COLUMN: You've got to be kidding me

Lately, I catch myself puzzled by the daily lack of consideration I see in the world around me.

I am no saint, but some things people do really leave me jaw-dropped by how unbelievably rude they are. I know that we can find ourselves in a hurry, stuck in old habits or just simply forgetful, but my pet peeves have been skyrocketing recently.

It started off in class. My professor is older and his teaching habits are as ancient as he is. He uses a chalkboard, handwrites his exams and does not use Blackboard. All of these things are unfair to us as students. The chalkboard is messy and things get cluttered and it is hard to take notes. His excuse for handwriting the exams is that "typing isn't really his thing." Sigh.

Also, with him being anti-Blackboard, I think it's inconsiderate that we don't have any access to our grades, because I'd like to try to see how I'm doing. I think it should be mandatory that professors are somewhat up to date on technology, because it's everywhere we look as students.

After class, I go and blow some steam at the gym and again am mind boggled by a few things in particular. A guy was standing and stretching near the ab machine talking to a girl. I wanted to use the machine next so I was lingering and eavesdropping next to them on an arm machine. I heard him say "I've just got one more set and I'll be done." Perfect, I thought.

So, I get up and clean my machine and pretend to shuffle through my music and be kind of obviously waiting, staking it out, since the gym was kind of busy. Then, what do you know? He answers a phone call and sits on the machine not doing anything besides chatting on the phone. You've got to be kidding me.

Let me make this clear, I am an impatient person by nature so this initially annoys me. Why would you be talking on the phone occupying a machine at a busy gym while you can tell someone is waiting?

I wait it out because I wanted to use the ab machine. The guy gets up about four minutes later (which doesn't seem long, but again: I'm impatient). You think this story has a happy ending? No. Then he doesn't clean it off.

So, here is my gym etiquette: if you want to talk on the phone, take it elsewhere. And if you can't use the paper towel and spray when you're done, then work out at home.

I get home from the gym later that night and go to take a shower. I share my bathroom with a roommate who is kind of messy. But, this is not a matter of cleanliness, this is common courtesy in the bathroom. I walk in and see a few annoying things that again make me think, you've got to be kidding me.

Put the seat of the toilet down. No one wants to look at that when they first walk in the bathroom.

Also, if you take a shower, that's great, but close the shower curtain. That's why it's there, to look cute and cover up the shower.

Might I mention, my roommate is a female? Get it together.