By OnMilwaukee Staff Writers   Published May 19, 2009 at 5:24 AM

Every Thursday, the OnMilwaukee.com editors rave about their latest favorite things in an article called "OnMilwaukee.com Recommends." That said, there are plenty of life’s idiosyncrasies that the editors find annoying, so much so that occasionally they must put them into writing.

Here is the latest installment of "OnMilwaukee.com Rants" and feel free to add your own complaints via the Talkback feature.

Lack of proper Walker’s Point recycling bins – I’m a recycling nerd, and I can openly admit that. I’ve always been an avid sorter and organizer, but I have to say that my recent move into the Walker’s Point neighborhood is trashing my proper recycling habits.

To start, we only get small green bins, not the tall, garbage-sized separated containers with lids that everyone else in the city seems to have. Secondly, I received something in the mail stating that my neighborhood has the poorest recycling participation of any zip code in the city (especially ironic since Mil Valley Recycling is within walking distance of any of my neighbors).

The City of Milwaukee is trying to improve recycling participation, but rather than encourage better participation by supplying adequate containers, is the city punishing our neighborhood with these dinky bins that blow away in storm and / or get stolen? I don’t get it.  --Julie Lawrence

Unavailable menu items -- When I go out to eat at a new restaurant, I usually spend about five minutes perusing the menu and debating what to order. The last time I went out, however, I instantly knew what I wanted. The turkey burger jumped out at me, and although I rarely order this meal, my palate was instantly tuned to the poultry patty channel.

When the server told me they were out of turkey burgers, I reluctantly ordered a chicken sandwich. However, it just didn’t hit the spot for me, and  I walked away from the experience giving it a big "meh."

 I really wish that when a menu item is not available, the information is made available to diners. Restaurateurs, take note. -- Molly Snyder Edler

People who bring kids to inappropriate places -- As a parent, I understand the importance of family activities and exposing children to unique cultural experiences in a variety of settings. But, it pisses me off to see people schlepping young kids around at bars, concerts, late-night Summerfest shows and other adult-oriented events.

I experienced a classic example of this at the recent Bruce Springsteen concert inside Chicago's United Center. Before the show started, I saw a paunchy, 40-something guy in a Stone Pony T-shirt hanging out with a boy who appeared to be between 8 and 10 years old.

We were in the general admission section -- also known as the hockey rink / basketball floor -- and there were no seats. We weren't in "the pit" near the stage, but we were near the soundboard and the area was quite crowded. About 90 minutes before the show started, the guy sat down with the kid -- not many others were sitting at this point -- and they devoured some nachos while the tike played with a small toy and the father played with a sign he had brought to the show requesting a specific Springsteen song.

I knew right away that it wasn't going to end well.

When the show started, my friends and I -- all 6 feet and taller --  had to crane our necks to see the stage over the crowd. I glanced over at the little kid, who was about half my size. His view consisted of the backsides of a couple hundred adults and I imagined that he wasn't experiencing the occasional breeze that I felt from one of the nearby tunnels. Seven or eight songs into the set, the kid had his fingers in his ears because the concert was pretty loud. He also was tired of standing and wanted to sit down.

At this point, even though the show was sold out, a responsible parent probably would have scooped the kid up and tried to find a more comfortable seat somewhere else in the venue. Not this dorky dad. He let the kid sit down and stood directly behind him, watching the show and occasionally holding up his stupid sign while drunk people pushed their way through the crowd, many people nearly stepping on/tripping over the lad.

I couldn't help glancing over at the kid, who was clearly having a miserable time. As the show reached its second hour, I kept wondering "What kind of selfish jag-off would subject his child to such duress?" Tickets on the floor cost around $90 apiece. Are you telling me he couldn't have used that to pay a babysitter? And I don't buy the whole "I wanted the child to experience it" argument, either. That kid did not have fun and I don't think he's going to brag to his college buddies that his dad took him to see the Boss one night in '09.

Frankly, being next to that kid was a buzz kill. I can't think of anything in life that would prompt me to put my child in an uncomfortable situation for more than a few minutes. What that kid was going through looked like torture and the old man seemed clueless.

This was but one incident, but I see variations on this theme a lot. I've seen parents take kids to smoky bars way past a normal bedtime. I wince when I see couples pushing newborn babies in strollers through crowds of drunks so they can catch a 10 p.m. Summerfest show. Is your pursuit of entertainment that important? Can't you and your spouse find a sitter or take turns watching Junior while your mate heads out for the evening?

I'm all about individual freedom and I certainly support family activities. But, I wish people would use a little common sense.  -- Drew Olson

DVR cutting off shows -- I have the DVR feature with my Time Warner cable, and I have a slew of complaints. My latest gripe is that my programs sometimes run a few seconds or so past the official end time of the show, and the DVR cuts them off before the show ends. Is it too much to ask for a "smart" DVR that "knows" if the show runs a tad later? Or perhaps the the DVR could automatically record a program about a minute past its scheduled end time to ensure I get every last second of my favorite shows. I really need to stop bitching about this and investigate other recording options. -- Molly Snyder Edler