Queue jumping tops list of things that irk Brits, study finds

BMW drivers ignoring their indicators, getting locked out and โ€˜jobsworthsโ€™ are among the things that bring us to boiling point, according to a recent survey.

The study of 2,000 adults revealed other infuriating issues are having no heating, people eating loudly and queue jumpers.

For four in 10, โ€˜people who think rules donโ€™t apply to themโ€™ will send their blood pressure rising, and 27 per cent get irked by drivers not stopping at zebra crossings.

Another one in three (33 per cent) feel the red mist descending when they are sent from pillar to post on automated company customer service lines.

A spokesperson from heating experts Andrews Boiler Hire, which commissioned the study, said: โ€œWe found thereโ€™s plenty that gets Brits hot under the collar.

โ€œIn fact, reading the survey results seems to suggest weโ€™re a nation ready to blow up at any moment.

โ€œThe state of the world over the last 18 months has left many feeling grumpier than normal it would seem, and more easily irritated by small things.โ€

The study also found nearly a fifth (16 per cent) of adults get wound up when their phone claims to be connected to 4G or 3G โ€“ but nothing loads.

And 24 per cent feel like turning the air blue themselves when they encounter someone who seems to swear โ€˜every other wordโ€™.

Nearly half of adults (47 per cent) admit they are easily irritated, with being among the general public considered the most annoying place to be.

However, 53 per cent readily admit that they can get annoyed by things that are, in hindsight, not worth getting vexed about.

A fifth (18 per cent) have succumbed to road rage after getting irritated on the streets, while a quarter have made a โ€˜rude gestureโ€™ at someone.

Nearly four in 10 have snapped at someone unnecessarily, and 12 per cent have even launched their phone across the room in frustration.

And while 50 per cent feel their friends, family and colleagues all moan too much โ€“ just 11 per cent donโ€™t feel โ€˜at allโ€™ like they spend too much time complaining.

However, more than a fifth admit they feel in a better mood if theyโ€™ve had a good rant about something that was annoying them.

And 22 per cent even describe a feeling of โ€˜reliefโ€™ after blowing off some steam, according to the OnePoll.com data.

Nearly half (46 per cent) admit they canโ€™t go a single day without something winding them up โ€“ and 55 per cent get frustrated when they see others not being as green as they should be.

An Andrews Boiler Hire spokesperson added: โ€œThe things that wind us up tend to be the things that affect us personally โ€“ like being cut up in traffic, or someone jumping a queue ahead of us.

โ€œSo, in a way, itโ€™s nice to see people taking a more planetary view when it comes to being irritated โ€“ at those who donโ€™t live as green as they could.

โ€œAnd to the third of adults who have intervened when theyโ€™ve seen someone acting in a non-green way, like throwing litter on the floor โ€“ we salute you!โ€

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1.Which of the following fills you with a sense of rage?

%n
BMW drivers not using their indicators17%347
British weather11% โ†“227
Colleagues talking loudly in an open plan office11% โ†“216
Delayed/cancelled trains20%393
Drilling at 8am on a Saturday19%387
Drivers who donโ€™t stop at zebra crossings27% โ†‘538
Getting locked out of your house13% โ†“268
Getting splashed by a bus18%358
Having a smashed phone screen11% โ†“218
Having to go through lots of options and being kept on hold when calling companies33% โ†‘656
Having to wait for your car heaters to start working8% โ†“162
Hay fever10% โ†“192
Hearing โ€˜unidentified item in bagging areaโ€™ when using a self-service checkout17%349
Hidden fees28% โ†‘557
Jobsworths24% โ†‘479
Lazy people24% โ†‘475
Middle lane drivers19%376
Missing your train14% โ†“280
Parking tickets19%370
Paying tax13% โ†“266
Paying to withdraw cash26% โ†‘512
People eating loudly/sloppily24% โ†‘483
People not listening to you23% โ†‘460
People on electric scooters15% โ†“306
People pushing into a queue44% โ†‘875
People slagging others off behind their back22% โ†‘449
People spoiling TV shows13% โ†“255
People thinking rules donโ€™t apply to them40% โ†‘794
People who canโ€™t spell12% โ†“239
People who donโ€™t know the difference between there, their, and theyโ€™re16% โ†“317
People who eat with their mouth open26% โ†‘518
People who seem to get lucky all the time10% โ†“201
People who swear14% โ†“286
People who swear after every other word24% โ†‘486
People who take up two seats on a train22% โ†‘432
People who use โ€˜cool/slangโ€™10% โ†“200
Petrol prices21% โ†‘417
Pointless meetings at work17%348
Realising the outfit youโ€™ve picked out is dirty or needs ironing10% โ†“209
Rudeness in general43% โ†‘851
Running out of mobile data8% โ†“161
Shallowness/ignorance28% โ†‘553
Smokers being allowed to take multiple breaks a day at work19%376
Someone who doesnโ€™t say please/thank you33% โ†‘656
Splashing your favourite top/jeans with something12% โ†“235
The fight to get your bag from baggage reclaim after a flight10% โ†“195
The price of parking22% โ†‘438
Traffic jams23% โ†‘453
When cyclists donโ€™t us the cycle lane21% โ†‘429
When Uber prices are higher than normal7% โ†“132
When you peel a banana only to find it has gone off8% โ†“155
When your phone says itโ€™s connected to Wi-Fi or 4G but nothing works16% โ†“328
Your mobile phone battery dying12% โ†“239
None of the above3% โ†“62
N/A โ€“ nothing fills me with rage/nothing in particular6% โ†“119
(c) One Poll 2021; Total sample; Unweighted; base n = 2000
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2.To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement? โ€˜I am easily irritatedโ€™

%n
Strongly agree13% โ†“263
Somewhat agree34% โ†‘688
Neither agree nor disagree26% โ†‘513
Somewhat disagree20%397
Strongly disagree7% โ†“139
(c) One Poll 2021; Total sample; Unweighted; base n = 2000
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3.Where do you get annoyed most frequently?

%n
At home17% โ†“333
At work18% โ†“350
In a public place32% โ†‘631
Other0% โ†“8
Not sure/ Nowhere in particular34% โ†‘678
(c) One Poll 2021; Total sample; Unweighted; base n = 2000
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4.How many times do you get annoyed by something in an average day? (Please include little snaps or irritations etc.) Choose best match

%n
010% โ†‘199
117% โ†‘332
218% โ†‘363
311% โ†‘225
48%165
58%165
66% โ†“123
72% โ†“37
81% โ†“17
90% โ†“1
10+3% โ†“69
Not sure15% โ†‘304
Average3.0 โ†‘
(c) One Poll 2021; Total sample; Unweighted; base n = 2000
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5.To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement? โ€˜I can get annoyed over things which in hindsight seem trivial or not worth getting annoyed aboutโ€™

%n
Strongly agree15% โ†“305
Somewhat agree39% โ†‘779
Neither agree nor disagree28% โ†‘569
Somewhat disagree12% โ†“231
Strongly disagree6% โ†“116
(c) One Poll 2021; Total sample; Unweighted; base n = 2000
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6.What have you done in haste because your temper got the better of you or you were inconvenienced? (Please tick all that apply)

%n
Given up on whatever I was trying to do30% โ†‘595
Got โ€˜road rageโ€™18%362
Handed your notice in at work10% โ†“205
Made a rude gesture at someone25% โ†‘496
Made someone cry11% โ†“210
Sent a text or made a call you regretted17%349
Shouted at someone30% โ†‘604
Snapped at someone unnecessarily38% โ†‘764
Stormed out of a meeting10% โ†“208
Taken an expensive taxi rather than waiting for a train/bus that was late10% โ†“205
Thrown your phone12% โ†“234
Other0% โ†“6
N/A- nothing in particular/ I have never let my temper get the better of me26% โ†‘520
(c) One Poll 2021; Total sample; Unweighted; base n = 2000
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7.Do you feel like your friends/family/colleagues moan/complain too much?

%n
Definitely14% โ†“281
Somewhat36% โ†‘719
Not really42% โ†‘843
Not at all8% โ†“157
(c) One Poll 2021; Total sample; Unweighted; base n = 2000
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8.Do you feel like you moan/complain too much?

%n
Definitely12% โ†“248
Somewhat34% โ†‘672
Not really37% โ†‘741
Not at all11% โ†“224
N/A โ€“ I donโ€™t moan/ complain6% โ†“115
(c) One Poll 2021; Total sample; Unweighted; base n = 2000
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9.How many times a week do you have a moan/ complain about something? Choose best match

%n
02% โ†“47
1-535% โ†‘659
6-1017% โ†‘315
11-158% โ†‘159
16-206%118
21-253% โ†“65
26-305% โ†“86
31-354% โ†“71
36-402% โ†“40
41-451% โ†“11
46-501% โ†“11
51-750% โ†“4
76-1000% โ†“7
101+1% โ†“25
Not sure14% โ†‘267
Average12.9 โ†‘
(c) One Poll 2021; Total sample; Unweighted; base n = 1885
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10.How many times a day do you moan/complain to a friend, partner or colleague about something thatโ€™s annoyed you? Choose best match

%n
010% โ†‘186
119% โ†‘364
216% โ†‘295
311% โ†‘208
47%126
58%148
64% โ†“74
72% โ†“37
81% โ†“20
90% โ†“6
10+2% โ†“41
N/A โ€“ I donโ€™t do this6% โ†“115
Not sure14% โ†‘265
Average5.6 โ†‘
(c) One Poll 2021; Total sample; Unweighted; base n = 1885
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11.How do you feel after youโ€™ve had a good moan/complain about something? Choose best match

%n
Annoyed12% โ†“234
Free11% โ†“200
Frustrated13% โ†“238
Happy11% โ†“212
In a better mood21% โ†‘403
Irritated12% โ†“230
Lighter25% โ†‘464
Relaxed14%264
Relieved22% โ†‘422
Renewed12% โ†“217
Stressed13% โ†“236
Other1% โ†“12
N/A- no particular feeling25% โ†‘477
(c) One Poll 2021; Total sample; Unweighted; base n = 1885
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12.Have you ever been told off by friends or family for repeatedly moaning/complaining about the same thing that annoys you?

%n
Yes33%623
No57% โ†‘1067
Not sure10% โ†“195
(c) One Poll 2021; Total sample; Unweighted; base n = 1885
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13.Have you ever told off a friend or family member for repeatedly moaning/ complaining about something, despite doing it yourself?

%n
Yes36% โ†‘677
No54% โ†‘1011
Not sure10% โ†“197
(c) One Poll 2021; Total sample; Unweighted; base n = 1885
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14.To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement? โ€˜I canโ€™t go a single day without something annoying me.โ€™

%n
Strongly agree16% โ†“318
Somewhat agree30% โ†‘598
Neither agree nor disagree26% โ†‘514
Somewhat disagree16% โ†“326
Strongly disagree12% โ†“244
(c) One Poll 2021; Total sample; Unweighted; base n = 2000
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15.Is being green important to you? E.g. doing your bit for the environment, recycling, saving energy etc

%n
Very important34% โ†‘675
Somewhat important49% โ†‘984
Not really important12% โ†“231
Not at all important6% โ†“110
(c) One Poll 2021; Total sample; Unweighted; base n = 2000
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16.To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement? โ€˜I find myself getting more annoyed about people not being as โ€˜greenโ€™ as they should beโ€™

%n
Strongly agree19%307
Somewhat agree36% โ†‘600
Neither agree nor disagree28% โ†‘464
Somewhat disagree13% โ†“212
Strongly disagree5% โ†“76
(c) One Poll 2021; Total sample; Unweighted; base n = 1659
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17.Have you ever confronted someone when witnessing them do something bad for the environment? E.g. throwing a bit of rubbish on the floor, leaving lights on etc

%n
Yes34%682
No56% โ†‘1125
Not sure10% โ†“193
(c) One Poll 2021; Total sample; Unweighted; base n = 2000
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18.Which of the following statements do you agree with?

%n
I actively search for products that have less impact on the environment29%579
I wish my workplace would take being green more seriously22% โ†“445
It annoys me when people donโ€™t do as much as they could for the environment40% โ†‘800
Itโ€™s important to me that my workplace take being green seriously27% โ†“534
None of the above32%641
(c) One Poll 2021; Total sample; Unweighted; base n = 2000

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