Pet Peeve, def.-" a minor annoyance that an individual finds annoying to him or her, to a greater degree than others may find it."

I have one.

It's been many years since I was a fledgling pilot under the tutelage of an instructor. Instructors emphasize many things during flight training but none more adamantly than safety. Safety throughout the entire flight, from pre-planning to shutdown.

One safety procedure that I was not taught was to yell "Clear" or "Clear Prop" while instantly and simultaneously engaging the starter. I assumed, and was instructed that, giving a warning of a potential aircraft engine start was to allow some possible victim time to first identify a danger, then give them time to clear the danger zone. None of this is even remotely possible when the two acts occur at the same exact time or just 2 seconds apart. Yet this is what happens probably 8 out of 10 aircraft starts that I witness. It makes me curious if this has become a pilot's reflex action without connection anymore as to why this important warning is given. I doubt most were initially trained this way.

The very last time that a pilot can be 100% sure there is nothing about to be ground to pieces with his/her propeller is about 2 seconds before entering the cockpit. Putting on your seat belts, going through your pre-start checklist, getting ATIS, all take your attention away from your propeller arc and may have allowed some unsuspecting potential victim , human or beast, to move into the danger zone.

If you are at an airport where non-pilots have access to the ramp, yelling "Clear" or "Clear Prop" may mean exactly nothing to that person. In the case of a hearing impaired person they may not get any benefit from any type of verbal warning.

If your going to bother yelling "Clear", at least give folks 5 to 10 seconds time to react between the warning and the activation of the starter. Scan the area and look for conflicts with your propeller. Turn your strobes on before engaging the starter although again, a non trained person may not understand that activating strobes on a quiet aircraft may indicate a potential engine start and imminent danger. In the Kitfox it is not hard to lean out of the seat and clear an additional portion of the propeller arc before engaging the starter switch.

As a good friend always says: "be ever mindful of your propeller track."

Soapbox stowed safely away.
Gentlemen and Ladies, safely start your engines.