The JTrain Podcast – "Planning Trips, Coughing At The Office, And Being Called Cheap! – TICKED OFF TUESDAY"

Host: Jared Freid
Date: September 30, 2025

Episode Overview

Jared Freid returns for another "Ticked Off Tuesday," diving into listener-submitted gripes and communal venting. This week, the episode centers around everyday annoyances: unclear hotel housekeeping, the dehumanization via TikTok's algorithm, tipping etiquette (with a surprise expert ruling), group trip planning frustrations, E-bike stigma, and bad office hygiene. Throughout, Jared brings his signature humor, empathy, and candid perspective.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Housekeeping in Hotels Post-Pandemic

[09:38]

• Jared’s Complaint: The lack of clarity and consistency in daily room cleaning policies at hotels.
• Observation: Many hotels now under-communicate or vaguely offer housekeeping; sometimes it must be specially requested and might be only once during a multi-day stay.
• Frustration: Jobs are being cut under the guise of post-pandemic changes, but Jared suspects it’s about corporate cost-cutting rather than staff shortages.
• Memorable Quote:

  "It feels as though we are dealing with a shell game with the room cleaning situation." – Jared, [11:04]

• Desired Solution: Clear, up-front policies at check-in; scheduled and communicated cleaning times for guests.
• Societal Insight: Companies ask for consumer sacrifice (e.g., using towels multiple times for the 'environment') while making cost cuts that burden staff and guests.

2. Treating the Algorithm as a Deity

[18:09]

• Jared’s Complaint: People anthropomorphize social media algorithms, giving them credit for content discovery while erasing the creators’ roles.
• Example: TikTok users comment, "Thank you, algorithm," under his videos, ignoring his intent and work.
• Impact on Creators: Feels thankless, erases human connection, and rewards trend-followers over originality.
• Cultural Critique: This mirrors how many successful TikTokers don't value collaboration or originality; they're beholden to "Father Algorithm."
• Memorable Quote:

  "The people are seemingly thankful to an algorithm, not thankful to the creator, the comedian, the person putting this stuff out there." – Jared, [20:50]

3. Tipping at Bars (Listener Complaint)

[32:57]

• Listener Dilemma: Tipped $6 on three draft beers at an airport bar (approx. 20%), called "cheap" by a stranger. Unsure if in the wrong.
• Jared’s Stance:
  • $6 on 3 beers is reasonable—"that's very nice."
  • Criticizes "morality play" creeping into tipping: people one-upping each other as 'better humans' for tipping slightly more.
  • Questions the audacity of strangers policing others' tips.
• Quote:

  "To call you cheap is insanity... anyone who looks at someone else at a bar who did tip and says out of nowhere that you’re cheap is a crazy person." – Jared, [35:20]

• Resolution (see end of episode): Jared consults with a well-respected bar owner, Keith, who emphatically says the standard is 20% always, regardless of drink complexity or payment method.

4. Group Trip and Event Planning Woes

[41:25]

• Listener Gripe: People who propose fun group trips in chats but never follow through—leaving the 'default planner' to pick up the slack or let ideas wither.
• Jared’s Take:
  • Calls out "outsourcing a confident decision" as the real annoyance.
  • Recommends asking, "Date or place?" whenever someone floats a vague idea, putting the onus on them to provide details.
• Relatable Moment: Ties this to his experience in dating, where people want the other to make all the hard decisions.
• Quote:

  "Don’t get me to dreamland without an idea of how we’re gonna get this done." – Jared, [43:11]

5. E-Bike Stigma

[51:42]

• Listener Issue: Faces judgment for using an E-bike—accused of laziness despite using it for practical, eco-friendly reasons due to health and commuting needs.
• Jared’s Rant:
  • Questions if "E-bike haters" are real or just amplified by outlier internet comments.
  • Encourages embracing E-bikes as a sensible, fun, and healthy transportation alternative.
  • "Bad E-bike users" exist, but don’t generalize.
• Quote:

  "A hammer is a tool. There’s no good hammers. There’s no bad hammers. It’s just a hammer… A bad hammer is a bad hammer user." – Jared, [55:20]

6. Coughing at the Office (Hygiene Etiquette)

[59:20]

• Listener Complaint: Co-worker repeatedly coughs without covering her mouth properly nor using hand sanitizer—especially egregious post-COVID.
• Jared’s Response:
  • The pandemic re-taught us basic hygiene; failing to cough into one's elbow or sanitize is now a choice, not ignorance.
  • There’s a forgiving range (one careless cough), but repeated disregard calls for awareness or shame.
• Quote:

  "You would think there’s a point where you have to feel some shame. One cough. Whatever. ...Puddle of sweat. Alright, let me wipe this down. I’ve gone too far. There’s an in between here." – Jared, [01:02:45]

Tipping at Bars: The Final Verdict

[1:07:40]
(Special Add-on: Text exchange with bar owner Keith)

• Jared consults Keith (Charleston bar owner): Is $6 on three draft beers cheap?
• Keith’s firm rule:
  • "20% at a minimum, every single time. No questions asked. ...Method of payment has nothing to do with it. Follow the rules of society and do what’s right. Tip 20%."
• Jared’s reflection:
  • Tip according to the tab, not arbitrary numbers; if using cash (dropping $1 per beer), may now be under-tipping as prices rise.
  • Accepts the industry perspective: "We all had to do some soul searching today."

Notable Quotes & Moments

• "No judgments. You can complain about anything you want. Nobody here will look at you and go, there’s bigger problems in the world."
  – Jared’s Ticked Off Tuesday ethos [03:28]

• "You’re not helping the environment by hanging up your towel."
  – Jared’s take on hotel sustainability messaging [13:20]

• "Thank you Father Algorithm, and then no acknowledgment there was a human being that made these things."
  – On social media fandom [20:55]

• "It’s as crazy to say E-bikes should be used to travel cross country as it is to say E-bike users are lazy. ...We’re just letting crazy people control the conversation."
  – On E-bike drama [54:12]

Episode Flow (Timestamps)

• 00:00 – Show intro and Ticked Off Tuesday premise
• 09:38 – Hotel housekeeping complaint
• 18:09 – TikTok algorithm as a deity
• 32:57 – Listener tipping dilemma at bars
• 41:25 – Group chat trip planning frustrations
• 51:42 – E-bike haters and rational use
• 59:20 – Complaints about office hygiene and coworker coughing
• 1:07:40 – Text verdict: Industry’s final word on bar tipping

In Closing

This episode is a classic Ticked Off Tuesday—no complaint is too trivial, no judgment passed, and everyone leaves feeling validated and a little more human. Jared’s blend of humor and insight turns everyday frustrations into relatable, cathartic conversations. Whether you’ve been called cheap at a bar, stuck planning group trips for the indecisive, judged for your E-bike commute, or dodging germs at the office, you’re definitely not alone!