The JTrain Podcast – "Long Golf Rough, Uncomfortable Furniture, and Rental Car Reservations"

Host: Jared Freid
Episode Date: January 13, 2026
Theme: Ticked Off Tuesday Complaints

Episode Overview

In this "Ticked Off Tuesday" edition of The JTrain Podcast, comedian Jared Freid lets listeners air their weekday grievances with humor and empathy. From his own golf misadventures at Torrey Pines to ranting about mom-approved uncomfortable furniture, and listener-submitted complaints about mail scams, rental snow removal, massage chair drama, and car rental debacles—the episode is a cathartic trip through the small annoyances that somehow always hit a nerve.

Jared’s philosophy: “Your issues are valid here.” No complaint is too petty, and everyone gets to feel seen.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Golf at Torrey Pines: The Perils of “The Rough” ([02:20]–[16:00])

• Jared’s Complaint: Playing the legendary Torrey Pines course became a frustrating ordeal due to the rough (the long grass beside the fairway) being so high that it was almost impossible for an average player to find a ball—a problem worsened by a temporary course rule allowing players to drop a new ball without penalty if it takes longer than a minute to find the original.
• Golf’s Image & Reality: Jared admits to the outsider’s perception of golf as elitist, yet insists golf is surprisingly inclusive and generous at participant-level.
  • “People are really generous when it comes to golf. If they find out you golf, they're inviting. I have been invited out of the goodness of people's hearts to go play with them for four hours. That's crazy.” ([03:50])
• The “Brain Itch” Satisfaction: He likens a well-hit shot to an oddly satisfying sensation or “brain itch.”
  • “If you want to hear why people like golf, I think it gives people the brain itch. When you hit the ball well, you feel it through your body.” ([06:12])
• Emotional Impact: Not finding the ball after a great shot is described as emotionally crushing:
  • “It's like someone interrupting your climax, to be honest, not to get dirty or blue here.” ([08:38])
• Social Pressure: Jared struggles with the perception that complaining about such a famous course makes him sound unappreciative.
  • “Now I sound like an unappreciative asshole. And whenever someone says to me that, they get it... I feel relieved.” ([12:25])
• Comedic Reflection: For Jared, good comedy is about helping people see the picture in your head and feel what you’re feeling.

2. The Insidiousness of Official-Looking Junk Mail ([17:25]–[19:50])

• Secondary Complaint: Returning to a new apartment, Jared is inundated with mail that looks like overdue bills but is actually spam—even invitations to ice cream shops disguised as urgent correspondence.
  • “I hate when mail looks official when it's unofficial. There should be a law. Electric bill...if it's a bill, it should look like a bill. And if it's an ad or spam, it should look like a clown. It should be purple.” ([18:40])
• Desire for Regulation: He jokes about color-coding junk mail to prevent unnecessary stress.

3. Listener Complaints: Ticked Off Tuesday Submissions

A. Uncomfortable Furniture, Home as “Art” ([22:30]–[29:50])

• Email Summary: A listener vents about their mother-in-law’s beautifully renovated but unusably uncomfortable home.
• Jared’s Response:
  • Relates to growing up in a house where aesthetics trumped comfort—his dad was denied even basement lazy boys.
  • “Your mother in law's furniture is more art than it is function...If I was a furniture designer, why even be in the game if people don't want to sit on your stuff?” ([25:40])
  • Praises the “cloud couch” as the gold standard of blending comfort with style.
  • Vivid anecdote: His childhood home had a curved couch where “not one seat was a good seat.” ([28:45])

B. Triple-Decker Tenant Woes: Snow Removal & Trash ([30:00]–[36:00])

• Email Summary: First-floor renters in Boston are stuck doing all snow shoveling and trash duty, while the owner and other tenants do nothing—except leave passive-aggressive notes.
• Jared’s Response:
  • “You shouldn't have to do that...If anything, you'd think the person who owns the condo would offer to help.” ([31:22])
  • Suggests fighting fire with fire—writing equally official-looking letters to the owner.
  • Advises getting legal advice: “This is a job for ChatGPT!” ([35:05])

C. Gym Massage Chair Policing ([36:10]–[40:30])

• Email Summary: A listener uses both allotted massage-chair sessions at the gym, only to be scolded by another gym-goer (“there’s people waiting”).
• Jared’s Response:
  • Lampoons the shamer as a self-appointed “head of the PTA,” advocating for more minding one’s own business.
  • “Who's in the middle of a massage and is also policing the room? Why aren't they relaxing?...Why don't you shut the fuck up?” ([37:22])
  • Questions the logistics: “If people were legitimately waiting, you wouldn’t be able to just keep using the chair.” ([38:10])

D. Car Rental “Upgrade” Fiasco ([40:35]–[47:30])

• Email Summary: Renting an SUV but, upon arrival, being forced into an “upgrade” to a luxury sedan—despite needing the utility space.
• Jared’s Response:
  • References the Seinfeld “reservation” bit: “Why take the reservation if you're not gonna honor the reservation?” ([41:45])
  • Points out the insult of an “upgrade” that doesn’t match your needs:
    • “I didn't reserve a truck because I was looking to do asshole cosplay. I reserved the truck because I need the truck bed to move crap around.” ([42:41])
    • “They're trying to say that you are so vain that even though you ask for an SUV, you'll take the BMW because, ooo, you can fake being a rich person.” ([43:13])
  • On purpose vs. image: “With rentals, cheapest and purpose—that’s what we’re looking for.” ([46:20])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Golf Frustrations:
  “It's like someone interrupting your climax, to be honest, not to get dirty or blue here.” – Jared ([08:38])

• On Complaint Validation:
  “It is the only place on the Internet where you will not hear me say to you, 'there's bigger problems in the world.' Your issues are valid here.” – Jared ([01:56])

• On Aesthetics vs. Comfort:
  “If I was a furniture designer, why even be in the game if people don’t want to sit on your stuff?” – Jared ([25:40])

• On Unofficial Official Mail:
  “I hate when mail looks official when it’s unofficial... It should look like a clown. It should be purple.” – Jared ([18:40])

• On Passive-Aggressive Building Management:
  “I would get as letter writing as they are. I would fight fire with fire.” – Jared ([34:12])

• On Public Scolding:
  “Who's in the middle of a massage and is also policing the room? Why aren't they relaxing? … Why don't you shut the fuck up?” – Jared ([37:22])

• On Rental Car “Upgrades”:
  “I didn't reserve a truck because I was looking to do asshole cosplay. I reserved the truck because I need the truck bed to move crap around.” – Jared ([42:41])

Important Timestamps

• [02:20–16:00] – Golf at Torrey Pines: “The rough,” emotional impact, why golf is addictive
• [18:40] – Complaint about official-looking junk mail
• [22:30–29:50] – Listener rant: Uncomfortable “art” furniture, couch trauma stories
• [30:00–36:00] – Listener rant: Snow removal and trash duty, passive-aggressive owner
• [36:10–40:30] – Listener rant: Gym massage chair policing
• [40:35–47:30] – Listener rant: Rental car “upgrade” to wrong vehicle

Episode Tone & Takeaway

Jared keeps the tone light, irreverent, and hyper-relatable—spinning even the smallest gripes into a blend of empathy and comedic escalation. Listeners get a reprieve from being told their problems “aren’t a big deal”—here, every complaint is worthy of discussion, validation, and sometimes, cathartic overreaction.

“Your issues are valid here.” – That’s the JTrain guarantee.