Let off steam

Some things in the States annoy me an awful lot and I feel like I need to let off some steam. Please don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying it here and the overall experience is very positive. There are just these little things that drive me nuts and frustrate me at times. Writing this down is my way to acceptance.

Not in any particular order.

• People not returning their shopping trolleys. How hard can it be??? It's usually a few steps away from the car! Every car park near a store with trolleys will have a few deserted trolleys while the favourite spot to leave a trolley is in the car park spot itself so no one can park in that spot after his majesty the lazy arse left.  

• People don't follow road rules. Americans probably aren't as bad as Israelis and will try not to kill anybody but they still do whatever the hell they want on the road. You need to be a psychic and predict what they are going to do next. How about using indicators and not going across 2 lanes and one continuous line 'cause you suddenly realised you need to turn at this very intersection?

• The disappearing lane. It might be just a Colorado thing, I don't know, but it's rather dangerous and very annoying. You can drive in the right lane and then suddenly it becomes a right turn only lane, or it merges with the lane near it without any warning, or it just disappears! How about putting some signs around so I don't have to use my psychic skills every time I drive? 

• Non stop phone spam. The Bank of America calls me with a recorded message 1-3 times every day. Some political organisation or whatever says that I was "carefully selected" to participate in their survey. This is a bloody service apartment! Then someone keeps calling Belinda although I keep telling them that it's the wrong number. And these are only the regulars. Then there are the messages and calls to my cell phone which annoy me even more as in the States you have to pay for incoming calls and SMS. I don't want to pay for spam. JUST GIVE ME A BREAK!

• People not picking up after their dogs. We're staying at a service apartment which is dog friendly and there are a fair few people with dogs. The problem is that some of them aren't picking their dogs' poo and the lawns are Poo Fields. I can't let Chaos & Nyx run of the grass as these is poo everywhere! Unfortunately the situation at the neighbourhoods doesn't seem to be much better. There are free poo bags and bins around, just use them!

• Bureaucracy. Everything has to be done by the book and if there is no rule, well, tough luck. There is no common sense or even "I'll ask my supervisor and try to find a solution for you".  Unfortunately, foreigners usually don't fall under many rules and have a hard time settling in. Don't forget that you also have to have a Social Security Number for everything. Well, good luck with that...     

• Limit choice of cell phones in the telecommunications providers. There seems to be a monopoly of telecom providers over certain cell phone models which I just don't get. So if you want a certain model you have to go to the telecom provider that has the monopoly over it. For example, AT&T sell Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0" and Tab 8.9" but they don't sell Tab 7.7" or Tab 10.1" so if you want these you have to go to Verizon or T-Mobile. Even if you want an unlocked model you have to get out of your way and spend lots of money buying in online. Where is exactly that famous USA freedom?

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I found this online photography magazine 100Eyes, which showcases contemporary photography. Have a look at their issue on the topic of American Dream. Some of the photos are shocking but the thought behind all of the projects is deep and the results are worth looking at. It shows the USA in a few different lights, cynical but hopeful at the same time.