Published on 12, July, 2020
Thanks to Number in another thread (root beer) I've been thinking of the many things I've just 'not got' and done wrong.
Usually the clue that I'm not 'getting it' is the look of wonder on the faces of other people.
I'm suspecting now this may be autism related.
There are countless examples during my life but here a few.
McDonalds: I don't really understand McDonalds and I don't spend time in them without another person.
My mum used to like them so I'd take her there for lunch sometimes.
One of the 1st times she asked me to collect a menu for her and some cutlery.
I couldn't understand why these weren't on the table.
So, I went to the counter and asked for these things.
After this initial trauma, I then had the trauma of trying to understand what you are supposed to eat off of and with.
Doh.
McDonalds is a particular thing with me I think.
I was with my autistic friend on our way back from visiting his mother and we went to a McD.
He asked me to get him a 'root beer'.
So, I asked for such at the counter only to be asked what that is.
I said 'I don't know' so no root beer was presented to my friend.
Another prime example is going to a spa and swimming baths in a hotel.
I'm not a swimmer or a spa goer.
So, the 1st thing I did was put my make-up on before going there.
Then, I couldn't understand how the lockers worked and had to get assistance.
Then, I eventually found the toilets but couldn't find my way back to the swimming pool so I walked through reception soaking wet in my swimming costume.
I was also in a church once when a service began and loads of people sat around me.
I had gone in there because I was in a strange city and cold and was using the church as a refuge.
I thought I could just sit there whilst the service took place.
I hadn't anticipated communion and although I'm not a Catholic or a church goer, and although I didn't understand what I was doing, I felt obliged to follow everyone up and take communion.
There are so many examples I won't continue.
Is it just me or are there other people here who just don't 'get it?'.
Haha! A brilliant image of a group of typical ‘evil scientist’ type villains gathered around an open photocopier sprang to mind upon reading this comment.
The dance we have to go though of taking the original off the glass, waiting a second for the error to clear, only to place it back on in exactly the same way and suddenly it be fine this time may have been by design after all!
Sparkly,
I think you did the right thing because by the sounds of it, your Dad wasn't one for wanting a fuss made. You respected his "I'm okay." which to me means "please don't make a fuss, I want to be left alone." Your Mum has her own views of what you should have done but perhaps he'd have preferred no one made a fuss.
It sounds like a horrible thing for him to go through and you did ask if he was okay. Perhaps your Mum was anxious about what happened and took it out on you without realising?
I'm glad your Dad was okay. Some people really shouldn't be given a license to drive!!!!
Homebird,
I stuck my fingers up at the machine today when the assistant was resetting it for the fourth time.....
Martin,
Self service checkouts aggravate me because I use them when I don't want to speak with people and they always malfunction in some way that the helper needs to come over and rectify the matter. I think from now on I'll head to the checkout with a person. Someone told me that checkout operators may no longer exist soon because of self service..... I don't want to be part of someone losing their job.... :-(
Sparkly
Yup, I feel deflated when someone doesn't share my humour but equally uplifted when they do. :-)
I always get in bother with self service tills. I usually end up with someone coming to reset it at least once so I might as well have stood in a queue. And I usually end up talking to the machine about whatever it is saying.
I agree with you re colds. I don't want to be the person giving it to someone else.
I am also with you re mobiles. I have to look where I am going so I don't fall over anything or step in anything. I also don't get why people go for a walk for exercise and put headphones in. I like to hear birds singing.
Thanks for sharing that useful info Mariusz.
One can only assume the people responsible for designing that photocopier were having a really bad day, or derived a sadistic sense of pleasure from knowing this 'design flaw' would infuriate people.
It's a bug, a metaphorical one
System mistakenly gives that error if you try to scan next item too soon after previous one. You can see on the screen that after you scan something and place it in bagging area, the name of it is in red for a shiort while after that, than it turns black and you can scan next item without triggering error.
"Unexpected item in the baggage area" = The words that we never want to hear, especially when we know damn well that there isn't.
Oh sorry, no offence intended to you and others who are careful - I was meaning people who just walk in the road, staring at their phones causing cars to stop suddenly. I've seen a few times now where accidents would have happened if the car hadn't stopped in time.
That's what I was getting at. I see a lot of people who still look before they walk out and are obviously aware of what's happening - but also lots out there who aren't aware and it's super dangerous.
That could become rather Kafkaesque ...
thus I prefer dinner parties over restaurants
control, peace, quality
We have a photocopier at work that warms you that an original is on the glass and refuses to photocopy if it’s not removed. Highly frustrating when you consider the fact that the original is exactly what you were trying to photocopy!
Tapas. You and say two friends order two things each. Two things you want. That in normal circumstances would 100% be your own meal. Unless you chose to say ‘do you want to try a bit of this?’ But instead the six things arrive, the two you ordered getting placed closest to you with an implication that those are for you more than anyone else. But then you’re suppose to just randomly sample bits and pieces from each, yielding or claiming ground in an unspoken exchange of diplomacy and strategy while trying to maintain something like a normal conversation. It’s yet more distraction in the already somewhat trying environment of a noisy busy restaurant.
I find the system of words assciated with card payments, illogical, confusing, and misleading.
contactless payment, so it shouldn't work if you do touch, right?
PDQ display informs you can present, insert, or swipe your card without telling yopu what that means.
present stands for contactless payment, insert for chip and pin payment, and swipe for swipe and sign, except it becomes available only after first two options have failed.
While people confuse those terms, and ask if they can 'swipe their card' attempting to pay contacless, without that I often assume they want to swipe and sign, and tell them you can't
There is as well time period when you are waiting for confirmation from bank after contactless attempt to pay, while people try to walk away right away
'Unexpected item in the bagging area' .. how did that piece of volcanic rock get in there?
My favourite part is when you have to press the contactless option…
Well, there are instances when someone not getting my sense of humour can cause me a greater sense of amusement. I loved my dad's sense of humour because he had a wonderful dry wit, and was great at gallows humour.