People! People everywhere!

I was raised in the city. I learned how to drive on San Diego freeways with traffic and idiots who don't understand that their inability to figure out how to merge is what causes traffic in the first place. I grew up in a tiny apartment surrounded by other apartments.

I actually like my little apartment here. It's small and comfortable.

What I don't like is all the people. I can live with the buildings and the drab freeways, stores everywhere. I've been a bit irritable lately, and I'm beginning to figure out why.

I started wondering about my issues with running errands. I have access to so many stores that it's ridiculous. Anything I want is all within a few miles from me. But I would get my errands halfway done and be overwhelmed and go home. I finally had to buckle down and make a trip to Target because I was on my last roll of toilet paper.

It's because of the people! They're everywhere! You can't get away from them!

At school there are just swarms of them. And they all walk too slow because they're texting while they're walking, and I need to get around them, but there's too many of them! Today in Pre-Calc, some weird guy walked in off the streets and decided to sit in. He had some questions about Einstein that the professor didn't understand. After shouting things out for a few minutes, he decided to leave. A kid behind me during the ruckus said "Now I'm getting really scared". I thought about the chaos that one panicked kid could cause. He's just a guy off the street with mental issues. Not every homeless or mentally ill person is a threat to your personal safety. I imagined the stampede that would ensue if the guy started to look threatening.

After class we are like a herd of cows. We all flow out the same way at the same speed and there's no getting around it. God forbid you have to eat, pee and have another class starting in 10 minutes.

On Wednesdays I have a big break in between classes where I can swim, eat and study. Well today I figured out exactly when the swim team comes in and takes over the tiny locker room...AND JUST HANGS OUT! Ladies! There is an entire pool deck out there for you to hang out at. Your coach knows you're in here, you can't hide! It is so irritating to have to dress literally an inch or two from several other girls...brushing against each other while nearly naked.

And now...my new biggest pet peeve. This is a huge issue with me right now and it irritates me probably more than it should.

I basically live in Duncan Hall. It's where I work, study and have classes. It's where I eat my lunch and check my email. On the 6th floor there is a restroom by the elevators. The other day I went in there, and when I came out, there was a paper towel crumpled on the floor and another shoved into the handle.

Oh. My. God. OHMYGOD! OMG. o...m...g.

Wait...am I getting obsessive compulsive over someone who is obsessive compulsive? Maybe.

Here's the thing. There are germs everywhere. What?! That's right, you heard me. Everywhere. Probably places you would not consider.

Exposure to germs allows your body to create a strong, healthy immune system. Germaphobes get sick more often than non-germaphobes. Why? Because our immune systems are stronger because we started building immunity from when we were children. You absolutely have to expose you and your children to germs from day one in order to have any hope in building a strong immune system.

But if you want to have a ridiculous phobia about something, fine. I'm afraid of little tiny spiders, we're even.

I do have a very big problem though, when your stupid little phobia starts to affect the people around you. If you use a toilet seat cover, make sure it flushes. DO NOT LEAVE IT THERE!

If you have to use a paper towel to open a door...BRING IT WITH YOU! THROW IT AWAY!

This didn't happen just once people...it's every day. Every day in Duncan Hall, some girl comes in and uses the restroom and leaves not one, but two paper towels...one that mysteriously ends up on the floor and the other shoved into the door handle.

The other day a girl got into the elevator and used a tissue to push the buttons. Not 5 minutes later there was a paper towel in between the two bathroom doors (this might explain it) and one shoved into the handle. Seriously?!

EVERY DAY.

I will find her. And I will sneeze and cough on her in the elevator. I will fart in the elevator and say "Smell that? That's because you're inhaling my poop particles". Then what? Is she just going to stop breathing? She's stuck in there until the door opens.

Every day people. Every day with the damn paper towels in the door handle.

Other people have to use that door. Other people have to circumnavigate her trash. What if everyone did that? There would be thousands of paper towels crammed in there by the end of the day.

Why not just carry hand sanitizer and use it after you leave the restroom? Then no one would have to pick up your trash you rude, selfish germ girl!

You just cannot go through life thinking only about yourself. I don't understand how people don't think (and care) about how their actions affect other people. It's totally crazy.

And don't get me started on merging....in the 2 miles of freeway I have to traverse to get home from school, there are four or 5 merges I have to endure. You want to see some interesting human behavior? Just sit and watch people try to merge. It wouldn't be so bad if the radio stations would play good music while all of this is going on.

Oh yeah. And it's Rush Week on campus apparently. I put my game face on when I had to walk down that path....twice. In case you don't know what Rush Week is, it's when all the fraternities and sororities line the walkway to recruit impressionable kids. They hand out flyers and display their pink and purple banners with shiny Greek letters. I slung my swim bag over my shoulder, sunglasses on, shoulders back, and marched right through that madness- chin up and eyes straight ahead.

I swear people holding flyers backed up and let me through.