Is there something that really irks you? Something about your job, your family or the stuff you have to deal with every day? Share it. E-mail your peeves to bmail@sunjournal.com or mail them to Sun Journal, attn: b section, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04240, and we’ll print them here. Please keep your gripe to under 75 words.

Remember when they introduced converter boxes and digital television signals? It was meant to improve the quality of TV. It didn’t. Less stations come in and the pixelated freeze-frame images are worse than static. At least with static you could still hear your program. It’s just another example of when things aren’t broken, tinkering with it makes it worse.

— Anonymous

Learn some cell phone manners people. I’m not amused. I was standing in line at the pharmacy talking quietly with my companion, and the rude, loud fellow behind me complains into his cell phone that he can’t hear. See, I’m quietly talking to a person and you’re loudly talking to a lump of plastic that incidentally looks like a growth on your head. Learn manners.

— Anonymous

I am all for needy people receiving food stamps, but there are some things wrong with the system. They should not be able to use food stamps for junk food, including soda, cookies, ice cream, fixin’s for sundaes, chips and a whole slew of other things that are not good for you. They should only be able to buy food that is food for you, such as fruits, vegetables, healthy cereals, certain meats and dairy products. However, they should be able to buy cleaning necessities such as laundry detergent, soap, shampoo, dish detergent, etc. which they are not able to buy presently with their food stamps (as far as I know).

— Anonymous

PBS and MPBN are wonderful and have something for everyone. I can’t help but think there are other options for budget cuts passed over so some fat cat keeps a hefty salary and benefits.

— Anonymous

Why are they still allowing begging in front of some stores? Though I am sympathetic, I’ve lived in areas where not handing out a “donation” can lead to a violent altercation. It’s only a matter of time. Perhaps there is a location better suited. Generosity is meant to be spontaneous, not heavy-handed. Everyone’s hurting.

— Anonymous

Some people who go to the food pantry to get food have cell phones and smokes of all kinds. Really makes us working folks mad as hell. If you can’t work you don’t need all of these goodies. I can’t afford them on my pay.

— Anonymous

Dear What’s Your Gripe,

Newspapers who start an article on the back page of a section and have the continuation in a part that we already went through. Why is that? Is it poor planning, poor layout or just a lack of common sense. Imagine an author writing a book using that format! I really believe the Sun Journal can do better.

Sincerely,

Donald Corriveau, Lewiston

Sun Journal’s response:

Dear Don,

That’s a good question that other people might also wonder about. The back page of a section is often as well read as section fronts and allows the use of color, so newspapers often treat them like front pages, displaying stories and photos in eye-appealing ways and continuing those stories on inside pages.

Store employees and some supers have no manners (excuse me,thank you) examples. They don’t move for you when they’re in the way.

Who hires these ditzes anyway? They should have an orientation on that, before they’re hired. Put more older people in the workplace.

— Anonymous

I am so tired of these invalid parking spaces. They are not enforced. How often have I seen people parking their SUV’s, pick up trucks with these invalid tags, and jogging into the store. But they have an invalid tag. No limping or anything. I would guess just one out of ten of these has an invalid person in the vehicle. If there is an invalid person in the vehicle and the driver is not disabled and the invalid is not getting out of the vehicle, the driver should park in a regular space. Some lots have six to eight or more spaces and sometimes they are all empty and people have to go further, especially when its raining, windy or snowing. If they have these zones, they should be required to inspect everyone coming out of the vehicle to make sure the person IS an invalid.

—Anonymous

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