Petpeeve Porridge

1.  Idiot Drivers.  I'm tired of behind-the-wheel toddlers-gone-2-seed, people who live in NarcissistVille, acting like they're the Lone Ranger out on the roads, and never taking responsibility 4 their behavior.  Which brings me to

2.  Not Giving a Blink.  How many times have I barely avoided a collision bec. some imbecile decides to pull right in front of me (no less on the freeway, where we're zooming along @ 70 mph!), with barely a carlength between me and the guy ahead of me, and the puller-over doesn't bother to warn me of his lethal maneuver by using his blinker!  Bad enough you're willing to squeeze into a 3-person life-endangering tight-spot, fella, but you can't even flip the blinker lever with your pinky, so that I will know to slow down and not slam into you?  (Variation:  Carefully scanning all around me for several seconds to make sure it's safe, all the while having my blinker on, I finally start pulling over into the other lane, only to barely miss getting clobbered by some moron who decides he wants that very spot, but he never gave a blink to indicate it, nor was he watching out for me----plus, he's speeding!!!)

3.  Using Your Car As a Weapon.  One afternoon up ahead on the freeway, I saw two older men (well past 55) in separate cars, using their vehicles to harrass each other:  the one in front would slow down to a snail's pace, with the other one almost touching his bumper, and then, all of a sudden, front guy brakes real hard.  Tires squeal; barely averted accident.  Then, back guy races around the braker and places himself 1/3 of a carlength in front of his adversary.  Repeat of above scenario.  This went on for about 4-5 minutes.  I was appalled, bec. no matter how angry you are at the other guy, and no matter how out of line his behavior, you're foolish to use your car as a weapon.  Don't they realize they endanger both themselves AND the other guy?  Do they deem themselves unwoundable and immortal?

4.  Carious Language:   Where are the editors anymore?  Oh, that's right:  I forgot that for the past 40+ years, bec. it's too boring and "irrelevant," grammar no longer constitutes a part of basic education.  So you see ghastly violations like "Democracy and freedom is vital to our national wellbeing."  "Heat and cold hurts my teeth."  "The whole group, of which made up the task force, went on strike."  "If you need further info, contact myself or my wife."  "Whomever writes that way, doesn't know his South Pole from his North Pole."  "That movie made my mom and I cry."   "Her and me, we cried about that movie."  "Us Marines, we're a tough bunch!"  "The thief, whom police say escaped thru an air vent, has not yet been captured."  "Who are you voting for?"  Relator.  Nukular.  Irregardless.  Recieve.  Jewlery. "Incidence" when it's supposed to be "incidents."  "Tenant" when they mean "tenet."  "Imply" when it should read "infer"---and vice-versa.  "Lay" when the correct form is "lie."

Remedies:  "Lie down, Fido!"  "Fido, lay that newspaper down right here!"  "Whoever it was, he sure knew how to type!"  "Pass it on to whoever would like it."  (YES!!!  "Who" not "whom," bec. "pass it on" is one complete sentence, and "whoever would like it" is as well:  both of them have a subject and a verb.)  Contrast this with:  "You can pass it on to whomever you like."  Why "whom" here?  (*Answer below.)

*Answer to "whomever you like":  bec. "you" is the subject of "you like," and "whomever" is the object of "pass it on."

Oh, for the days when we were assiduous about flossing our grammar!