Pet Peeves and the Entilted

CGF
last night while having our daily discussion "she who must be obeyed" [Horace Rumpole] told me of a call she received on her cell phone that went something like this.

Phone alerts CGF that she has a call via some sort of irritating tune.
CGF - Hello
Male Caller- "Who is this?"
CGF- Who were you calling?
Male Caller- '... a name*...' [I forget who she said, not important]
CGF- tells him you have a wrong number and she hangs up.

When one calls another person or a business it is proper to identify oneself as soon as the line is answered. [unless you are calling a government snitch line, the police to say where the bomb is, your own mother- as she knows who you are and will tell you so... wow! I could write a whole blog on times not to blurt ones name out when making a call.. but I digress.]

The caller should have simply said something like this-
CGF - Hello
Male Caller-"Hi, this is Tom. Is Bill around?"
CGF - No, you have called the wrong number, goodbye.

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  A pet peeve is a minor annoyance that an individual identifies as particularly annoying to them, to a greater degree than others may find it.

and that brings me to my current number 1 pet peeve... The Entitled Smoker. 
Folks, I really don't care if you smoke.
Like the song says-
Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! that cigarette.
Puff! Puff! Puff!
And if you smoke yourself to death,
Tell Saint Peter at the golden gate
That you hate to make him wait,
But you got to have another cigarette.

What I don't understand is why those who smoke are entitled to extra breaks at work? [And to dump their cigarette butts out on the parking lot.] 
I work
I am a Felkins and that is how our people were raised.
Somebody pays you to work, that is what you do.
Salary pay means you work from the start of the work day till the end of the work day, however that is defined by your employer.
Most days that includes a lunch break and perhaps a morning and afternoon break.
In my case it means one 15-60 minute break for a meal per day.
My experience in working in both large and small offices is that most smokers average a 15-20 minute break per hour.
They almost always start smoke breaks by recruiting other smokers as it is a social activity as well.
It seems to be some sort of entitlement program.

“One of the consequences of such notions as "entitlements" is that people who have contributed nothing to society feel that society owes them something, apparently just for being nice enough to grace us with their presence.” Thomas Sowell

So while the employer expects a full days work and the non-smokers are putting in 6-7 hours of work during an 8 hour day.. the average smoker is grinding out about 4.
Somehow they are entitled to it, because they are forced [by Government] to work in an office that doesn't allow them to smoke in the office.
After all I can sit at my desk and drink my 7-12 Diet Cokes a day.

Smoke on your lunch break.
Smoke on your twice  daily leg stretching breaks.
Smoke at home.
Smoke in your car.
Smoke in the park.
Smoke around your kids.
Blow smoke in the face of your pets.

Just don't do it at work... so often.
Unless you have a contract with your employer that allows you unlimited smoke breaks.
That would truly make you entitled.

and somewhat reduce my peeved state.

But I'd give her a kiss and a little squeeze
And she said, "Phil, would you excuse me please,
But I got to have a cigarette."

I know... Blah... Blah...Blah
  



Horace Rumpole: If it wasn't for crime, the democratic process would grind to a halt.

side note on Pet Peeves, yes dears... no one really knows how a barely literate man could have spent the greatest part of his life in the company of you three. For all errors in grammar I offer my apology.
You are entitled to that. kbf