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Random NYC bonding: crowded left turn from 5th ave onto 8th street. Lots of traffic b/c of a street fair (PETTY ANNOYANCE), some dude in an expensive car was honking and honking and honking into the stand-still line of cars. As the cars finally began to move, the car turned in front of me & the woman next to me; without a word, we both clocked the car's license plate, turned to each other and said in unison "TEXAS." And then walked our separate ways, bolstered by our shared sense of having diagnosed a case of toxic Texas masculinity.

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I have to admit, I thought the story was going to end with a license plate that said PENNSYLVANIA. 🤦🏻‍♀️ Love the state, love my family there, But in Nyc, they seem to be the new New Jersey driver!

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Apr 28Liked by Liz Gumbinner

Now hold on. As a PA resident I can ASSURE you that NJ drivers are still the absolute worst.

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I cannot say for certain who is driving cars with PA plates in New York City but they are the worst. Maybe they are all from New Jersey and stole them (which is not totally out of the question).

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Apr 28Liked by Liz Gumbinner

That explanation makes the most sense.

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We are logical people, Chris.

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Apr 28Liked by Liz Gumbinner

HAHAHAHA

*cue T. Swift "I Hate it Here"*

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Hahah!

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Apr 28Liked by Liz Gumbinner

OH MY DOG the Kars 4 Kids jingle. Nothing makes me scramble for the mute button faster.

Here's one: when a meeting (that could have been an email) ends early and the organizer smugly "gives you X minutes of your day back". Um, you did not possess my time to begin with?

And another one: how every. single. movie. contains a scene of someone brushing their teeth. Dude, it's gross enough brushing my OWN teeth. I don't need to see your foamy spittle.

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Ha I have started quoting a comedian and I wish I knew who it was… When someone says hey we’ve just given you back three minutes! I say “great now I can finally start that new hobby!”

I think way too much about toothbrushing in movies. Like I wonder if this is the way they really brush their teeth, or if that’s the way they think the character brushes their teeth… It’s kind of weird how much I think about it.

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Apr 28Liked by Liz Gumbinner

I feel seen!

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The new Meta AI search on Instagram. QR code menus. Unnecessary apostrophe's (haha). The use of "everyday" where it should be "every day." People who play videos on their phones on the train or bus without headphones. The fact that suddenly store employees all say "welcome in" instead of just "welcome."

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Apr 28·edited Apr 28Author

Yes, to all of the above! It used to make me crazy that Toyota slogan was Toyota. Everyday. Because that was like saying it was an ordinary car, not that it was a car for every day.. I will die on that hill!

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Wait, you mean it was "Toyota. Everyday." right? Sweet Jesus, I'm glad I missed that. It would have driven me nuts.

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Yes, thank you! Edited. See, even text dictation wom’t let me write it the wrong way 🙃

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One of the only good things about leaving NY was not hearing the Kars4Kids jingle! But I’ve got a hundred petty peeves about living in the South.

Jerks who HAVE to back-park their giant pickup trucks in narrow spaces while the rest of us wait for them to get it right…

But of course, I’m Not Complaining.

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Apr 28·edited Apr 28Author

No, you get to complain here! Totally fine. That sounds incredibly annoying.

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Apr 28Liked by Liz Gumbinner

I am sorry to report that leaving NY does not protect you from Kars 4 Kids - I live in Seattle. Watching MSNBC requires constant vigilance!

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The way you put that… I am laughing so hard! (Also apologies for the inadvertent earworm.)

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Wait...what is Kars for Kids??

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I would tell you to Google it, but I’m scared you’ll be mad at me.

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May 3Liked by Liz Gumbinner

Wait...it's called Kars4Kids but it doesn't....provide cars? I am so confused. We have Wheels of Success here that DOES donate cars to people that meet their guidelines and you have to be nominated by certain community members. I mean, this seems like a great program, but...the name?

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You donate the car for a tax deduction, they sell/junk and use the profits (well less than half) to send students to extreme religious schools and camps.

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Apr 28Liked by Liz Gumbinner

OMG you are my hero.

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Because of all the things that annoy me? 😂

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Apr 28Liked by Liz Gumbinner

Because of how honest you are, and because (narcissistically speaking) how seen I feel. 😊

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Love this!

You know the people who walk 5 across are the same who stop in front of doorways and at the top of escalators. Outside NYC, they are the ones who don't use their turn signals and drive the speed limit in the left lane. I've been living outside the city for many years now, but reading this brought it all back!! Yes! Let's bond over the little annoyances!!

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When we have all four kids together, sometimes we have to remember that we are the ones blocking the sidewalk. 😅 We try to be incredibly apologetic when we realize someone has been trying to get around us.

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awareness is everything!! LOL (and then we bond over our own foibles ;-)

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YES to left lane hogs! This includes multiple men in my family who feel "they can drive in whatever lane they want" which, UGH.

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Apr 28Liked by Liz Gumbinner

Yes. And the idiot at the Black Crows concert last night who was all... "you're not from New York." I'm like "born and raised". He responds with "upstate doesn't count". I'm all "I'm not from upstate." He didn't believe me, like it matters.

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Those are the people who say that I don’t really live in the city because I live in Brooklyn. I’m like OK, would you like to refund my NYC income taxes then?

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Apr 28Liked by Liz Gumbinner

Brooklyn is as NYC as you can get!

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Apr 28Liked by Liz Gumbinner

Ugh the price of razors! I switched to the "Leaf" razor and it uses those old fashioned double sided interchangeable razor blades that come in a cheap bulk pack. Has a learning curve but it is worth it as an act of nurturing self care!

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Dani, you are always filled with the best ideas!

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Apr 28Liked by Liz Gumbinner

Thanks Liz! In another life I was a staffer at cool mom picks!

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🥰😍 there is still time!

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Apr 28Liked by Liz Gumbinner

Those jerks who don't signal left until the last possible second on roads without dedicated turn lanes, so you don't have the opportunity to go around them. Need another circle of hell for that!

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We could clearly have an entire thread about driving annoyances. And yes, I hate that! Especially when there’s so much traffic in the right that now you can’t get out and you’re just stuck there for another light change or two.

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Movies that take place in other countries (Russia, Germany, etc.) but the actors are all British or do British accents. They're actors...isn't that their job to do different accents?! People having conversations on speakerphone in public (and then they cant even hear the other person so they end up yelling), people who have to back into parking spaces and hold up everyone else in the lot to do it. Thank you for the safe space to let these out today 😂

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Try watching Napoleon with everyone doing a British accent except for Napoleon. He sounded American.

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😮 oh no…that’s a whole extra level of bad

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Apr 28Liked by Liz Gumbinner

Enough already with pennies. They cost more to make than they’re worth, and no one wants them. Just round the cost of everything up or down to the nearest five cents. It’ll all average out.

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This is a very reasonable complaint!

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Apr 29Liked by Liz Gumbinner

Firstly, tuna melts are Satan’s Sandwich. Can I get a Hell Yeah !?!!?!

Subway pet peeves: nail clipping, putting on of makeup.

I effing hate washing lettuce.

Not pet peeve:

All the spring flowers everywhere in NYC

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The flowers are GLORIOUS! A fine antidote to the hell that is a tuna melt.

And washing lettuce is a solid peeve. We all have little household chores we hate, don't we?

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I thought the Kars 4 Kids was just showing up again here in Chicago...It makes me feel good that I am not the only one that is listening and hates it. I am all about "pettiness". LOL

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Oh you are DEFINITELY not alone! (Also it's a shady AF charity so, no problem dissing the jingle.)

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Apr 29·edited Apr 29Liked by Liz Gumbinner

People (cough, where I live 70+ in age) who sit at the bar during happy hour. And don’t order off the happy hour menu. Why, just why?

MonopolyGO not giving me the shamrock emoji.

Costs of the blue carton Happy Eggs in California. $9.99 for 12?!

Big pepper: why are green peppers $.99 but the rest are $1.49?

Dead stoppers in the middle of the airport. We’re walking, we’re walking…now we about to trip over you!

People who IM me on Teams within five minutes of signing into my work account.

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Dead stoppers! I hadn't heard that term, it's so great. I need to understand this happy hour issue though -- they sit at the bar and order full-price drinks? Or they order nothing and take seats from the customers?

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Apr 29Liked by Liz Gumbinner

-washing out the recyclables

- people who call it “expresso”

- finding out that Friends is now on “Nick at Night”

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I just fell over with that last one 💀

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Apr 29Liked by Liz Gumbinner

Also TV Land is now just 90s shows like King of Queens?? Bring back I Love Lucy!

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I had no idea!

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Apr 29Liked by Liz Gumbinner

Movies and tv shows that go from an opening scene to a “two weeks earlier” card. Like, you couldn’t just tell the story? Lazy writing.

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That and lazy exposition. “Hi Sis! How’s Mom?”

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