PeevePile • A Pet Peeve Archive

People who recline their airline seats as far as possible for an entire flight.
My kids and I sat behind a couple and their child for an entire 8 hour transatlantic flight yesterday. It was a daylight flight, not overnight. They reclined, practically into our laps, the entire time, even when they were sitting forward to eat, or getting up to go to the bathroom, etc.

— Katherine from Virginia | Travel | 9.13.2011 | Comments (1)

People who use their lack of familiarity with New York City to act incompetent at things any adult should be able to do anywhere.
Friend visiting from another large city: "Do you have any allergy medication?" Me: "No, but there's a drug store right across the street" [I gesture out the window, through which a drug store is clearly visible]. Friend: "Yeah, I just don't feel very comfortable wandering around. Guess I'm not ready to be a real New Yorker!" OR Random Person: [Stands on A train platform between two stairways, above which are signs indicating that the B, D and F line are downstairs] "Where's the D train?" Me: "Downstairs." Random Person: "Wow, I don't know how you New Yorkers do this every day!"

— Diana from Brooklyn, NY | Travel | 11.26.2009 | Comments (1)

Faux-accents developed after a brief residency abroad
Maybe you actually did pick up a slight British accent after your year of travel. It still sounds fake - and dumb.

— Karolena from Brooklyn | Travel | 2.12.2009 | Comments (9)

Standing behind someone at airport security who thought it would be fun to wear every bangle, necklace, brooch, and belt they own, while you stand there unadorned and shoeless wondering how someone could be so bad at life.

— Nick from Los Angeles, California | Travel | 12.19.2008 | Comments (0)

People who go to England for a week and come back dropping words into conversation that they learned there.
It's quite cold. Cheers! Fancy a drink? Etc...

— wonderama from New York, NY | Travel | 12.17.2008 | Comments (4)

People who travel to foreign countries on vacation and then refuse to participate in the culture or attempt to eat any of their cuisine.
Went on a trip to Asia, and the friends I went with refused to eat at any real restaurants that normal people living there would go to and instead opted for fast food or convenience store food every night.

— Daniel from Texas | Travel | 11.5.2008 | Comments (5)

"Have a safe flight!"
I'll try not to crash!

— Stuart from Boston | Travel | 9.24.2008 | Comments (1)

Saying that men watching their own kids are "babysitting." » 5 stars

Water on the counter at a public bathroom such that when you lean over to wash your hands, your stomach and crotch area get all wet. » 5 stars

When people tell me to "calm down" when I am already calm. » 5 stars

Putting on a clean pair of socks, entering the bathroom or kitchen and standing in a water splash left on the floor, thus getting your clean socks wet and forcing you to change them. » 5 stars

Excessive and difficult-to-remove packaging » 4.95238 stars

Rolls of toilet paper in which the size and weight to tensile strength ratio renders it impossible to dispense the paper in the usual manner (ie: pull on the end, roll turns, paper advances). » 4.93333 stars

Doctors "shortening" your wait time by making you wait in the exam room instead. » 4.93333 stars

People who touch computer screens. » 4.91667 stars

Using mobile phones at the register. » 127 Comments

The non-existance of unpadded bras in cup sizes less than D. Macy's, Victoria's secret, and Bloomingdales do not carry them. unpadded. » 41 Comments

People who put ketchup in the refrigerator. » 41 Comments

When pregnant women complain about being pregnant. » 39 Comments

People who deliberately pronounce words incorrectly and repeatedly. » 34 Comments

Women who are just so beautiful they don't have to contribute to sex... » 32 Comments

"Irregardless." » 30 Comments

Saying that men watching their own kids are "babysitting." » 27 Comments

Using mobile phones at the register. » super – luctroyally 2/6

Using mobile phones at the register. » super – Cireekeld 2/6

Using mobile phones at the register. » super – Kannyhila 2/6

Using mobile phones at the register. » super – Steashamate 2/6

10.31.10

Thanks to a recent torrent of spam, I’ve had to disable comments for a while. I’ve now removed the ability to put links in the comments. Email me if you want to put something in, such as five links to knock-off handbag sites, and I’ll happily oblige.

09.10.10

I’ve added two features to the sidebar: Highest Rating and Hotly Debated. They will be updated daily. To my surprise, the ketchup-in-fridge peeve seemed to really incite some anger — it’s clearly a complex situation that affects us all.

It should be noted that the star ratings indicate how much you agree with, or appreciate, the peeve, not how you feel when it happens.

I will be adding a Paragon Peeves section as well, for my and my friends’ personal favorites.

Please enjoy, and contact me if you have any new feature ideas.