Things That Bother Kim Du Toit

Dead Link to Kim Du Toit's Defunct Site

1. People who are constantly talking on their cell phones.   I have to say, I agree with him here.  Anyone who can't NOT talk to someone for even a second really needs a book.


2. People who pronounce a “d” like it’s a “t”. "Every time I hear someone say “just a secont”, I want to beat them over the head with a baseball bat." Gotta disagree with him here.  My midwestern accent naturally does that.  But I DO know how to pronounce 'd'.  I don't say tipthoung or mitwestern.  I'm sure a linguist would tell us why.  And should someone from South Africa be telling me, a NATIVE AMERICAN-ENGLISH SPEAKER how to pronounce my MOTHER TONGUE??


3. Tattoos. He is so horrified by ink that he doesn't even want a waitress with a sleeve to serve him food.  Pussy.  He considers it self multilation.  I don't and I hope that he gets so creeped out by my tats that he barfs.  What kind of man can't look at a tattoo?


4. People who put their empty paper cups neatly on the ground outside their car doors, and then drive off.  I agree here.  Too many car shows have had to relocate because the people who attend leave the place looking like a dump, and/or don't patronize the business sponsoring the show.


5. Loud (c)rap music in cars. Double plus agree!  And it goes triple for houses making that much noise.  Your entertaining tunes should not emanate past your property.  They should especially not intrude into mine.

And a few of my own.


1. People with nothing better to do than to chew on fruit flavored vulcanized tree-sap.  I hate gum.  I hate the wet sucking sound of it pulling away from teeth.  I hate the smack of the lips coming apart and slapping together.  It is the ultimate in mindless activities.  For a sophont, any activity that doesn't require your brain should be shunned.


2. People with no experience with something I have experience with telling me all about how it is or was.  You have no frame of reference to correct me, so shut up.


3. People who have no idea how to change their own oil.  I don't care if you choose to take it to Jiffy-Lube or the dealer, but you should at least know how to and own the simple tools to perform the task.


4. Being ignored by the staff at a business.  There is nothing you are doing that you cannot drop to assist the customer, you know, the people who decide if your place of employment stays open.  And if you ARE so damn busy you can't help me right away, a simple, "We'll be right with you," will do.  A customer in the store takes priority over stocking the shelves.  A customer in the store trumps a customer on the phone.  A customer in the store is more important than standing around doing nothing.


5. People who don't patronize the sponsor of a free event, like a car show.  It's mostly restaurants that are footing the bill and sacrificing parking space for the show-cars, throw them a bone and buy a meal.  Most of them even give you 5-15% off the bill too!