Things people do that just baffle you

[Whatexcellentboiledpotatoes]

What does either a specific person in your life, or just the general public do, you just don't understand why they do it, and you either can't ask them or you've tried to ask them and they can't tell you?

Write it here and maybe someone else that also does it can tell you why, or has an idea as to why.

Here are mine:

Why do my neighbours across the street bring their bins outside a full 24hrs early? They are retired, home most of the day, go in and out of their house five or six times during that 24hr period, but bring their bins out early Monday morning when they don't get picked up until Tuesday morning?

Why do people talk on their phones on speakerphone in public, what is the purpose?

But maybe if they're older people, they can't deal with it.

Wow. Seriously?

I put mine out at about 3pm the day before. I can’t see why anyone would care. What is it that you need clarifying about it? Is there a set time to do it?

In a half empty car park people would park in the space next to me, or in a empty cafe sit at the table next to me. I just don’t get it.

I always remember the one where they showed photos/depictions of five planets and 11 people couldn't identify the last one... guess which of the planets it was?!

They also had one where they gave the old Roman name for British cities and asked people for the modern-day name of that city in English - e.g. Deva = Chester, Aquae Sulis = Bath. There were something like 3 or 4 people who neither knew nor could even hazard a decent guess at what Londinium could possibly be known as nowadays!

I don't get people who have their wheelie bin emptied, and then leave it there for several days after.

People who walk around the house brushing their teeth. Stay at the sink you weirdo!

People who park on the road WHEN THEY HAVE AN EMPTY DRIVEWAY. WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?! They make it hard for others to get in and out (of their own driveways) because they are in the way, and they stop peoples visitors parking outside the house because it will block up the road!!!

They needn't come out with 'because I find it hard to get on and off my driveway and I go out several times a day' because A) You should not be driving if you can't get on and off your OWN DRIVEWAY properly, (with no obstructions,) and B) why does your desire to be able to whizz in and out without having to go in and out of your driveway, trump other peoples right to be able to get in and out of their driveway easily? Why should people struggle to get in and out of their driveway (because of YOU parked there,) because YOU struggle to get in and out of YOUR driveway for no reason other than the fact that you are a bad driver?

Occasionally they may start to pong - in which case there's no issue with giving it a good hose out; but who is standing over their bin and taking a really great big sniff to drink it in before deciding that something that lives outside can't possibly be acceptable if there's a faint niff if you get very close?

Your car exhaust pipe probably whiffs a bit as well if you deliberately get down and put your nose right up to it, but you don't routinely get people scrubbing that out every week!

Or make a song and dance about how it’s some sacred day where everything must be perfect or their entire life is ruined

How do you know this? Do you sit by the window all day?

I find this so sad that, once they've retired and given up paid employment, some older people just seem to be looking for ways to - being blunt - waste their remaining time until they die.

Fair enough if he derived great joy from cleaning his car - we all have hobbies and pastimes that bring us pleasure; but literally just doing it rather than anything that he might find actually enjoyable or that makes a difference, to pass the hours until bedtime - and to keep on doing this until his final bedtime... that is breathtakingly sad.

Oh and I’m capable of walking up the stairs but I do have a tendency to fall over (and in fact break bones) so I think I will carry on standing on the escalators - at least until the fracture I sustained last summer stops hurting so badly

If they're asking about the menu, then they probably need information that's not in it. Which can only be done when they get to the counter.

No menus list all the ingredients of each dish. Only a minority list allergens or mark veggie/vegan (and you can't rely on them having marked dishes up correctly). A surprising number have handy symbols for allergens and dietary requirements but no key to the symbols. I always have to ask questions.

Could you not just put up a big prominent number sign at the perimeter of your property instead, though? I'm surprised that this isn't a thing that households do as standard: make sure that delivery people, taxi drivers, ambulances or whoever can find their house easily without having to find somewhere to park up and then walk up several driveways in the street to be able to pinpoint the right address.

One similar thing that baffles me is the people who put massive stickers on their bins saying "Slow down!" and what the speed limit is. I'm not baffled that they want to beseech drivers to drive safely and stop them from accidentally speeding - that makes sense - but that they only care about it a maximum of two days in each week, even if they put their bin out first thing on the day before bin day and then wait until the night-time on bin day before taking it back in - and don't think it worthy of the slightest mention for the other five days each week. If it's such a concern, would you not just slap the sticker on your front fence or something?

Yes every day for the 30 years I’ve lived here 🙄

Billionaires who spend all of their waking hours worrying about how to spend it, how not to lose it and how to keep making more, more, more. If having what is, effectively, unlimited money at your disposal doesn't mean that you never have to have any concerns about money for as long as you, your DC, your DGC, your DGGC and on live, what on earth is the attraction of it?

This is assuming that you aren't interested in giving 95% of it away to people in the world who have nothing and transforming their lives immeasurably, and still not even noticing it gone, of course...

People that live inside their phones, they just doom scroll instead of getting out, or doing things they need to get done, screaming into phones, why? The other thing I don't understand is why don't people straight talk, I'm not saying to be rude but the flowery words people use, go all round the bushes, will not say the word NO, I'm happy to say no I won't be doing that, no ambiguity

This is an extremely specific one, but I'm always utterly baffled by contestants on gameshows who say that their mum, husband, sister, friend, neighbour or whoever will kill them/never forgive them if they get this one wrong, because THEY (the mum, husband, sister, friend, neighbour or whoever) are massively interested in, and thus knowledgeable about, the topic of the question.

If you know people who so genuinely get angry at other people who don't share the same obsessions that they do, you should distance yourself from them pronto.

Why are your needs more important

I can answer your last one. It’s because the self scanner never registers the bags right so it goes off every 2 seconds with error - weight doesn’t match etc. easier to just pay and then pack.

Oh I do this. It bloody annoys me too! It's usually for one of two reasons, the main one is when I have my own bag but ALWAYS bloody forget to put it on for the machine to weigh it before I start scanning, so then I'd have to get a person to come and approve it and it's all a hassle so I just bag it at the end.
The second reason is usually because I need to reorganise the order of the shopping before I put it in said bag, and it's too faffy to rummage through the things piled in the basket to find the heavier things underneath to put in the bag first, etc.

Basically I'm just disorganised

Why go if other humans annoy you so much

Why do people take very loud photographs in a quiet london gallery that was showing photographs? Just absorb the work and stfu.

Presumably to buy food and other household essentials?!

It’s just a bloody stupid thing to spend money on if you’re skint isn’t it?

When people wish their dead relatives happy birthday on social media! (They have been dead for 20 years!) I mean….. they’re dead so what’s it gunna do?? 🤷‍♀️

Apparently it is because it is more social as they bump into people they know.

I also sit in my car at the supermarket. I work full time, single mum, children with additional needs. It is just so peaceful being in my car cocoon before I go in or drive home. It is a terrible habit that I am trying to break.

My one is why do people sit on stairs when out in public. Like sports centres or train stations. It creates a tripping hazard for others. Creates a bottle neck for people moving through and it is just insanely inconvenient for everyone. If you are that tired sit on the grass or on the kerb. Anywhere that doesn’t create a public safety hazard. Extra annoying if they put their backpack next to them increasing the room they take up instead of putting it at their feet.

As a cyclist and a pedestrian (and a driver) this enrages me too. You are cycling in the cycle lane and someone ‘lets a car through’ some stationary traffic - right into you as the knobber that ‘let the car through’ thought nothing about how other road users would be affected.

And today when I was walking home with my 8 year old and someone stopped their car to let us cross. No! I am trying to teach my child about the Highway Code, and the Highway Code does not say to stop to let people cross unless the driver is turning into a side street. I don’t want my child crossing a road ‘thinking’ that the driver is letting them out when the driver might have stopped temporarily for some other reason and will run my child over when they restart.

Follow the Highway Code and we all know where we are. Although many don’t seem to know the Highway Code at all these days. Medicating for instance. It’s mandatory not optional. Rant over.