Dog poo dumpers and phone addicts are the UK’s biggest pet peeves in 2024

Let's be honest... we all have our own pet peeves or something that gets on our nerves - but which ones are the worst among Brits in 2024?

In order to discover the biggest grudges, the greetings card marketplace, thortful, conducted a study that surveyed 1,000 people to find out the most popular agitations among Brits.

From having loud phone calls on the train, to people having dog Instagram accounts, those who have ‘princess of board’ stickers on their cars, to people who simply can’t operate without a coffee, the nation has picked its biggest grievances.

As thortful’s research also unveiled that almost half (43 per cent) would love to call someone out on a pet peeve every single day but don’t, they’ve created a range of hilarious cards that include the frustrating activities ranked below:

1. Not cleaning up their dog's poo (61 per cent)
2. People looking at their phone when I'm talking to them (37 per cent)
3. People who talk during a film (35 per cent)
4. People who take up the whole path instead of going single file (33 per cent)
5. People who put their bag on the seat next to them on a packed commuter train (33 per cent)
6. When people take a phone call on the train (26 per cent)
7. When people leave breadcrumbs in the butter (25 per cent)
8. E-scooters (22 per cent)
9. Being bad at replying (18 per cent)
10. Those little yellow plastic tie wrap things you get on bread to keep it fresh (18 per cent)
11. Princess on board' sticker on your car (18 per cent)
12. Microwaving fish in the office (18 per cent)
13. People who have dog Instagram accounts (15 per cent)
14. People who say they can't operate without coffee (13 per cent)
15. When someone talks about a film and you say you haven't seen it and they freak out like 'omg HOW HAVE YOU NOT SEEN IT (12 percent)
16. People who say they have a bubbly personality (11 per cent)
17. People who soak their dishes rather than washing (10 per cent)
18. Not re-racking at the gym (8 per cent)

At 61 per cent landslide, the UK’s biggest pet peeve is when they see a dog owner not clean up their dog’s poo. This is followed by the workings of a phone addicted nation, for the people who stare at their screens whilst having a face to face conversation (37 per cent).

Being too talkative in inappropriate situations is also a bugbear for people - in fact, talking during a film received more than a third (35 per cent) of the votes, whilst more than a quarter (26 per cent) can’t stand those that have loud conversations on the train.

Other irritations include pavement hoggers, with a third (33 per cent) frustrated at those who take up the whole path instead of going single file. Busy commuters also find it annoying when they see bags taking up seats on hectic morning train journeys (33 per cent).

E-scooters in general are getting a bad rap with 22 per cent voting them as their biggest pet peeve, whilst leaving breadcrumbs in the butter (25 per cent), being bad at replying (18 per cent), and ‘Princess on Board’ car stickers (18 per cent) also hold a grudge for many.

When people can’t fathom that their friends or family haven’t seen a certain film, 12 per cent can’t stand the surprised reaction as if they have meant to have seen every film that has every existed.

A spokesperson for thortful added: “There are so many circumstances that cause funny annoyances on a daily basis, and we want to create the opportunity for people to highlight them, so the nation can let out their inner thoughts on cards. A small tip from us would be to please clean up your dog’s poo!”

Cards are now available to call out the slow walking, breadcrumbs in the butter, ‘princess on board’ sticker, dog poo dumping, coffee-reliant culprits in your life via thortful here.

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