Mondays...

Are not my favorite day of the week. In light of that fact, I felt like posting a few things that piss me off, for no real particular reason, in no particular order.

Taggers

Few things set me off more than the "artistic" product of some juvenile deviant sprayed across some unlucky soul's property. I would wholeheartedly support public beatings of these little bastards. Nothing is more disrespectful, nothing is more of a f*** you than spraying illegible gangsta symbols all over other people's stuff. Am I the only one who cheered when Sean Penn's character in Colors hosed that little shit's face with his own spray can?

Gratuity added to the check

1. a gift of money, over and above payment due for service, as to a waiter or bellhop; tip.
(emphasis mine)

Don't call it a "gratuity" if you're going to bill me for it. Call it a "service surcharge" or something. I actually find it kind of insulting to see this on my bill, as though it's assumed I wouldn't pay it if it weren't included. Either that, or a sly attempt to get a tip on top of the "gratuity" from the dopes who don't look at the check too closely.
Here's the deal: if you add that charge to the bill, I'll pay without a peep... BUT, that's ALL you'll get, even if your service was stellar. You make the assumption that I wasn't going to pay, then fine - you'll get the minimum I would tip, and no more.

Carpool lanes

Yet another study in the failure of social engineering. Take 25% of the freeway lanes and reserve them for what, 2-3% of the drivers? Hey Presto! You've got gridlock! Here in California, if you have a Prius or other politically correct hybrid vehicle, you get to ride the carpool lane too! It really makes me grind my teeth when government pulls stunts like this to try and effect a change in behavior. My taxes contributed to building those lanes, but if I'm driving by myself, then I'm not entitled to use them.
I do not own a Prius, nor do I intend to, no matter how much my state would like me to.