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Potholes, traffic and junk mail: 50 most annoying things in modern life revealed

A new survey has revealed the 50 things which drive us up the wall

Modern life is rubbish: Potholes, traffic and junk mail were just three items on the list. (PA)

They’re the every day frustrations which drive us up the wall - and now a survey has settled once and for all the 50 most annoying things about modern life.

Daily annoyances like dodgy Wi-Fi, middle lane hoggers, PPI calls and bad parking were just four of the huge list.

Other popular grievances included junk mail, public transport delays and reality TV shows.

The research was commissioned by Nurofen Express, who also found that traffic, council tax and rude sales assistants were in our top 50 modern pet peeves.

The list is not a comprehensive countdown of our top annoyances, but rather a compilation of the top 50.

Parking mad: Car park etiquette also ranked in the list. (Rex)
Parking mad: Car park etiquette also ranked in the list. (Rex)


Fuming: Train delays inevitably made it onto the list. (PA)
Fuming: Train delays inevitably made it onto the list. (PA)


The survey also found a build-up of stress can physically take its toll. Just under one third of those who took part said they felt ill when pressure got on top of them.

A spokesman for Nurofen Express said: 'Despite technology being designed to make our lives easier, 55 per cent of those surveyed feel that life is more stressful now than it was ten years ago.

'It seems the things that are supposed to be solutions, or speed our life up, can prove an inconvenience and a great source of frustration.

'It's interesting to note that the biggest factors in the rise of our stress levels include increased living costs, heightened pressure at work and pressures from society.'

Many of those who listed their annoyances admitted they have seriously considered quitting their job because of stress.

The Nurofen Express spokesman added: 'Often these annoyances are out of our hands but the signs of stress and tension they can cause in us can build and end up having a big impact on our health.'

THE FULL LIST: THE TOP 50 MOST ANNOYING THINGS IN MODERN LIFE:

1. Your laptop/computer freezing                              26. Computer jargon
2. PPI calls                                                                 27. Forgetting your password
3. Slow Wi-Fi                                                              28. Council tax
4. Being stuck in traffic                                              29. People talking loudly on transport
5. People who take up two parking spaces               30. People who cycle on pavements
6. Public transport delays                                         31. Finding the start of sticky tape
7. Junk mail                                                               32. People boarding trains before others get off
8. Waiting on the phone for the doctors                    33. Slow walkers
9. People throwing rubbish out of car windows        34. People talking in the cinema
10. People who don't use their indicators                 35. Train fares
11. Pot holes                                                              36. Receiving damages goods from online
12. Stepping in dog muck                                          37. Queuing for the self-service checkout
13. People not thanking you for holding door open  38. People chewing gum with their mouth open
14. The rising cost of living                                        39. Extra charges by airlines
15. Children misbehaving in restaurants                   40. Facebook mums' constant child pictures
16. Rude sales assistants                                          41. Getting stuck behind a tractor
17. Screaming kids                                                    42. Cyclists on the road
18. Buying property                                                   43. Paying your bills
19. People talking in door ways                                44. Speed cameras
20. People cancelling on you                                    45. Motorcyclists weaving in and out of traffic
21. Noisy neighbours                                                46. Not having enough change for the car park
22. Reality TV shows                                                47. Twitter trolls
23. Road works                                                         48. A partner snoring
24. Middle lane hoggers                                           49. Loud music
25. Your delivery gets lost in the post                      50. People talking while you're watching TV