Techno-Logical (Technology) Woes my Turn

You know, things were much easier when you were not expected to be an expert in everything.

Why do we have to become an expert in everything?

Because rules change almost on a daily basis, dependent on the discussion of course, but accurate when you really think about it.

I’ve run in to so many situations (retail) where the person who asks me if they can assist me ends up not having a clue. Gee and I just wasted how much of my precious time to find that out? Keep smiling, keep smiling. 😀

———————–

Computers were supposed to make things much easier for everyone, in retrospect, they’ve made nothing easier for the individual and in fact, have complicated life in so many ways.

At the gas pump(s), I stand there reading the directions on the pump, since they are not universal. The same applies to debit card machines. Since they can vary so much from each other, you stand there looking like a moron simply because the people behind you are in a hurry and have zero patience for you to take the time to figure it out.

Hey Buddy, slow down and quit pressuring me, I’m doing the best I can.

Banks give me the option of banking with their machines or being charged to talk to the teller at the window. So people behind me are expecting me to take the money and drive/walk off as I stand there making withdrawels, transferring between accounts, getting receipts. Sorry, they want me to do it this way!

Write a check in a grocery store and just listen to the sighs and bemoaning behind you as the clerk must confirm your identification, write your drivers license # on it, scan it through the check clearing companies system that you pray has accurate records or any record of you at all, since you can also be denied that way.

My favorite is paying cash for gas. I must park my car at the pump, walk in to the store, wait in line, hand the clerk my cash. Then I walk my skinny arse back out to pump, stand there for a moment to make sure I am operating it properly and proceed to fill up my tank. Meanwhile, you have hopeful people now parked behind your car, waiting for you to finish. Uh, sorry, not done yet! I then have to walk my skinny arse back to the store, wait in line YET AGAIN to receive my change/receipt. Then I get to loose another few ounces/sweat as I dodge my way back out across the lot to the car. Gawds forbid I take a moment to start my car, put my seatbelt on, adjust my trip (so I can keep track of MPG) put my wallet away, etc., etc, add naseum.

By the way, banks make more money off of every debit card transaction when you sign it like a credit card, instead of inputting your PIN. That is why they scare everyone in to not using their PIN #s at those debit machines. More $ for them!

Oh yes, technology has really helped improve my life, not.

~Hoofer snorts

PS I was just waiting for 7 updates (patches) for XP to finish so I could reboot and pray I have no bugs/virsus and while waiting, this all flew out of me. Yay technology, I just wanna read my e-mail damnit!

PPS On a good note, we had so much rain yesterday afternoon, we had a river flowing down the driveway and around the barn to the muck-pond located at the low spot on the property. The sand pits/dust bowls were little mini-lakes.

I agree, tailgaters sucketh, but I don’t sweat it anymore, they can go around. I even hug the right side so they can see past me to try and pass or let them see that it’s not me slowing everyone down, they usually back off. Better that then to have them up my arse, if I did have to hit the breaks real fast.

Now on the highways, way different story, I’m an admitted lead foot. It’s getting over to an exit at the same time traffic is trying to get on to the highway, now that can be hairy scary!

Worse is driving a live load (horses) on the highway. We used to plan night trips, just to avoid daily traffic mayhem. I know what Semi’s go through, it’s no fun when cars constantly get in your break zone.

—————-

Speaking of people passing …..

While waiting for the car ahead of me to turn left, I chose to come to a complete stop, instead of dropping off the shoulder to go around. The car is low to the ground and I’d rather wait than pay to get it realigned. Heavens forbid!

So after the car ahead of me completes its turn, I hit the gas and start shifting gears … I <3 my manual transmission. So anyway, I get this odd feeling so I look in the rear view mirror to see that the V8 Pickup truck behind me had moved over to the left in an attempt to pass me. Eh? I was already a car length ahead of it and in third gear (what I like to call my power gear) and doing 40+ in the 50 mph, soon to be 60 mph, (no passing) zone. All I could think was, are you for real?

This person stayed in the left lane, giving it all they could to that V8, (I even saw a really nice cloud of black smoke come out of their exhaust), before they realized how stupid they were being and returned to their proper lane.

I wonder how much gas they blew trying that manuever. At least they were cordial about it and did not tailgate me the rest of the way.

I have had to remind retired, elderly people that patience is a virtue while we were standing in line awaiting the register. Eh?! Oh well.

To far ahead, way to far ahead of a lot of minds around here Dave.

One of my retorts to, “Need any help?” is, “That would depend on whom you ask.”

We have the infamous Baker Act in this state. For those not in the know, any family member could deem you a harm to yourself and get you locked up for a few days for observation. Course, it’s prudent to not be a screaming, ranting, raving lunatic when the authority shows up to determine if you are indeed Backer Act material.

Oh the novelty of someone actually listening to what you have to say, imagine that! Dependent on the day/mood, I might have a flood of ‘off the cuff’ questions fly out at you.

Dagnabbit, don’t jynx me ❗ 😉 Windows OS’s are a joke. I couldn’t type in my password after it rebooted, keystrokes weren’t being recognized, so I hard booted it. I wanted to kick it with my size 10 muck boots. 8)

Very agreed, refer to my passing story above. I’ve ticked off a lot of V8 drivers, unintentionaly. Oh well. Their heart/high blood pressure, not mine.

I came up with a saying about driving in icy conditions.

“You don’t drive on ice, you slide and pray on ice.”

Speaking of icy conditions, I had a goofball for a horse. One morning I woke up to an ice skating rink covering everything. Oh was it ever gorgeous! Well, Mr. Goofball wanted out of his stall so bad. I knew there was no convincing this horse and he would inevitably trash his stall throughout the day. So I snapped the lead rope on and walked him very slowly out of the stall and on to the ice. The look on his face when one of his four feet slipped was priceless. He froze in place as best he could, turned to look back at his stall and I let him cautiously wobble his way back into his stall. He was a good boy for the next three days that he had to live in his stall while the ice slowly melted away.

Same here, I go with the flow, but if I really have the need for speed, it’s me and the moon out baby! Which really is a risk because I have no radar detector.

Now, how the heck can I revert back to Lurker status??? Darn it, I lost my lewd and lascivious title.

Yes, I have a total love/hate relationship with technology. Can you tell?! 😀

Sadly, the only thing they’re accomplishing, is that they’re burning themselves out really fast. Eh, their choice to I suppose.

Happy Father’s Day all!

~Hoofer