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How fast are you? Do slow people irritate you?

(146 Posts)
Sago Sat 28-Jan-23 17:51:43

I walk quickly, cook quickly, make a bed quickly.
I do everything at speed.
Once focused on a task I just get on and do it.

My husband will park the car and by the time he’s out of it I have gone half way around Waitrose with my trolley!
My daughter is exactly the same as me, she is about the only person I know who walks at my speed.

At times I find people that are slow irritating (sorry all you slow coaches)
I am very aware that my speed may be equally as irritating.

I have a wonderful friend that I would love to go away with again, we never have a cross word but she is shockingly slow, by the time she is up and out of the hotel half the day is gone, she will spend hours fiddling around and never getting anywhere.

At what pace do you operate and do slow/fast people irritate you?

Blossoming Sun 29-Jan-23 15:10:46

For reasons beyond my control I move slowly. Any impatient people are ignored.

SueDonim Sun 29-Jan-23 15:07:37

I don’t mind other people being slow. What gets me is groups of people, complete with trolleys, stopped for a long gossip in the supermarket aisles, so you can’t reach the pasta or yoghurt or wine. Go and gossip outside in the car park!

Redhead56 Sun 29-Jan-23 15:05:16

I was like lightening getting on with things not so much now because of joint problems. However I am impatient with people who walk at snails pace or just dawdle.
My DH will say I am nipping out in a few mins an hour later he moves. If we are on the way out I end up standing waiting to go out half an hour later it drives me mad.

timetogo2016 Sun 29-Jan-23 14:57:45

I do literally everything at speed.
Dh is constantly telling me to slow down,there`s no rush,well i can`t that is just me.
Dh is slow at doing anything, and everything and it drives me mad.
I don`t like slow people who hold me back whether in the street the car the shops you mane it.
I don`t however huff and puff about them that`s how they are.

eazybee Sun 29-Jan-23 14:45:46

Now I am retired I am happy to dawdle, although I am much better at arriving on time and properly equipped, as I have far less to do and so much more time to prepare.

There is however, a breed of people who can effectively block pavements and shop aisles by moving at a pace and position that makes it impossible to overtake them. When they check their extremely efficient shopping list they are skilled at positioning their shopping trolley exactly across the shelves you are attempting to reach, and they never see you. They also check their receipts in the entrance door, thus scoring double points for stopping people exiting and entering.
Their natural habitat is a small town/village with narrow streets.They also drive at 50mph in 60 mph areas because they are saving the universe, and their own fuel.
They are frequently younger than me.

Baggs Sun 29-Jan-23 14:40:12

Slow but methodical is my main way of being. I hate rushing. And in my (limited) experience people who do things fast for the sake of speed often leave stuff for other people to clear up or finish properly.

As some other posters have already said, lack of consideration for slow people – because they are old or disabled, for example – is not an attractive perquisite.

I wouldn't wish arthritis on anyone but I do feel people could be a little more imaginative sometimes when complaining about others' slowness.

Pussyfooting around and faffing is not the same as the kind of slowness I'm talking about. Those are indeed annoying.

glammanana Sun 29-Jan-23 14:29:23

Before the ACs all left home & I worked full time I always seemed to be in a rush to get things done,the two days I got off was spent doing the house top to bottom & all cooking for the week sorted how I managed it I'll never know.

These days I go at my own pace and if I'm too slow its hard luck my DGCs always say "keep up at the back Nana" which always falls on deaf ears.

Judy54 Sun 29-Jan-23 14:14:50

I used to be able to rush about at speed when younger, age has definitely slowed me down. Mr J has mobility problems and we are now those older irritating people that get in your way in shops, on the escalator and in the street. Such is life!

Starrynight49 Sun 29-Jan-23 12:55:25

I'm never late for anything - I walk slowly but I always allow for that. Super-speedy people annoy me when they make a big deal of it, as if it is more virtuous to do things at a fast pace.

Esmay Sun 29-Jan-23 12:00:16

I used to be Miss Speedy Gonzalez now I'm really slow when I walk .

I feel embarrassed .

What absolutely infuriates me is when people don't listen to you and you have to repeat your conversation .
I actually feel like avoiding some people as I hate having to repeat myself over and over again .

Last night , a friend cane over .
She asked me what's happening with my father .

I explained that the GP had actually called a couple of days ago and to my horror had taken off his mask and repeatedly blown his nose whilst he examined him .

How terrible , said my friend and added that she would have been mortified .

A few seconds later , she asked me if I'd requested a home visit for him as they can't possibly make accurate diagnoses on the phone !

Callistemon21 Sun 29-Jan-23 11:50:24

Poppyred

Gingster

Another speedy one here. Dh is slow! 😤.
Last week we decided to varnish the front door. I got everything out of the shed, - cloths, varnish, floor protectors etc. He decided to go to the shed for a paintbrush.
By the time he got back to me, and then went to the loo, I had finished the door. 🤔

🤣🤣

He's not daft, your DH, is he Gingster 😂😂😂

Callistemon21 Sun 29-Jan-23 11:48:47

argymargy

I sometimes get irritated by people who stand still on escalators in shops, taking up the whole thing so you can’t possibly go past them. It depends on my mood though - sometimes I’m fast and sometimes I’m slow. What does annoy me is people who somehow think their way is “better”.

Why not use the normal stairs? 🤔
Leave the escalators for those whose mobility is not as good as yours!

Aveline Sun 29-Jan-23 11:46:10

I must say that I'd rather work smarter than faster. I'm a stickler for punctuality but I certainly don't walk very fast or carry out tasks quickly.
I'm just back from shopping. I came up behind an old lady walking with two sticks. We were in a narrow walkway so I just slowed to her pace. To my horror people began to push past us both nearly toppling the old lady. So rude and inconsiderate to gain a few seconds?
DH does everything at top speed and is left with hours of boredom in his day as a result.
Tortoise or hare? Tortoises every time for me!

Witzend Sun 29-Jan-23 10:02:49

People who dither and faff do irritate me - especially when you need to get out of the house!

A male friend (no longer with us) would invariably do it. If we needed to be out of the house by (say) 12.45 for a pub lunch booking, he’d wait until 12.44 to find his shoes and put them on, find his jacket*, have a wee, etc., all of which would take 10 minutes. I swear he did it on purpose, too - because he could - he was something of a control freak.

*but not his wallet, which he’d almost always have ‘forgotten’.

Poppyred Sun 29-Jan-23 08:29:35

Gingster

Another speedy one here. Dh is slow! 😤.
Last week we decided to varnish the front door. I got everything out of the shed, - cloths, varnish, floor protectors etc. He decided to go to the shed for a paintbrush.
By the time he got back to me, and then went to the loo, I had finished the door. 🤔

🤣🤣

Susan56 Sun 29-Jan-23 08:29:25

I am a hare and DH is a tortoise🤦🏼‍♀️

He is very laid back😩I now tell him we have to leave earlier than we do in the hope he is ready at the time I want to leave.When we looked after our grandson B one day a week before he started school we had to be up at 4.45 and out by 6 for the 60 mile drive.Now if we have to be anywhere at a specific time I say tomorrow is like a B day so he knows he needs to move and that I will be like a sergeant major chivvying him along!

argymargy Sun 29-Jan-23 08:22:13

I sometimes get irritated by people who stand still on escalators in shops, taking up the whole thing so you can’t possibly go past them. It depends on my mood though - sometimes I’m fast and sometimes I’m slow. What does annoy me is people who somehow think their way is “better”.

teabagwoman Sun 29-Jan-23 07:44:58

I used to be a fast walker but, being dyspraxic, slow at anything that needed fine motor movement. I drove my family mad, absorbed the message that slow was bad and spent my life trying to speed up. Now, with arthritis, spinal stenosis and poor vision I have to be slow and it’s a relief. Every cloud has a silver lining.

NotAGran55 Sat 28-Jan-23 23:00:02

I’m a shortie at 5’ 1” and whiz around. Luckily I have no physical ailments, have high energy and like to be busy and efficient.

When I worked full time with children to look after I was irritated by disorganised people in front for instance who didn’t get their purses or bags ready in advance at tills etc, but I’m more considerate now that I have more time.
I still wonder why they are so inefficient!

Juliet27 Sat 28-Jan-23 22:58:16

We have those disagreements too sodapop because he is convinced he’s put thoughts into words!

Granmarderby10 Sat 28-Jan-23 22:47:08

Here is the thing though. My partner returned to the house 3 times because he forgot essentials for the morning dog walk.
I believe he stresses himself out with his totally unnecessary clock watching⏱️
I still blame the parents🤷🏼‍♀️

Callistemon21 Sat 28-Jan-23 22:38:10

BigBertha1

I'm fast with tasks slow with walking since developing lumbar spinal stenosis. DH is fast fast fast at everything...I must be driving him mad.

BigBertha
I hope he's patient with you.

I can't believe the impatience and lack of consideration for others in some posts.

MayBee70 Sat 28-Jan-23 22:23:29

I remember how I hated walking anywhere with my poor MIL who had had polio; I just couldn’t walk that slow. And we did a charity walk when I was still working and no one could keep up with me. Alas, my walking is so slow these days I get on my own nerves and seem to find excuses not to walk anywhere (too cold, too wet etc).

BigBertha1 Sat 28-Jan-23 22:18:38

I'm fast with tasks slow with walking since developing lumbar spinal stenosis. DH is fast fast fast at everything...I must be driving him mad.

PerkyPiggy Sat 28-Jan-23 22:06:47

I do everything quickly. I walk faster than all of my friends. I clean the house quickly, eat quicker than most other people I know, shower quickly etc. My husband is very similar to me but he gets up hills quicker because he takes deeper strides.