RANT to difficult to find addresses. Can’t we please have the numbers in addresses visible and large enough to be read from the street? Any building being constructed and all future buildings should include the address in a designated place. Looking for addresses can be hazardous.

RANT to local grocers who have adopted a policy of ID checks 100% of the time for purchases of alcohol. As a distinguished 50-something person looking to enjoy a bottle of wine, I resent the fact that the cashier is not allowed to exercise their discretion to ascertain that I’m at least 21 years of age. I can understand the perspective of the corporate legal team, but it’s a dehumanizing policy that strips cashiers of their agency!

RANT to companies that require me to identify photos with bridges, bicycles, buses, etc., followed by attesting that I am not a robot and then connecting me to a clueless AI robot.

RANT to speeding drivers. I love it when the jerks who speed past me meet me at the stoplight. Or end up in the same exit line, pretty much parked. And? It’s the West Seattle Bridge. Not West Seattle Freeway. It’s the 99 tunnel. Not the 99 Speedway. It’s scary in there. Why make it worse? Slow down, or here’s an idea: Just go the assigned speed limit.

RANT to the man on a bicycle who blew through two stop signs. That wasn’t the worst part; he had two children in seats on the bicycle with him! Even if he doesn’t care about his own safety, he should certainly care about his children! All it takes is one distracted driver.

RANT to the angry woman I encountered while walking my dog. There was no need for you to speak to me the way you did. You know nothing about me or my dog or what difficult things I might be struggling with. My small dog was on a leash and under my control. I had the right of way going up the hill and was nearly at the top. Because the sidewalk was narrow, you should have waited for me to pass or crossed the street. My dog was reacting because he sensed that you were not a kind and safe person. I give you grace because you obviously are dealing with your own stuff, and that is why you lashed out.

RANT to the canvasser who knocked on our door on Halloween dressed in a costume during prime trick-or-treat hours, took a giant fistful of candy from the bowl I offered, then asked if he could tell me a little bit about his cause! That’s a nasty trick to get someone to open the door. And if you’re going to pose as a trick-or-treater, at least have the decency to only take one or two pieces, like all the exceptionally polite teens who came by!

RANT to those who insist on decorating for Christmas before we’ve had a chance to celebrate the gratitude that comes with Thanksgiving. Their impatience sucks the joy out of a holiday that derives much of its magic from its fleeting nature and turns it into an endless marathon of overindulgence. In a year when so many have needs not met, it’s a particularly bad look.