The top 50 things that push Brits to boiling point

The new survey, commissioned by Samsung Electronics to celebrate its Galaxy Book6 Series which comes complete with a newly optimised vapour chamber and long-lasting battery, found people who listen to music or videos loudly in public also ranked high in the list of everyday annoyances, while people who are rude to waiters (35%) and loud chewers (33%) were also listed as common gripes.

According to the research, four in 10 Brits say it can take just one small thing to push them over the edge, while 38% say it is often technology that pushes them to their limits. Slow Wi-Fi (51%), spam emails (43%) and battery that runs out quickly (37%) are all adding to the heat for Brits, while online forms that don’t submit and internet pop-ups also feature.

Public behaviour tends to be a source of constant irritation for Brits. Slow walkers, people who don’t say thank you when you let them past, and people who stop right in front of you in the street all rank higher than more traditional gripes, such as snoring or public displays of affection. Even individual habits aren’t safe – from incessant sniffing or repeatedly saying “what?” to people who run topless making their way onto the list.

When Brits do hit boiling point, most react in a classically British way by keeping things subtle. Heavily sighing (25%) and stewing internally (23%) are more common responses than public outbursts such as raising voices (23%) or snapping (13%). Despite this, 70% say they’re aware they’re nearing boiling point – they just can’t always stop it.

A new study has pinpointed the top 50 things that push Brits to boiling point, with dog walkers who leave waste bags hanging on tree branches topping the list. (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The research also suggests frustration is often kept quiet. 59% believe people are nervous to admit when they’ve been pushed to boiling point, particularly when the trigger feels small or trivial.

Annika Bizon, Mobile Experience VP of Product and Marketing at Samsung UK & Ireland said: “Modern life throws enough daily frustrations at us without technology adding to the pressure. Whether it’s device performance or running out of battery, those small interruptions can tip people over the edge.

“The enhanced Vapour chamber in the Galaxy Book6 Series distributes heat more evenly, helping to keep performance smooth and temperatures down, so devices can handle everyday demands without becoming another source of irritation.”

The research also found that once Brits hit boiling point, the irritation can linger. 38% say it takes at least 10 minutes to cool down, while less than one in ten admit it can ruin most of their day. For a smaller but significant group, frustration doesn’t pass quickly at all, lingering for hours or longer.

Travel experiences were a common pressure point, with a third of the population saying that delays or waiting for transport often pushes them to boiling point. Further, half the population say tiredness has a major impact on how easily they get irritated, making small issues feel far bigger than they should.

Despite the long list of shared gripes, frustration isn’t always expressed openly. Many Brits admit they’re more likely to stew internally than confront someone, particularly when the annoyance comes from strangers. Over half of Brits (51%) agree that it bothers them less when friends do irritating things than when strangers do, while only a small minority of 10% say they’d actually challenge someone they don’t know.

When it comes to ranking themselves against peers, 32% of Brits admit to feeling like they have a lower annoyance threshold than other people.

New cooling technology in the Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra and Pro laptops has been designed to deliver efficient and consistent operation, without the trade-off of excess noise. The newly optimised vapour chamber and airflow system enhance heat dissipation while maintaining quiet operation.

THE 50 THINGS THAT PUSH US TO BOILING POINT

1. Dog walkers who hang waste bags on tree branches
2. People who don’t pick up after their dogs
3. People who put phone calls on loud speaker in public
4. People who are rude to waiters
5. People who listen to music or videos on loud in public
6. Loud chewers
7. People that blow snot onto the pavement
8. Bar or waiting staff who ignore you
9. People who bury their heads in their phones whilst walking
10. Being put on hold
11. Slow walkers – particularly during commute time
12. People who slurp while eating or drinking
13. When you let someone past you and they don’t say thank you
14. People who stop when they are walking right in front of you
15. Forgetting your password
16. People who recline their seat on an aeroplane
17. People who stop in annoying/inconvenient places
18. When your device runs out of charge
19. Snoring
20. People who sniff a lot
21. People who play games/videos on their phones out loud
22. Unsolicited advice
23. Persistent throat-clearing
24. People who don’t open the door for others
25. People who fart in public spaces
26. People who keep saying ‘what?’
27. Captcha
28. Encroaching on people’s space on public transport
29. People who stand on the wrong side of the escalator
30. People who don’t have their cards ready at the check out
31. QR codes for menus
32. People who run topless
33. Ads on podcasts
34. People who clap when the plane lands
35. People who pop bubbles with chewing gum
36. People who refer to themselves in the third person
37. When the card reader makes you enter your pin number
38. People who don’t have their boarding passes out at security
39. Group chats blowing up with “thanks!” and thumbs-up reactions
40. People biting their nails
41. Autocorrect
42. Whistling indoors
43. People who audibly eat apples in public
44. The price of olive oil
45. Two-factor authentication
46. Push notifications
47. Public displays of affection
48. People who say “Per my last email”
49. Getting overtaken in a cycle lane by an electric scooter
50. People who stand up on the train or the tube before it’s their stop