Although, I have to agree that the usual suspects do indeed fit the bill when it comes to annoying noises—things such as nails on a chalkboard, dripping water, woodpeckers—I would like to put forth a few less commonly touted audial disturbances. For instance, irritating cell phone rings and text message alerts, especially in the hands of a teenager who receives the posts at a rate of once every 60 seconds while at the dinner table. Or the din of the fan on a desktop hard drive when you’re used to working on a laptop. Or the normally soothing purr of your kitty late at night while she sits by your ear and revs up a motorboat as you try to fall asleep. 

I believe all of these would fall under the category of annoying. But this morning, I would like to suggest an even more insane-inducing noise—the screech and clatter of a car sliding on ice while a driver presses down on the accelerator trying to gain traction. Arrgh! I hate it! Especially, when said driver has no reason to be slamming on the gas in the first place. You’re not trying to avoid a collision or pull yourself out a snowdrift. You’re simply backing out of your driveway on a dead end street with no traffic in sight. Yes, the road is slick. It’s ice. Glide with it, and then gently accelerate to gain momentum. Jamming down the gas pedal will get you nothing but squealing tires. I assure you that the glide will get you going faster with less wear and tear on your car, and your sleeping neighbors. 

What noises annoy you? Are they due to more modern inventions or time old "favorites"?