Opinion
Small annoyances cause strife
December 15, 2006
With finals right around the corner and stress at an utterly unbearable level, I have decided this column is the perfect opportunity to vent some frustrations. There is no rhyme or reason to any of this, other than they are all things that irritate me to my very core, so bear with me. As much as I despise writing about the monstrosity that is Facebook, there are just some things I find to be a bit disturbing about the communication tool.
I really don't understand why people use this as a way to inform the world of their relationship status. First of all, I don't care who is dating whom or whether it's "complicated" or whatnot. I actually find it troubling that people believe it's necessary to display this status at all.
Even worse are those who, immediately after breaking up with their significant other, feel the urge to log onto the site and formally end their Facebook relationship. Give me a break ... and have some dignity.
Another thing that irks me about Facebook is the number of people who have created "If this group reaches 100,000 ..." groups. This is just a perverse form of peer pressure. If you need thousands of people to join a group so your girlfriend will have a threesome, what you really need to do is get a life — and a new girlfriend. Another form of communication that can be a pain in the ass is the cell phone. So many different carriers are available, yet it seems that all of them lack the most important feature - decent reception.
Maybe some people find no problem with holding their phone out in mid-air to get one or two bars, but I can't stand it. No matter what cell phone company you have, it seems that at some point in time, you will find yourself standing in one spot where you get no reception whatsoever. By moving a little to the left (to the left) — or into a cellular portal, if you will — you get full reception. What the hell is up with that?
As much as they can be a hindrance, cell phones are a great source of immediate interaction, especially since most people carry them wherever they go nowadays. Some people will even go as far as getting up and leaving class to answer what I'm sure is an important call that cannot wait.
But even the positives bring about negatives. I like the concept of sending and receiving text messages (outside of class, of course), but it seems there are a few people out there who just don't get it.
I have a friend who constantly sends text messages and has a cell phone plan that allows her to send hundreds a day. Whoever allowed her this privilege should be shot.
I cannot tell you how many times I have received chain letters from this person via cell phone. No, I will not send your stupid message to five people in the next two minutes. And how do you suppose my not forwarding this message will have any affect on my sex life?
If you have attended UWRF for even a day, you know that no rant would ever be complete without mentioning the incessant annoyance of parking.
This year, I decided it would be in my best interest to forgo the cost of obtaining a parking permit in one of the campus lots. I figured I could save myself $192 and get a little exercise by parking on the street and walking to and from my vehicle.
Now, those of you who are familiar with River Falls are already aware of the oddeven parking rule. After Nov. 1, all people who leave their vehicles parked on the streets after 1 a.m. must be sure they park on the side of the street that corresponds with the date. The reason for this is not to play musical cars and see who has to park their vehicle the farthest away, but to allow for proper snow removal.
I think this ordinance could be amended, or at least not enforced until the city can actually deem it necessary.
Don't get me wrong — I have no problem with this general concept. However, I do find it ridiculous that I am moving my car every day so snowplows can remove the massive amounts of invisible snow.
Well, I hope you enjoyed this tirade, but I must stop now to move my car to the other side of the street.
Jennie Oemig is a student at UW-River Falls.