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Societies exist in a constant tug of war: a balancing act between the rights of the individual and the comfort of others. When one of these things infringes upon the other, conflict arises. However, annoyance is a subjective thing, and what boils the blood of one person may not even pass onto the radar of another. I will list 10 of what I see as the most annoying public habits.

1) Spitting

The days of the spittoon are long past, gone with the Wild West. However, even if they were not, this would likely take the form of some sort of container, rather than the sidewalk where others must walk. I live downtown in a large city, and all too often I've seen this disgusting habit transform a clean sidewalk into an obstacle course of grossness. Equally gross is the act of producing and ejecting such foulness. The human body is capable of producing a cacophony of strange noises while spitting that do not need to be heard in public. There is a time and place to produce such specimens, and that time and place is in the doctor's office (or, in the case of some people, a Level 4 bio-containment unit).

2) Slow-Walking and Lurking

OK - I am willing to admit to the fact that I am what's called a "Type A" personality. Like others of my kind I make lists, wear my watch constantly, make use of every second of the day, and walk so fast that it is as if someone has lit a fire underneath me. If I could somehow sprout wheels in order to walk faster, I would welcome this evolutionary advancement. For people of my kind, there are few things harder on the blood pressure than getting trapped behind someone (or worse - a crowd) moving at the pace of a sleepy turtle. These lurkers can be found in the halls of universities, in malls, on streets... and where you find them I guarantee you that you will also find some frustrated and frantic "Type A's" being driven closer to our heart attacks at the age of 40 (because we are the ones who get these...) Please - take pity on us and move to the side or the slow lane. Our doctors will thank you.

3) Pushing, Budging and Crowding

Waiting in lines is something that we are socialized into from a very young age, and the thing about waiting in lines is that it only works if everyone agrees to, and adheres to, the system. When used properly, it can help to maintain order and safety in a group of strangers waiting for something. But when people refuse to wait in lines properly, the system fails and chaos erupts. This leads to anger and frustration (and even fear

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