Annoying people

Annoying people are everywhere. In fact, they are an annoying fact of life, and like a leech that latches on to your body almost impossible to shake off.

Of course, there are degrees of annoyness. At the lower end of the scale are lazy writers who make up words like annoyness to explain a point. At the higher end of the scale are, I suggest, the following. And before I start my list, let me explain that in several cases, I am stereotyping, and this is grossly unfair. For example, not all Cantabrians are annoying—just a few, but enough.

Too much information

These annoyers are those who insist of regaling us with information that we are not remotely interested in and have little relevance to our circumstances. Most common are those that tell us their medical condition/history in detail. Others include cruise-liner passengers and their latest cruise (and the one before that and so on) and believers in natural therapies.

Mr Right

These are the opinionated people—mainly blokes—who believe they are always right and anyone with a contrary opinion is wrong. Everybody has a right to an opinion or a belief, but they don’t have the right to believe or assume that they are emphatically right. The only certainties in life, my friend, are death and taxes and the superiority of league over rugby. And, no, Trump is not God just because you say he is.

Cantabrians

Talking of superiority, Cantabrians have long held a superiority complex, particularly when it comes to slagging off at Aucklanders. Yes, you may have a better rugby team (frequently) and a better cricket team (sometimes), but that is because Aucklanders (usually) have better things to do—in short, they have a life.

Rampant Email Forwarders

This has been for a long time one of the most annoying aspects/abuses of modern technology. Look, we are not interested in some random inspirational thoughts somebody, just as annoying as you, has sent you. Same goes for Facebook postings: sunsets are beautiful, why mar them by overlaying them with some tin-pot, Christmas-cracker philosophy. And, yes, that puppy is cute, but I have seen a dozen today already.
Born-again Christians
I admire your fervour, just don't bring it around me. Preach to the converted, not at me.

Comparers

Similar to Mr Right. These are the people who have never heard that comparisons are odious and insist on comparing the relative merits of sporting codes (League V Rugby etc), beer brands, Holden V Ford, and so on, entirely forgetting or ignoring the fact that people may have a contrary opinion or, more often, simply don’t care. All sport is good, even if League is gooder.

Correctors

We all make mistakes. No Fryday goes out without one or more. They are not life-threatening. The only use I have for a corrector is the excellent copy-editor who corrects my newspaper articles; I couldn’t live without here (sic).

Sic People

People who use sic. Are you deliberately trying to humiliate us? Just correct the damn thing, and shut up.

Jami-Lee Ross

Well, that’s my list of annoyers. Not complete or exhaustive by any means. I would be interested to know who you find annoying. Not actually know them, of course—I would likely find them just as annoying—just a general guide. Dive in and give me your thoughts.