irritating to get the calls.

The callers really don't seem to understand the concept - this person does not live here and never has. I even went so far this evening to tell them that we had only purchased the house a year ago and that I haven't a clue about the person they are trying to reach. Suggestions on some really good way to get them to quit calling the house.

3 comments:

Ruth Preston Scheeler said...

It's easy, and has worked for me EVERY time! In a very sad voice, simply state: "I'm sorry, but he/she passed away yesterday." Then sniffle. I promise the won't call back!

Judy said...

Too funny! I bet that makes them think twice before trying your number again.

Dorothy said...

I like " the passed away", guess I'll have to try that one too.