A bugbear is derived from a Middle English word
A bugbear is a scary hobgoblin. Derived from a Middle English word “bugge” (a frightening thing), but these days the term serves as a metaphor for something which is annoying!

My Friday Bugbear are those couples walking towards you along the pavement (sidewalk if in US!) who are unable to separate for a few moments or even pause their conversation to allow you (walking the other direction) to pass. Teenagers in groups do it too.

I’m not sure if they expect you to step into the road, launch yourself into a hedge, do an Inspector Gadget and rise over them or what. Sometimes I do wonder if I’m invisible or perhaps I have a sign on me that says don’t mind me. I’ve yet to find a solution with couples, apart from either humbly stepping aside to let them pass or sharing a sarcastic ‘excuse me’ with them. With groups of teenagers though I have found if I stop and stand still quietly, they miraculously divide like the Red Sea.

FridayBugbearWhat’s your Friday Bugbear? Let me know by leaving a comment or even better sharing your own pet peeve post. I’m hoping to be back next Friday with another but if you can’t wait til then pop across to the wonderful Runner of Monday Morning Grievances?

9 thoughts

  2. Mine is the young people who seem oblivious that this usually smiling white-haired lady (ok, not frail, so maybe the white hair doesn’t count then), anyway,this person is also on the sidewalk (Canada), and doesn’t think she should have to step off of it onto the grass or road. I’ll take your advice about standing still in the middle (I’ll still smile) and let them figure out how to get around me. 🙂

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    1. It’s incredible how they do seem to think it is our role to move. And yes do try with the standing still – it was my husband who tried this first and amazing how it works!

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  3. I have the same pet peeve as you. It annoys me to no end when people are so little aware of their surroundings.

    An even bigger pet peeve for me are drivers who can’t back up! Oh those bring out the troll in me! Imagine, on a narrow road, clinging onto the mountainside in western Norway, and there is no place for two cars to meet. Just around a corner you meet another car. or even worse; a RV. Now, the vehicle nearest to a meetingpoint is supposed to back up and let the other car pass, and then we both nod and give a quick wave as a thank you. All good.

    But how many of them do you meet at the narrowest point of the road? Not many! Usually it will be someone who just do not know that they have a Reverse on their transmission, and if they do know – they sure dont know how to use it. This results in me having to back up 2 kilometers, because the meeting car is unable or unwilling to back up 100 meters! AAARRRRGGGHHHH!

    I got sick and tired of this. So I changed my tacktics, When the meeting car is closer to a meetingpoint then me – I absolutely refuse to back up. When given the reason that they “dont dare” or “cant” or whatever, I shoot them my evil eye and tell them to park their car and hand in their licence – as they have no business being behind the wheels. Oh how many tension-relieving arguments I have gotten into this way! Love it!

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    1. I know!!

      And with you on the people who can’t reverse. I wish I had thought of that solution a few months ago. Woman coming down a hill absolutely refused to reverse and so I had to reverse down the very steep, twisty and narrow hill for quarter a mile – not far but certainly not safe.

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