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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 393
 
| I need some advice. I have a guy at work that drives me completely INSANE! He stomps around and is constantly pacing. He sits right in front of my desk and he slurps and gulps his coffee so loud the entire office can hear. When he eats his lunch he chews so loud I get sick to my stomach. I try to leave around lunch so I don't have to hear him but he snacks all day long. And eats things such as carrots etc, so it is extremely loud!!
I can deal with the stomping around and constant sighs and comments but the coffee slurping makes me sick! Everytime he takes a drink he GULPS! I literally can't take it anymore. His feet are also extremely rank smelling. Even with shoes on I can still smell them when he walks by my desk.
What would you all do, just deal with it? I don't really think I can say anything, although my boss has even mentioned to me how loud he is. I think he annoys him as well! Maybe I am just being over sensitive?! |
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 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9991
  
Location: Kansas | Thank goodness for pandora. I work with a bunch of annoying people....that is why I listen to pandora and only take my headphones off when I have to step away from my desk or answer my phone. |
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 Chasin my Dream
Posts: 13651
Location: Alberta | Why can't you say anything? Obviously your not the only one who's noticed, if your boss has mentioned it!
If a coworker was distracting me from getting my work done I would be letting my superior know....not in a whinny, tattle tale way, but an adult way...
Edited by dream_chaser 2014-02-05 8:47 AM
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 Expert
Posts: 1367
Location: mi | oh I would have to say something. It would kind of be in a joking smartass manner. Some like "Dude could you drink that coffee alittle louder?" and see where the conversation goes from there. Not sure what I would do about the smelly feet thing. We had a guy here with some serious BO. It finally had to be dealt with as he at times worked very close to customers. That was a bosses job to address. And thankfully it worked and he started using or using better deodorant.
Good luck. But radio or headphones might be your best option. Heck I turn the radio on at lunch just because I can't hardly stand to here myself eat let alone someone else!
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 Midget Lover
Location: Kentucky | File a complaint to HR. That's what they are there for. Sounds like he is being unprofessional. |
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 Magnet for Stupid People
Posts: 2775
Location: If I ever get back to Oklahoma..... | We have one of those in our office. His presence drives me insane. He says hi to every single person that walks by his desk, excuses himself after sneezing or coughing, and is annoyingly nice to EVERYBODY. He pounds on his keyboard and hardly leaves his messy desk unless it's to get coffee or go to the bathroom. Every single email I send to him gets a reply - even if it's just a thank you.
I'm beginning to think I'm the one with the problem because I just don't DO nice.... Others in the office like him, but they don't have to work with him on a daily basis. Those of us in our department each have an issue with him, but our superior is hardly ever there, so it's hard to let her know without being whiney.
I totally feel your pain!! And like someone else said, Pandora is your friend!! That and some earplugs!! I will probably have hearing loss because I keep my earbuds in and up loud.
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  That's White "Man" to You
Posts: 5515
| Accidently email this to him.
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I Really Love Jeans
Posts: 3173
Location: North Dakota | What gets me is someone talking really loud. It makes me wonder if they have hearing loss or something. There is a woman that is always outside my childrens school that will actully stand around and talk about other people but she is doing it so loud she can be heard over all the cars and children running around. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| Can you have your desk moved as far away as possible?
It sounds like he is not doing anything wrong so I am not sure if HR can do something.
As someone said, can you wear ear buds and listen to the radio.
One other thing you could suggest to the boss is no food or drink at the desk |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1092
Location: OK | Lol, I used to work with a girl who every few minutes would , in a really high voice, say "aaaahhhhh" or "hmmmmmm" or "wheeeee". Every time she would yawn, she would do it really loud and then smack her lips over and over after it.
It . drove . me . Carazy!!!!!
Wore my headphones all the time.
I've heard it's an actual disorder that causes extreme anger over smacking and gulping. That made me laugh because if someone gulps, I'm in an instant rage. I had a friend who didn't know how to not gulp. I tried to teach him and he never could get it. After that it was a joke between us, he would gulp and then look at me like "oh, crap".
Report it, but try to find ways to get around it. Headphones, even only in 1 ear so you can still hear if someone calls you, will really help your mood. Be picky about what music you listen to. Florida Georgia Line always makes me really happy.... good luck! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1092
Location: OK | The other thing I would do is, be his friend. Talk to him more and maybe that will help your tolerance. Hard to do, but it will really help.
It's kinda like stray dogs, their ugly, they stink, they have no manners, but who else in the world would have them, so you just gotta do it. |
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I AM being nice
Posts: 4396
Location: MD | What's sad is that I am in the barn by myself most of the time and I STILL have to deal with an annoying guy at work! |
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That's White "Man" to You
Posts: 5515
| And Wrap, I bet you would win in a fight!
Edited by Whiteboy 2014-02-05 12:15 PM
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Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | Whiteboy - 2014-02-05 10:45 AM Accidently email this to him.
or this.... |
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 Reaching for the stars....
Posts: 12704
| At my last job, one of the hundreds of issues I had:
My desk was in a hallway. We closed and locked a door beside/behind me and put a file cabinet in front of it. That was fine. I can handle being shoved into the tiny dark corner. Couple years later a hugantic woman was hired and installed in the office behind the door (before anyone thinks I have something against bigger peeps - this one was aout 5'2" and 500 pounds -- SERIOUSLY obese here, so big she had to get a special office chair that looked like a loveseat). She went and cried about the 'long walk' to the copier going out the front of her office so the lovely office administrator moved my file cabinet and opened that door. Now this door was so close to me I could open it by barely leaning back in my chair, so a very tight space there that this huge and stinky thing sqeezed past me many times each day. She didn't even FIT between my desk and the wall, and knocked me sideways by a few inches when her bulk poofed back out. Every time. And that's when the stink escaped too. I think. Might have wafted out whenever her folds rolled.
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | Oh man...gulping. I feel your anger. My old senile boss would gulp his coffee and he was naggy has it was and it literally made me want to jump out of my skin. Headphones!! Pandora. If people complain, explain it's the headphones or a different desk NOT by him. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 393
| The gulping is driving me insane! I have talked with my boss about it as well, sort of, but I don't really know what he can say either. He isn't technically doing anything wrong.
I can't wear ear buds as I have to answer the phone and questions.
But he is SOOOOO LOUD, if I am on the phone I CAN NOT hear because he is constantly talking, eating, stomping, etc.
Example about 10 minutes ago, I was on the phone and he answered the other line, I could NOT hear the person on the other end as he was talking so loudly!
He has to tell us what he is doing everytime he does something. He stands at my boss's desk and looks over his shoulder. This drives him insane! He has mentioned it to me before but he doesn't want to be rude. He has put chairs there to try and get him to not do it but he just moves the chairs. He is just dense!!! He doesn't think about what he is doing most of the time!
I can't move my desk, so I guessing I am complaining and venting more then just looking for advice.
There really isn't anything that can be done.
I talk to him all day long, it isn't like we hate each other, but I am just extremely annoyed with him all the time.
Edited by SassyPirate 2014-02-05 1:27 PM
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1066
| I work with a guy like this... he annoys all of us so he is in an office upstairs far away from the rest of us, but he comes down to smoke about 6 times a day and has to get his human interaction in so he hangs around downstairs and drives us all nuts. He really likes me because I try so hard to be polite to him, but its biting me in the butt because I hear about every doctor appointment (he's in his 60's and goes to the doc a LOT), I hear about his bowel movements (and he asks what I think he should do depending on weather its constipation or diarrhea), I hear about his relationship with his ex wife who's not really his ex because they are together every weekend... I hear about every. little. thing. he does in a day. He also asks the same pointless questions every day like "oh, I see you're drinking tea again today?" or "what did you eat for breakfast/lunch today?", and I think he makes a point of touching at least 10 objects on my desk every day... including my water bottle and tea cup (which drives me mental- dont give me your germs!!). Oh, and every time he gets a mass email (that has been sent to every employee) he comes down and asks me to read it to him, and then we have to discuss it for at least half an hour. I am trying to be less polite to get the point across but he doesn't seem to be getting it.  |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 393
| I am glad I am not the only one who is annoyed by co workers. I am not a mean person but I just can't take it anymore. He was eating a pizza pop thing today and he ever slurps that! It is soooooo disgusting, it makes my stomach turn!! Our office is small so even if I get up from my desk and move until he is done I can still hear it. and if I move to the coffee chairs he follows, I go back to my desk and he follows!
I literally just want to  |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| I suddenly realize how much I love the people I work with.
Mostly because if anyone did any of these things we'd probably call them out on it and nip that crap in the bud. We get along amazingly well. |
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Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | I suddenly realize how much I love my spot.... a dark corner in the back of the laboratory... lol |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 393
| Did I mention he chews gum all day too! I have never heard anyone chew gum louder then this guy! I would give anything for my own office in a corner somewhere. |
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Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | Omg I feel for you so bad. Thank goodness there's only a couple people in our office and nobody ever eats here!!!! |
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 IMA No Hair Style Gal
Posts: 2594
| This is why I love being a teacher! I would much rather work with kids then have to deal with adults! |
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Meanest Teacher!!!
Posts: 8552
Location: sunny california | Is this thread still going? seriously I feel for anyone that has to endure people who are so easily annoyed.
instead of looking for every tiny thing that annoys you, you might try looking for the good in these people; after all they are working with people that can't stand to be around them and instead of telling these people where to go, they try even harder to get them to like them |
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Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | awwwwwwwwww snap |
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 Uh....never mind
Posts: 2696
Location: Midwest Farmer's Daughter: Central Illinois | kwanatha - 2014-02-06 6:45 AM Is this thread still going? seriously I feel for anyone that has to endure people who are so easily annoyed. instead of looking for every tiny thing that annoys you, you might try looking for the good in these people; after all they are working with people that can't stand to be around them and instead of telling these people where to go, they try even harder to get them to like them
When you have to spend 8+ hours a day, five days a week, in a confined space with the same person (or people) you start to notice things. It's no different than being in a relationship/marriage except you can't choose who these people are & you can't say things to them the way you would to someone you're close to, due to HR or professionalism or politeness, whatever the reason.
I have a manicure set in my desk that I mess with during slow times every once in awhile & one day my co-worker, who sits 12 feet from me, mentioned that her husband has a co-worker who clips his nails at his desk & it drives him nuts. She mentioned how much it would bother her, so I took that as a subtle sign that she didn't like it, & now I'm careful about only messing with my nails when she's out to lunch. I have another co-worker who LICKS HIS COFFEE CUP in the middle of staff meetings. Seriously, from bottom to top, the exterior where it's dripped down the sides. I really don't think he realizes how disturbing it is, so I try not to look at him during meetings.
To the OP, you have a lot of choices how to handle the situation, but changing another person's behavior is hard & takes a LOT of time & may or may not be successful. You can try being direct, you can try being passive aggressive or you can try just getting over it. He's obviously pretty dense & not self-aware so he may not even know how annoying he is. |
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10D Crack Champion
| Everytime his sticky feet go by just say, "I smell corn nuts! Does anyone else smell corn nuts?".... for those who have never smelled corn nuts, they smell like stinky feet! You could rub something that smells good under your nose so you won't notice it so much. Lol
Edited by sodapop 2014-02-06 8:29 PM
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 Horsey Gene Carrier
Posts: 1888
Location: LaBelle, Florida | It has taken me TWO years to teach 'some' manners to the guy in the next office and I have to deal with him on a daily basis.
EXTREMELY rude....I use the 'evil mare look' on him a few times. I had to be passively rude to him by ignoring him, closing doors when I did not want to be disturbed. I don't know how many times I had to tell him to ask our boss the questions he was asking me because he did not want to appear dumber than he was to our boss.
I knew I had finally made some progress when he walked up behind me one time and instead of asking me to move so he could by, he practically ran getting away from me when I glanced over my shoulder to see who had walked up.
He is still rude, plops down in his chair, sighs a lot but now he is at least tolerable. |
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Expert
Posts: 1255
| My boss is hard to be around he's up Perfectionist real bad so he has me do stuff like clean the bathroom with a tooth brush and he's always raising his voice all day long unless he gets real bad then he just leaves .can't stand it but I'm in a small town where they don't like to hire unless you speak Spanish.
There's 5 who work there but I have to do the stuff that no one else likes
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 Ditch the Stirrups
Posts: 5369
Location: Sorrow Not! Defending against workplace bullies | myhre - 2014-02-06 8:47 PM
My boss is hard to be around he's up Perfectionist real bad so he has me do stuff like clean the bathroom with a tooth brush and he's always raising his voice all day long unless he gets real bad then he just leaves .can't stand it but I'm in a small town where they don't like to hire unless you speak Spanish.
There's 5 who work there but I have to do the stuff that no one else likes
Are you serious? You have to clean the bathroom with a toothbrush? I think I would rather learn Spanish LOL. Honestly though your boss sounds more than annoying....he sounds abusive. |
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OT-Annoying People at work