A new study has revealed just how much the British and Irish love to complain, identifying daily struggles with traffic and the weather as top causes of complaints.
A survey of 1,000 UK and Irish adults commissioned by Emo Oil, a home heating oil supplier, has revealed that on average Brits and the Irish complain as many as 28 times every day – an average of 10,220 times over the course of a year. The number one thing Brits and the Irish love to complain about has been revealed as traffic, with 61% of people admitting to regularly moaning about jams and congestion. More than a third of those surveyed (34%) confess to whingeing about traffic as many as three times a day.
Predictably perhaps, the weather came in second, with 53% of those surveyed complaining about this. After traffic and the weather, being too hot or cold was named as the third biggest gripe (49%).
Money troubles was also cited as being one of the most complained about topics with 47% of people saying they regularly complain about not being able to afford something.
Getting ill completed the top five list, with 43% of participants naming this as a top gripe.
Mark Hackett, Project Manager at Emo Oil said: “It’s quite shocking to see how guilty we are of complaining – it really stacks up when you think about how many times we do this per day.
“This time of year can be particularly gruelling. If the cold weather and endless stream of illnesses being passed around the office weren’t enough to put you in a bad mood, the sheer volume of traffic on the roads is certainly worthy of a whinge. There are plenty of simple ways to keep spirits high though; such as enjoying a nice warm meal with friends or cranking up the heating to keep cosy in the colder evenings.”
The UK and Ireland’s top 10 complaints:
- Traffic – 61%
- The weather – 53%
- Being too hot or cold – 49%
- Money troubles – 47%
- Getting ill – 43%
- Working long hours – 40%
- Potholes – 40%
- Annoying colleagues – 31%
- Queueing – 23%
- Noisy neighbours – 22%
