Something else that literally drives me insane is the increasing use of the so-called "Historic Present." This used to be confined to jokes told in an informal setting.
"This guy goes into a bar...". Strictly speaking, if you are recounting a story, you should use a past tense. Of course nobody cares when they're listening to a joke, but more and more these days you hear it in otherwise reputable documentaries,
" The Mayflower lands in Plymouth and the Pilgrim Fathers look for fresh water..."
If it happened four hundred years ago, it's the past, Mr.Should-know-better Presenter !
