On today's show: we're ... venting.We at Planet Money are an ensemble show – each with different curiosities and styles. But we recently realized many of us have something in common: We're annoyed consumers.So we're going to get ranty ... but then try to understand the people annoying us. Like stingy coffee shops, manufacturers that don't design things for repair ... and stores that send way too many emails every day.Along the way, we learn a very sad thing about satisfaction and the future of skilled labor in the U.S.(Also, we should all just stop using umbrellas. They have negative consumption externalities. Come on people.)This episode was produced by James Sneed. It was edited by Marianne McCune, fact-checked by Sierra Juarez, and engineered by James Willetts. Alex Goldmark is our executive producer.Find more Planet Money: Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / Our weekly Newsletter.Listen free at these links: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the NPR app or anywhere you get podcasts.Help support Planet Money and hear our bonus episodes by subscribing to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
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This is Planet Money from NPR.
So, all right. I was out on maternity leave for a while. And, I don't know, something about that time just made me view things in the world differently. I was questioning why everything is the way that it even is. Contemplating the big questions. Like, like... Why in the world do stores send me so many emails? An email a day from every store I have ever bought anything from ever? Why?
Things like that, you know? So, okay, yeah, no, not the most important issues of our time, but, like, that little pet peeve that just, like, gets you every single time you open your email. I actually really need to know how bombarding us with email like this doesn't backfire on them. Like... Let's get to the bottom of this.
And I was certain that other people at Planet Money also had little petty annoyances that, once we understand them, could maybe make us less bitter about it all. So I told everyone, come to me with your complaints. Vent to me what is annoying you in the world that I can help make sense of. And I'm just going to say, some of us really needed the catharsis. James Sneed, you have a list.
Sure, yeah, okay. Like, driving is terrible. There's, like, traffic everywhere. Nobody knows how to drive. Everything's expensive. Nothing's cheap. Nothing's cheap.
Mary Childs. Oh, you know, I wish that we had peace on Earth.
We're not interested in the big ones. We want petty complaints. Okay, right, sorry, sorry, sorry. Lexi Horowitz-Gazi. What's your beef? You got some beef.
Okay, my beef is... Oh, I'm so sorry, sir. We don't do free refills. And then you have to buy an entire another, like, $3 to $6 cup of coffee. Outrageous.
Alex Goldmark, Planet Money's boss boss.
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