By Bill Barth
A few weeks back I vented in this space, reciting various things that annoy me. I invited other folks to follow suit by telling me what makes them grind their teeth and blow steam out their ears.
Not surprisingly my comments sparked both friendly agreement and unfriendly disagreement from readers. That’s good, because it allows me to explain the purpose of opinion writing, at least from my way of seeing the world of human expression. I really don’t care if readers like how I think or conclude my every breath is a waste of oxygen. The point is readers are moved to think. Maybe they send me a comment, maybe they spout off to their family and friends. Either way it’s mission accomplished when people engage with ideas and form their own opinions.
In the earlier piece I promised a follow-up column if folks let me know what they find irritating in the modern world. Some of what follows is local to my hometown of Beloit. Some are not because these columns are distributed statewide by the Wisconsin NewsMedia Association and are often published in other papers, which generates robust responses.
Anyway, here’s a partial selection of what I heard from readers.
A writer from the Town of Cottage Grove with a sense of humor said he “enjoyed your op-ed on Shaking a Fist. I too fit that profile. When our kids were young my wife took to curbing her language about other drivers being stupid. Our oldest turned to me one day and said, ‘Dad, did you know toads could drive? But not very well.’ Keep your stick on the ice and have a good day.”
A Beloit reader sent quite a list in a long email. I’ll condense it, best I can. She pointed to “people littering from their car windows. I live near Cranston Road and frequently walk a route near the bridge over Turtle Creek. It is so discouraging to see more trash within a day or two after our neighborhood volunteers have cleaned it up!” She continued: “People not following the rules on trash day (making sure their trash and recycling containers close all the way, spacing them at least three feet apart. … Please be considerate to our public works employees and the equipment they operate.” And a last gripe: “I am astounded and angry that my fellow Beloiters don’t care enough about our public schools to support referendums trying to fill the gap between state funding/property taxes and the real cost of educating our young people … Don’t people realize that the better our schools become, the more desirable a community Beloit will be?”
Another Beloit reader wrote about traffic patterns, which have prompted multiple responses in my inbox this year. “Traffic patterns with dual lane bike paths are not used and are a waste of traffic space. Park Avenue is a mess!” Also, “Phone (customer) service is nonexistent, and I am overwhelmed with charitable junk mail. What a waste of donations and paper. Leads me not to give any more donations. They sell my information to other groups, and the volume in my mailbox increases.”
From a reader in Clear Lake, Wisconsin. “I have one (annoyance) that I can’t ignore or get used to. Bright, irritating, eye-tearing headlights. Especially LEDs, which are totally unnecessary and should be illegal. Eyesight is most important when driving and glaring headlights are a distraction and hazardous. Like trying to read with someone shining a flashlight in your eyes.”
Finally, a couple of quick-hitters.
A reader I apparently irritated by defending certain free speech, or maybe with social media criticism. Kind of hard to tell. Very succinctly he said, “Freedom of f—– speech and I don’t have social media.”
In the original annoyance column I referred to myself as a crotchety old man. A Beloit woman let me know she proudly considers herself “a crotchety old woman.” Glory be! We crotchety folks need to stick together.
Still annoyed? More gripes are welcome. Who knows? Maybe there will be enough for another column.
I’ll start with one more of my own. Recently I mailed a check to pay an insurance bill for my farm in downstate Illinois. Surprise! It never arrived. All is well. I arranged to make the payment online. But … What the heck is up with the U.S. Postal Service? Let Amazon take a crack at it. That company can deliver things in one day. Call it Economics 101: Competition Works!
Bill Barth is the former Editor of the Beloit Daily News, and a member of the Wisconsin NewsMedia Hall of Fame. Write to him at bbarth@beloitdailynews.com.
