Stuff that really grinds my gears

Fair to say, I reckon, that each and every one of us has a list of little things that niggle and aggravate us. I hope that voicing a couple here is not just a sign I am becoming a grumpy old man.

Near the top of my fairly modest list is gum chewers.

I don't chew gum, having never had the desire to do so and I am too lazy to constantly exercise my jaw, unless it is to chew someone's ear.

My distaste of compulsive gum chewers arises from the sheer bad look that chewing gum projects among office workers and shop assistants dealing with the public.

This week I had the misfortune to be served by a young woman chewing at the rate of knots with her mouth gaping open to reveal a huge wad of mushy, well masticated gum - yuk.

Her chewing style was reminiscent of a cow eating turnips.

My first instinct was to tell her how unprofessional she looked, my second to seek out her manager and complain.

I did neither, because I have to live here and her boss should have had the nous to realise what a bad look his staff member was projecting in this very busy store.

My second gripe unfortunately also relates to a shop assistant.

This one was not chewing gum, but exercising her jaw by chatting away feverishly - not with me, or other customers but with a fellow staffer lounging around in her space apparently with the express purpose of distracting her.

She clowned around for several minutes before deciding it was time to reconnect with the people who paid her wages - problem was myself and two others in the queue had already left astonished that the young lass was gainfully employed to waste our time.

Workplaces should not be sweatshops and a bit of banter - with customers - is fine but there is a time and a place for everything.

Shop owners and managers take heed.