Pestering

[hinakiba777]

I loathe when people pester about something. Whether it is when we are going to go do something, or if it's pestering me to do something. I hate when people just constantly ask me something over and over again, even after I have answered them. It's a little forgivable if it's been a while since we last touched base, but I don't do well with people breathing down my neck. It is always infinitely worse when I give them the timeline line and they insist on asking me all the time.

One time one of my roommates in university was getting takeout and she asked if I wanted any. I told her that I was broke and I wouldn't have any money coming in for two weeks. She told me she would cover me if I just paid her back later. I said okay, and reminded her that I was broke for the next two weeks. She then went and picked me up some food. Now when she returned I told her to remind me in two weeks that I needed to pay her back, as I wouldn't have any money coming in for two weeks. She then proceeded to ask me everyday, MULTIPLE times a day if I had the money I owed her, or she would simply tell me I owed her money.

Luckily for me I ended up getting my last pay check from work earlier than I expected. I instantly got the 20 dollars and paid her back. I never allowed her to cover me again, and I never lent her money.

Another time I went out with a guy and he wanted to go on a second date almost instantly. However I was going to be busy for the next week so I wouldn't be free until the following weekend. I told him exactly that. He then proceeded to call me every damn night asking if we could hang out then and there. Obviously, the guy never got a second date from me.

When I was kid, if my brother and I pestered our dad too much he would just forego whatever task or treat he was supposed to do for us or give us.

Ironically the most annoying kind of pestering happens when I'm not actually being pestered by one person. It's kind of like the scene in Office Space when Peter is talking about how he has eight bosses and if he screws up he has to hear from all of them. Sometimes someone will ask me about something, and then a perfectly reasonable amount of time later will come back to see where I stand on their original query. However, in that time one to seven more people have come around and asked me the same damn thing. So while he doesn't seem to anyone involved like they themselves are pestering me, I am getting pestered worse than ever. I have confronted people about this, but as they can't control each other it never stops.

As a result I hate reminding people of stuff, because then I feel like I'm pestering. I'm never sure how long is long enough to wait to remind someone of something. It's always worse when there is a time crunch. I have to be somewhere/doing something/ have something completed by, let's say, 2pm and the person who's help I need is asking me to wait and i'm watching the clock turn to 11am, noon, 1pm and they are telling me to be patient and I feel guilty for pestering but it needs to get done. It's always worse when they have nothing invested in the problem. Like I forgot my wallet at the mall and i need to pick it up before 4pm or else and the only person I can give me a ride is just lounging around until 3:45pm when they finally decide to take me even though it takes eight to eleven minutes to drive to the mall.

I guess I just hate when people expect me to conform to their timeline, what they want needs to happen now, and what i need has to wait even if we are under a deadline.

[AmbrosiaWriter]

I think both sides of the spectrum are terribly annoying, and frustrating. I know several people where unless I "pester" them, it won't get done and I know it won't get done. Why? Previous experience has shown me that they will just conveniently forget whatever it was that they needed to do.

At the same time, I've had people bother me while I was working on the very thing they asked me to do. Seriously? No. I cannot make the computer defrag or syschk faster. No I cannot make this shirt faster because you demanded that it be a certain style that takes the most time and effort.

Yes I am reading the book I borrowed from you; I'm right in the middle of it. Why did you let me borrow it if you needed it back for whatever asinine reason you came up with by this date?

Luckily the money thing has never come up though. I guess I've been lucky enough to interact with people where covering people for food is repaid by the person covering for your food at a later time. I couldn't imagine bothering a friend of mine for something so small as $8 for the Chinese food we got last week.

So I'm with you on this. I would've told the roommate if she didn't stop asking about the money that I told her I would pay her back when I got my check on <DATE> then I was going to keep the money as an annoyance tax.

[HYHYBT]

It's never been an issue with money (I don't have any to lend, and when I did, the ones who would pay me back would do it on their own and those who wouldn't wouldn't even when reminded) but if somebody tells me to remind them of something, I will do it if and when I remember it myself, even if that's early, because chances are good it won't even cross my mind at the ideal time to speak up.

[blas87]

If I don't pester my parents, I will end up having more housework to do than normal, so I take the risk of being yelled and screamed at for pestering them, than to come home or wake up the next day to a house that's even more disgusting than usual to clean.

Me pestering them doesn't always mean they'll try to be less slobish, but sometimes it helps.

[Rageaholic]

This is one of those things that are annoying on both sides. Some people can be super obnoxious when it comes to pestering. They just find something to bug you about and won't let up Some of the things I've been pestered about are things that I shouldn't have to justify (like why i didn't see such and such movie. who cares! it's my own business what movies I watch).

On the other hand, I hate being expected to pester people to get noticed. That's one of the many reasons I hate job hunting. I hate that some places won't notice you unless you're "persistent" and keep calling. But with other places, if you keep calling, they'll think you're annoying.