Student bloody finance

I think almost every student nods wisely and and has an 'ah, yeah' moment when they see that name now.

I do not understand how one company can be so awful. I had more than enough hassle with them when first setting up my loan (was assured that it was on the pile to be processed, then had them turn around in September to tell me that they had, in fact, not received anything. Thanks for that). I figured this year would be much easier, all I have to do is sign something and send it off to them, but with them even that is painfully difficult.

It's been lost in the post (in fairness, that's not their fault), but it is their fault that it's incredibly hard to actually contact them. I find it very hard to believe that a company that encourages you to do as much of the application process online doesn't have an email. Or an address you can easily write to (they, rather conveniently, tend to lose a lot of things posted to them).

Oh no, the only way you can get through to them is by phoning into their call centre and sitting on hold like a muppet for 10 minutes, if you can even get through. They're not stupid, there's a lot of people out there who have no choice but to talk to them, why not milk the incompetence for all it's worth and make 'em pay to phone in too?

I'm only on pay as you go, so it looks like I'm going to have to spend God knows how much trying to get through to them, possibly to only be fobbed off when i do get through or cut off as my credit runs out. No doubt I'll be advised to leave it a few weeks and phone back then in case the post is just slow, as I was last year every fortnight for about 3 months (maybe they use lame pigeons for all of their post and 3 months is considered a good/conceivable postal turnaround to them?).

Flip-flops

I don't think there's any need for flip-flops. I hate that stupid 'schlop-schlop-schlooop' sound they make when people walk in them.

At the beach, its annoying but you think 'okay, fair enough they are beach shoes', but people wear them in cities etc. Why? They're not really appropriate footwear, are they? How many peoples toes have been trodden on because they've worn beach shoes anywhere other than the beach?

A little (read- fairly big) part of me is tempted to stand of the back of them if I'm going up the stairs behind someone who's got them on. Mean I know, but then they might start to wear appropriate footwear. So in a way it'd be the right thing to do, it might save them getting their toes stamped on at a later date.

Plastic bags

So I'm clothes shopping, no bags except my handbag.

Cashier: Did you want a bag with these?

No, I want to walk out carrying them in my hands so that passers by think I'm an extremely cocky shoplifter. Best bin the receipt too, it'll ruin the illusion otherwise. Thanks.

Music

Is there really any reason for not using headphones when listening to music on your own? I think not.

I may well need to blow dry my hair at about 6 O'clock tomorrow morning. Nothing to do with the music played tonight, of course.

Spitting

I've come to the conclusion that people who spit in the street shouldn't be allowed out of their homes. It's horrible and makes me feel a bit ill, there's no need for it.

If i ever fall over I have a 'I hope no ones spat here/no dog has done its business here' moment, and there's no need for either really. I bet these people wouldn't spit in their houses, so why do it in the street? It's just unnecessary.

Putting the cross in crossings...

Okay, so what's with people who, when you're standing at a crossing waiting for the lights to change, come up and press the button. WOW! I'd never have thought of that one! Good job you turned up or I'd have been standing here all day!

That really bugs me.

Cinemas and cyclists

Why, in cinemas and in theatres, does somebody always come in about ten minutes after it's begun? How do they get the plot when they've missed the first ten or so minutes? Sometimes I swear they do it just to be annoying.

And they're always either next to you if it's in a theatre( the other side of you so you've got to stand up and let them past, naturally) or in front of you if it's in the cinema. Then they talk for a bit 'Oh, how much of it do you think we've missed?' etc. ARGH! I'm starting to think I need to just move to a small island, inhabited only be people who walk at a decent pace and can arrive on time.



Also, I think I've had enough of the cyclists in London. Some of them are okay, but some don't stop at the traffic lights and zip around corners really fast. I'm not sure just how much damage can be done by being run over by a cyclist, but I feel like I'm getting dangerously close to finding out the hard way.


The amount of times one of them has nearly clipped me jumping a red light while I'm crossing the road is ridiculous. I'm not sure if they have to stop at the lights by law, but surely it's in their own interests to do so too?


Photo: Aaron Naparstek, Drachten, Netherlands