Some time back, after my gripe column was published, I received several letters.
Here are two of them, along with more of my complaints.
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I love Stanley Gershbein’s column “It’s Only My Opinion.” A while ago he wrote a column about his gripes — can I add a few?
Not-In-My-Back-Yard, people — those who want the neighborhood kept clean, but don’t want to have a city-provided trash cans on their corners. One guy even stole a Parks Department sign warning us to clean-up after our dogs.
This neighborhood is big on stealing — lots of Con Edison cones and large barrels often go missing. One man’s house has a “please do not block driveway” sign — he doesn’t even own a car!
Dog owners are doing the right thing by cleaning up after their dogs, but there’s nowhere to put the doggie bags! This is a valid, good gripe — please add it to your collection, Stan.
Suzanne M. Kensington
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This letter came unsigned. The writer must have his reasons for sending it that way:
Here’s a little list of some stuff that gets my goat: People leaving their laundry in washing machines and dryers for God knows how long when other customers need to use the machines. People standing just inside subway doors so people find it hard to enter or leave without having to go around them, when they could just as well stand elsewhere or sit down. People taking up two or more seats when others would like to sit down on the subway. Bike riders having no care how fast they ride, be it in the street or the sidewalk — many times going the wrong way on a one-way street, without a care in the world about hitting someone, who in their mind, had no right to be in their way. People bringing a crying baby to a movie. People smoking near me on what otherwise would have been a nice day with fresh air.
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I hate television commercials for roach killers. They always seem to show live insects running across the screen just about the same time I am biting I into a sandwich. Yeccchhh!
I am not thrilled with those who walk their dogs and as soon as the pooch stops to do his business they look the other way as if not to notice. Then they walk away without picking it up.
I love children, but not when they are running around in a restaurant while servers are trying their best to work.
I get annoyed at all those pro-immigration big mouths who are constantly talking about the Jewish immigrants like my parents, saying they are “the same as those hard working, needy people who are crossing the southern border of the United States every day.” No! No! No! They are not!
My parents made a stop at a place called Ellis Island, were checked for lice and diseases, and were met by sponsors who provided them with shelter and security.
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“Your call is important to us. Please wait for the next available representative who will be happy to assist you.” Then you listen to one minute of music and the above message is repeated. Then another minute of music, and the message and the music are repeated again and again and again until you shout, “Bull! If my call was important you would hire more representatives.”
I don’t blame passengers who do not want to pay to check luggage, but must they carry everything they own aboard and take up all the room in the overhead compartments? Whenever possible, I fly on Southwest Airlines where luggage is still free … so far.
I am StanG
