Potholes, being stuck on hold on the phone, and dog owners who do not pick up after their pets, have topped a list – of Brits' biggest day-to-day annoyances, a study has found.
Drivers who take up two parking spaces, or who do not using indicator signals before manoeuvring, also ranked highly among the top daily gripes, along with slow walkers, and cyclists who don't use cycle paths.
And when it comes to public transport, people get irked by others putting their bags on seats, listening to music without headphones, and when they find someone sitting in a seat they have reserved on a train.
The research of 2,000 adults found that, on a daily basis, they typically face three “everyday irritations” – with 67% admitting they find themselves more annoyed in general now than “ever before”.
And 45% say they “can't remember” the last time they made it through a whole day without feeling irritated by something.
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The research was commissioned by Weetabix to launch its new TV ad to inspire the UK to get “back on track” – after it emerged that 8am was deemed the most frustrating time of day.
A spokesman for the brand 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 that an overwhelming 81% of those polled are of the opinion that 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.
In fact, 68% claim they are better prepared for the day ahead after a wholesome breakfast – although over half of respondents (56%) believe that UK adults are not fuelling themselves “properly” to face the day.
Among the reasons those polled are more irritated nowadays include 63% feeling that fewer people are taking pride in doing things well.
Other theories include people being too busy (44%) or too tired (31%) to carry out tasks properly, and having to struggle with large amounts of red tape (38%).
Perhaps as a result, the study, carried out through OnePoll, found that as many as 83% employ techniques to make everyday irritations more bearable.
These include taking deep breaths (35%), listening to their favourite music (27%), venting to friends, colleagues, or family (26%), and having a decent breakfast (8%).
The Weetabix spokesman 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.”
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TOP 30 EVERYDAY IRRITATIONS:
- Owners who don't pick up after their dog
- Potholes
- Being stuck on hold on the phone
- Drivers not using indicator signals while driving
- Drivers who take up two parking spaces
- Being told your password is incorrect
- Slow walkers
- Cyclists not using cycle paths
- People not holding the door open for others behind them
- People using up all the toiler paper and leaving the empty roll on the holder, instead of replacing it
- People not cleaning up after themselves in shared spaces
- Middle-lane hogging
- “Unexpected item in bagging area”/slow checkouts
- Plans being cancelled at the last minute
- People listening to music without headphones on public transport
- People putting recyclable items in the general waste, and vice versa
- People 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 switching on and you have been charging a device – but you haven't
- Someone sitting in your reserved seat on a train
- When the shopping bag handle breaks
- When umbrellas 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 facial recognition software on your phone doesn't recognise your face
- When people ignore the “keep right” rule on escalators
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