The UK’s biggest everyday irritations have been revealed – including drivers who park over two spaces, potholes, and being stuck on hold to customer service.
Owners who don’t pick up after their dog, slow walkers, and motorway middle-lane hoggers also grind our gears.
Other gripes among the 2,000 adults polled include mind-boggling ‘are you a robot?’ online security tests, people who put bags on seats on public transport and self-service checkouts.
On average, those polled endure three ‘everyday irritations’ a day.
Commissioned by Weetabix which has launched a new TV ad to inspire the UK to get “back on track”, the research found 45 percent ‘can’t remember’ the last time a day passed without something annoying happening.
A spokesperson said: “From potholes to slow walkers, these small irritations can pile up, but they’re all manageable. Our latest campaign stems from the realisation that many of these annoyances are solvable.”
The study found 67 percent are more annoyed in general than ‘ever before’ – with 81 percent of the opinion the UK needs ‘fixing.’
However eating a proper breakfast might stop the things they find annoying from happening in the first place, the survey indicated.
According to the research, 68 percent are better prepared for the day ahead after a wholesome breakfast.
It also emerged the most frustrating time of day is 8am — right around breakfast time.
Over half of respondents (56 percent) believe UK adults aren’t fuelling themselves ‘properly’ to face the day.
Among the reasons those polled are more irritated nowadays, 63 percent believe fewer people are taking pride in doing things well.
Other theories include people being too busy (44 percent) or too tired (31 percent) to carry out tasks properly and having to struggle with large amounts of red tape (38 percent).
Perhaps as a result, the study carried out through OnePoll found many (83 percent) employ techniques to make everyday irritations more bearable.
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These include taking deep breaths (35 percent), listening to their favourite music (27 percent) venting to friends, colleagues, or family (26 percent) and having a decent breakfast (eight percent).
The Weetabix spokesperson added: “It’s simple logic: fewer annoyances crop up when we’re all properly fuelled. A wholesome breakfast sets us up for the day ahead and makes us feel ready to tackle life’s curveballs head-on.
“We’re encouraging everyone to start their day in the best way – by getting the nourishment they need at breakfast, paving the way to a stronger, more resilient Britain.”
- Owners who don’t pick-up after their dog
- Potholes
- Being stuck on hold on the phone
- Not using indicator signals while driving
- Drivers who take up two parking spaces
- Being told it’s an incorrect password
- Slow walkers
- Cyclists not using cycling paths
- Not holding the door open for others behind them
- Using up all the toilet paper and leaving the empty roll on the holder instead of replacing it
- Not cleaning up after themselves in shared spaces
- Middle-lane hogging
- “Unexpected item in bagging area” / slow checkouts
- Plans being cancelled last minute
- People listening to music without pairing headphones on public transport
- People putting the recyclable items in the general waste and vice versa
- Putting their bags on seats on public transport
- Really difficult “are you a robot” security tests online
- When food goes out of date without you realising
- When you think you’ve turned the plug switch on and you’ve been charging it
- Someone sitting in your reserved seat on a train
- When the shopping handle bags break
- Umbrellas that blow inside out
- When people reveal spoilers in TV shows
- When your headphones aren’t charged when you go to use them
- Someone putting an empty milk carton back in the fridge
- Suspect VAR decisions
- Family members not putting their shoes away
- When face recognition software on your phone doesn’t recognise your face
- Ignoring the “keep right” rule on escalators