"A Man's children and his garden both reflect the amount of weeding done during the growing season."
We all need to have a good moan now and again and being a stay at home dad gives us a different outlook on the world and provides us with more things to find fault with and complain about. So this is your opportunity to join in, let off some steam and find out about issues that really annoy other home dads.
Each page will have a Rant on a different topic and you will have the chance to add your comments, views and gripes on that particular issue. To add your comments to a particular Rant please type them into the Comment Box underneath that rant
Also you are quite welcome to suggest or write your own Rant.
To add your own Rant go to the Contact Me page, select Reader Rant and type in your thoughts. All input is welcome and I will add as many as possible onto the site.
First of all let me say that I have nothing against cars, and the people who drive them in general but what really annoys me is those people who use their cars irresponsibly and selfishly with no regard for anyone else. There are a number of things that some drivers do that irritate me so here goes:
1. Parking on the pavement.
This is my pet hate. Those ignorant people who, not satisfied with clogging up the roads, then drive their cars onto the the public footpaths and then proceed to park right in the most inappropriate and inconvenient place.
They normally park so far onto the path that I am unable to get down it with the pushchair, meaning that I have to risk both mine and my children's lives by walking onto a busy road and going around the stupidly parked car. This is very annoying especially as it happens a lot where I live.
These people are so lazy because it's not as if there is no space to park on the road, they do it just so that they don't have to walk an extra few feet to get to where they are going. This really drives me mad and shows an incredibly selfish and arrogant attitude.
2. Lack of Indication.
I hate it when drivers fail to indicate to let you know where they are going. The amount of times I have stood far longer than necessary at mini-roundabouts and junctions simply because 90% of the cars failed to indicate which way they were going is incredible. Is it really so hard to push that indicator stick up or down to tell other people what you are doing? Again, failing to do this shows ignorance and lack of respect for other drivers and waiting pedestrians.
3. Parking in child-only spaces when they don't have children.
Shopping with children is hard enough without having to try and get them, yourself and your shopping from one side of the busy car park right to the other side. So it is handy to have those special parking spaces reserved right next to the shop. Unfortunately they are normally full up with the cars of lazy drivers who don't have children but who can't be bothered to walk anywhere and have no thought for anyone other than themselves.
4. People who drive very short distances instead of walking.
It seems that some people believe that if you've got a car then you have to use it every time you go out, no matter how short the journey. Whether it's sheer laziness or just habit the number of people who use their cars for trips of less than one or two miles is amazing. Why not try walking? It's good exercise and it is better for you and the environment. Also it teaches your children not to become dependant on the car too.
"I drive an invisible car! It's true, no one ever seems to see me they just pull out regardles. Ban all cars. (Except mine of course)"
AnonI used to have a great device , a tyre valve remover! Drivers may not have changed their behaviour, but I felt better. Obviously trying to make your getaway with a buggy and baby(ies) makes this fairly impractical!
Anon