Do you get annoyed by people asking "what are you doing on ___"?

[LoZoccolo]

Poll question: Do you get annoyed by people asking "what are you doing on ___"?

You know, when people want to make plans with you, but they don't tell you what they want to do, they just ask you what you're doing on a certain date, as if you must hang out with them if you have no other plans. Do you get annoyed by this?

And if you do this yourself, am I wrong in just assuming it's some transparently manipulative way of roping someone into something?

And you know I'd be thrilled to hear some of your stories about this phenomenon.

I know someone who not only does this, but also asks "where are you" and "what are you doing" when he calls you or you call him back. None of your business.

Oh, and he joined a MySpace group I set up for a specific group of my friends from when I was in high school/college (I didn't know him then, nor does he know any of these friends).

He'd be an interesting friend without all this cable guy junk.

Poll result (11 votes)
Yes, I do get annoyed.	(5 votes, 45%)	Vote
No, I do not get annoyed.	(6 votes, 55%)	Vote

[SeattleGirl]

1. Not really.

I throw the ball back in their court, and ask "Why" before I tell them what I'm doing.

[mac56]

2. I have the opposite problem.

Regularly, while just making conversation, I've asked someone what he or she plans to do this coming weekend. Instantly they assume I'm proposing that we get together and do something. No! I'm inquiring about what YOUR plans are!

It's like asking someone how work is going, and him or her responding, "So...does that mean you wanna give me a job?" Absurd.

[LoZoccolo]

3. Yeah, don't do that, they probably don't like when you do that.

They won't tell you this, either.

[LoZoccolo]

4. Bah, kick.

[Kathleen04]

5. If I think I'm going to want

to hang out with them, I'll usually say "nothing planned" and if I don't think I'll want to I'll go "oh, I'm not sure yet..."

It doesn't really bother me and that's how I bypass it..but sometimes I get myself into trouble if I say I'm doing nothing then don't want to do what they've planned, but ah well..

[LoZoccolo]

6. See I have this attitude that if someone breaks ettiquite...

...then they might have to endure some breaches by me because it all works as a system. If I tell someone that I don't want to do something, and don't have plans, well, they were the ones that set themselves up for getting offended by not leaving me an easy out.

[Shell Beau]

7. No, there are much more annoying things to

get annoyed by. I am too laidback for that and it's not like they are trying to annoy you.

[LoZoccolo]

13. True, but think of it this way.

A raindrop falling on you is no big deal.

But the Chinese water torture is!

[Divameow77]

8. Maybe they are trying to bypass the rejection

or going through all the details of what they want to do by just asking up front if you are busy? If you say you are busy then it makes it simple. That's my guess.

[LoZoccolo]

9. Oh I'd believe they're trying to bypass the rejection.

The details thing might be true of other people, but this particular person has a tendency to act nosy in other areas (like the "where are you" thing when he calls), so I'd believe the first explanation here.

[cwydro]

10. I always just say

I haven't decided yet...like I've just got SO many things I could do....

[LoZoccolo]

11. Oh yes, this is great, and the first time I've heard this one.

I had hoped someone might chime in with a good universal response, but I figured it probably didn't exist. Now I know it does.

It's technically not really untrue, because I just about always have a bunch of things I want to do, alone or otherwise.

[cwydro]

12. EXACTLY!