[Newfie]

A place for the things that drive you nuts!

12oz can of Diet Coke
Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic = 70¢
Mainland USA = $1.50
Guadeloupe = 3.50.- 4.50 €

[Tanada]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Newfie', 'A') place for the things that drive you nuts!

12oz can of Diet Coke
Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic = 70¢
Mainland USA = $1.50
Guadeloupe = 3.50.- 4.50 €

[Outcast_Searcher]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Newfie', 'A') place for the things that drive you nuts!

12oz can of Diet Coke
Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic = 70¢
Mainland USA = $1.50
Guadeloupe = 3.50.- 4.50 €

[Newfie]

Bought over the counter, one at a time, in a store. I did get a Coke today for 2.50 euros. But 1.5 liters is 3€.

I invite others to add mundane things that aggregate or confuse.

[Outcast_Searcher]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Newfie', 'B')ought over the counter, one at a time, in a store. I did get a Coke today for 2.50 euros. But 1.5 liters is 3€.

I invite others to add mundane things that aggregate or confuse.

[Outcast_Searcher]

For me, just having completed the 2017 tax season -- its the complexity of the income taxes in the US, that currently comes to mind.

I'm a reasonably intelligent guy, but I don't feel

a). Comfortable, given the way the laws change
b). Willing to do all the work and worry about all the details

to do my own income taxes.

So I have to pay someone to do it and STILL end up having to mess with things like badly flawed brokerage 1099's when a bank buys a discount brokerage, as happened to me this year.
Or discovering about $35,000 in legit investment expenses for the 2014-2017 tax season I'd missed, due to a question my preparer asked, and some investigation I did. There is no apparent standard in the way 1099-B's are prepared, and some brokerages completely leave entire categories of information off their forms that others supply.

So that was a nice surprise/help for 2017, but now this summer we "get" to file amended returns for 2014-2016 (only allowed to go back three years) to try and get the 35% or so between state and federal on that money back.

I made the needed spreadsheets in a couple of hours. But I, of course, have to pay the preparer to file those amended returns (properly) to get that money back.

There are other ways to do this. The IRS GETS all the 1099's etc and could do the calculations properly themselves. In that case, they might even support a reasonable STANDARD for such 1099's.

Simple one page returns and no returns required systems come to mind as examples.

https://www.theatlantic.com/business/ar ... rn/475899/

http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/briefing ... tax-filing

But no, we have a system screwed up in a way that reminds me of our medical system, as far as difficulty in paying. "American exceptionalism" at its worst.

[Newfie]

Yeah, that’s the idea. There are so many times in our life we look at something and go. “WTF “

My Wife does the tax prep forms. Because of her business and some international investments she inherited and our rental property our taxes were a mess. She spends weeks just answering the mamouth prep forms. But the tax a countan office can’t figure out how to send her an editable PDF. Hopefully this will slow down this coming year.

Braille on drive through ATMs also come to mind.

Springer TV show is another.

[careinke]

On many occasions I have noted that "half" orders are cheaper than "whole" orders. For instance, six Tacos for $7 vs a dozen tacos for $15, or a 20oz coffee costing more per ounce than a 12oz coffee.

When I bring this up to the server, I get a blank stare. Once I had the manager come out to "Explain" it to me. It was pretty funny when he finally figured out what I was telling him.

Always do the math before ordering.

[jedrider]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Newfie', 'A') place for the things that drive you nuts!

12oz can of Diet Coke
Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic = 70¢
Mainland USA = $1.50
Guadeloupe = 3.50.- 4.50 €

[MD]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('jedrider', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Newfie', 'A') place for the things that drive you nuts!

12oz can of Diet Coke
Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic = 70¢
Mainland USA = $1.50
Guadeloupe = 3.50.- 4.50 €

[Tanada]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('careinke', 'O')n many occasions I have noted that "half" orders are cheaper than "whole" orders. For instance, six Tacos for $7 vs a dozen tacos for $15, or a 20oz coffee costing more per ounce than a 12oz coffee.

When I bring this up to the server, I get a blank stare. Once I had the manager come out to "Explain" it to me. It was pretty funny when he finally figured out what I was telling him.

Always do the math before ordering.

[Cog]

Things that drive me nuts? The logic of women.

[Outcast_Searcher]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('careinke', 'O')n many occasions I have noted that "half" orders are cheaper than "whole" orders. For instance, six Tacos for $7 vs a dozen tacos for $15, or a 20oz coffee costing more per ounce than a 12oz coffee.

When I bring this up to the server, I get a blank stare. Once I had the manager come out to "Explain" it to me. It was pretty funny when he finally figured out what I was telling him.

Always do the math before ordering.

[Outcast_Searcher]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Cog', 'T')hings that drive me nuts? The logic of women.

[Newfie]

It seems HR departments are banning knives on some ships.

Because someone might cut them self. As a person who generally carries 3 at a time I find this ridiculous.

http://gcaptain.com/an-alarming-number- ... stop-them/

[charmcitysking]

Getting your drivers license in the Republic of Ireland.

1 - You need a Public Service Identity Card in order to take the Learner's permit test. Doesn't matter if you have a Passport - you need this specific card to take the learner's test. This cost €30. You need to make an appointment at a social services building, they take your name, address, email, mobile phone number, job, mother's maiden name, what you had for breakfast that morning, etc. Then they POST you the card within 7 working days.

2 - You book an appointment (about a month in advance) to take the learner's test. This cost €40. 40 Question MCQ test, you need to get 36/40. If you pass, hurray. But you still don't get your learner's permit yet.

3 - Book another appointment at another location to actually go and collect your learner's permit. This cost €50. I'm not lying - you've now paid 30 bucks for a 'Public Service Identity Card', 40 bucks to take a test, and now 50 bucks to make another appointment to collect your learner's permit. But you don't actually collect it. You prove you passed the test and they POST IT OUT TO YOU within 7 business days. You've now paid €120 over two months and you still don't have your learners permit.

4 - You get your learners permit in the mail. You now have to take TWELVE, yes TWELVE (1-2) driving lessons with a driving school. These cost €40 a pop. But hey - it's your lucky day. If you pay a lump sum of €400 up front, you can save 40 bucks on the total cost. You've now paid €520 - €560 over 4-6 months and you still don't even have your license yet.

5 - You're finished your lessons. Now it's time to take the test. This cost €85. You pass the test. Hurray. You finally have your lic- OH WAIT, you have to make another appointment at the place where you collected your learner's permit, to collect your full licence.

6 - Another appointment, ANOTHER €50 JUST TO COLLECT YOUR LICENCE. You can sense a theme here. What a racket. But hey, at least now, finally, your have your lic- OH WAIT, NO, THEY POST IT TO YOU WITHIN 7 WORKING DAYS.

7 - Finally, you have your license. Now you have to pay vehicle tax, insurance, NCT tests once a year, ridiculously high European petrol costs. What a nightmare.

I grew up in Maryland. Got my permit on a 20 question MCQ when I was 15 yrs and 9 months. Took Drivers ED, 3 lessons with an instructor, logged some vehicle time in my book, took my test at the MVA and got my license when I was 16 and 1 month. Easy peasy Japaneesy. Whole ordeal cost me less than $100.

Moral of the story? God bless the USA.

[Tanada]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('charmcitysking', 'G')etting your drivers license in the Republic of Ireland.

1 - You need a Public Service Identity Card in order to take the Learner's permit test. Doesn't matter if you have a Passport - you need this specific card to take the learner's test. This cost €30. You need to make an appointment at a social services building, they take your name, address, email, mobile phone number, job, mother's maiden name, what you had for breakfast that morning, etc. Then they POST you the card within 7 working days.

2 - You book an appointment (about a month in advance) to take the learner's test. This cost €40. 40 Question MCQ test, you need to get 36/40. If you pass, hurray. But you still don't get your learner's permit yet.

3 - Book another appointment at another location to actually go and collect your learner's permit. This cost €50. I'm not lying - you've now paid 30 bucks for a 'Public Service Identity Card', 40 bucks to take a test, and now 50 bucks to make another appointment to collect your learner's permit. But you don't actually collect it. You prove you passed the test and they POST IT OUT TO YOU within 7 business days. You've now paid €120 over two months and you still don't have your learners permit.

4 - You get your learners permit in the mail. You now have to take TWELVE, yes TWELVE (1-2) driving lessons with a driving school. These cost €40 a pop. But hey - it's your lucky day. If you pay a lump sum of €400 up front, you can save 40 bucks on the total cost. You've now paid €520 - €560 over 4-6 months and you still don't even have your license yet.

5 - You're finished your lessons. Now it's time to take the test. This cost €85. You pass the test. Hurray. You finally have your lic- OH WAIT, you have to make another appointment at the place where you collected your learner's permit, to collect your full licence.

6 - Another appointment, ANOTHER €50 JUST TO COLLECT YOUR LICENCE. You can sense a theme here. What a racket. But hey, at least now, finally, your have your lic- OH WAIT, NO, THEY POST IT TO YOU WITHIN 7 WORKING DAYS.

7 - Finally, you have your license. Now you have to pay vehicle tax, insurance, NCT tests once a year, ridiculously high European petrol costs. What a nightmare.

I grew up in Maryland. Got my permit on a 20 question MCQ when I was 15 yrs and 9 months. Took Drivers ED, 3 lessons with an instructor, logged some vehicle time in my book, took my test at the MVA and got my license when I was 16 and 1 month. Easy peasy Japaneesy. Whole ordeal cost me less than $100.

Moral of the story? God bless the USA.

[Newfie]

In N.J. drivers ed was provided in high school. I can’t recall the specifics but it was stone stupid simple.

I’m all for making the drivers license test much harder,actually requiring you to have some skill and basic knowledge. Ditto owning a firearm.

I suspect that if we treated driving with the same regard as operating a fork lift in Home Depot a lot of folks would be off the street and others would up their game.

[ROCKMAN]

charm - You think that's bad listen to this. In Texas it costs $40 to get a concealed carry license that allows you to be prepared to use lethal force against a fellow human being wherever you happen to be. Just takes 48 hours and good for 5 years. But you do have to pass a training course to apply for that permit. I just found one that costs $39. If it's like the one I took as long as you don't shoot yourself or someone else during the 4 hour "training" you get your certificate.

There you go: for just $79 and 4 hours of your time you can become a walking "lethal weapon" 24/7. Which explains my earlier comment that I'm as afraid of permit carriers as I am the bad guys. Or drunken FBI "special" agents dancing in a bar. LOL