Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Welcome to Hotel Hell. Check in time is now. Check out time is never.

Annoying coworkers. We all have them. Sure, some are worse than others, but no matter where you work, they’re always there, driving you a little crazy. It could be the woman who won’t stop talking about all the cute things her kids do. Or the girl who obsesses over her cats…and cat pictures. Or the guy who spends most of his day on the phone discussing his time playing World of Warcraft (whatever that is).

I was used to the ones in my old office. I could easily tune out the girl who talked in a baby voice or the woman who counted every calorie everyone in the office ate. But now that I’m in a new office, I’m experiencing a whole new world of people’s quirks.

It hit me when I was sitting at my desk last week listening to my coworker blast another loud, screaming, angry heavy metal song. I mentally started ticking off the annoyances I’ve tried to ignore over my first few months and wondered how the heck I hadn’t really noticed them before.

Sure, there are the normal annoyances, like the nose-whistling breathers or the tuna salad aficionados (sick). And I honestly thought the coworker who constantly talked about her beloved pet rats was the worst offender. But then one day (and many after), I overheard two women swapping their hunting stories, complete with excessively graphic details. At the mere mention of “kill shots” and “gutting”, I went running out of my cube. I’m a city girl, thankyouverymuch. And I don’t want to hear about how you gunned down Bambi’s mom over the weekend (sob).

And I’m not saying I’m not the annoying coworker to someone else. I'm sure I am. I always feel so guilty when I bring an apple to eat. There’s no way to cut it, so I have to eat it straight up and I feel like every bite echoes like a gunshot across the office. Whoops.

So originally I was going to write this post about how avoid/deal with/rise above annoying coworkers. But where’s the fun in that? We all have our stories, so why not share them here? Hearing about other people’s obnoxious coworkers might make ours look a little less annoying. So let’s help each other commiserate.

And in the meantime, check out Annoying Coworker to read other people’s office rants. They’re quite funny. And they definitely make you feel a lot better about your own annoying coworkers.

18 comments:

Melanie's Randomness said...

My office is beyond annoying. I work with 5 very sports crazed men. They listen to every Yankee day game on the radio & somehow they rigged the TV to be at a delay to the radio broadcast so they can hear what happens & then run to the conference room where they have the game on. I don't even work in a sports office, I work with phone books!!

The hunting stories would have driven me out of my cube too! I wish I had a cubicle so I can drown out the games!!

Hey everybody here I'm also doing a giveaway at my blog! If you get a chance, stop by! =)

"Wine Glasses Giveaway"

Amy said...

I just have to say that that is my favorite Office quote of all time.

Anonymous said...

I wasn't looking at the author of this post in my google reader and thought it was from one of my coworker friends. I about picked up the phone to ask her which lady was going hunting. I had my ideas. :)
Ok...I must confess, I eat tuna sometimes. But I work in a department with two guys from China and one guy from Nepal. They have some crazy smelling food. :)

I love where my office is. Before, I used to go crazy with all the noise.

Hope things get better.

Anonymous said...

My old manager would come into the office with his toothbrush, complete with paste squished down in the bristles, and then proceed to brush his teeth while talking to me, and then spit in my trashcan. It was so gross.

Also, he would grab shit out of my purse, even after I asked him not to.

AND I got to listen to his screaming fights with his wife and hear him talk about their sex life.

It was awesome working with him.

Amy said...

That Annoying Coworker site is blocked by my company :( Another annoying thing about work ;)

I have the misfortune of sitting by the printer and ppl are constantly asking me questions about how to work it and complaining to me that the paper tray is empty (is that part of my job description now??). AND now Big Brother is making us swipe our badges before faxing anything so ppl are always asking to borrow my badge.

I suppose it could be worse though...

Girl About Business said...

How ironic is it that I just started a series called Coworker Confessions today, that you decide to write about annoying coworkers. Head over to my blog to read my rants!

http://girlaboutbusiness.blogspot.com

Jessie said...

the most annoying coworkers are the ones that keep their IM sounds on so everyone can hear them dinging with ever chat session...so annoying!

Lisa said...

I work with one woman who's perfectly nice but blithely unaware that she has a really loud speaking voice. She'll hold hour-long desk-side meetings instead of grabbing a meeting room, or call her kids and talk at max volume. I'm sure everyone sitting within an 8 ft. radius can hear where she'll be picking them up from.

Corporate Chickee said...

I'm really irritated today... so this should get interesting!

1. the loud music CONSTANTLY playing in the next office over. Seriously, it's like a live concert all day long. No idea how she gets any work done.
2. the guy who shakes his Iced Starbucks all morning in an attempt to 'mix' it. It literally lasts about 20-minutes at a time, all morning long. He's three offices away and I can still hear it. Grr.
3. the negative nellies - I get it, you hate your life. We don't, and we don't really want to hear all of your gripes about life in general.
4. the chain-jumpers - the people who constantly jump over your head in the chain of command. Just follow the protocol, morons. It makes everyone's life easier.
5. the "I'm way more important that everyone else" people. Enough said.

http://corporate-chickee.blogspot.com

Ellen said...

Pet rat? That takes the cake. Eww. I currently work from home, so if I'm annoyed with anyone, it's usually ME. But yeah, I had a cube neighbor once that would give me a play by play of something her 3 year-old said or did the night before and it drove me NUTS! She'd go on and on for ten minutes: "And then Lacy asked Mommy...and Mommy told her..." and I'd just nod my head as I replied to emails. Then I'd have to hear the story at least three more times as she attacked her next victim. Awful.

http://www.firednfabulous.blogspot.com/

Worleebird said...

I work in an office full of ladies + one gay man. There's a strong sense of collaboration, but also a lot of emotions running high...

Great post!

LoveBergs said...

I have a coworker who farts all the time, and then sprays HORRIBLE perfume to try to cover it up... (but thats impossible) and another who calls her insurance company arguing with them why they should pay for her Boob job, and therapy bills, oh and her son being a drug dealer...

Becky said...

Say it with me people: volume control. Regardless of who comes in or out of our branch (I work with a lot of active military so they rotate a lot), the person in the cube next to me ALWAYS has problems with volume control. I don't care if your cat needs to be fed an extra time today, and the person three cubicle rows over doesn't either, thanks.

MrsDixon said...

Very cute blog! This is so true...I would surely be annoyed if I heard anyone talking about their "kill'!

Anonymous said...

LOL...This is hilarious. I love the "nose-whistling" comment. I think we all know someone like this. But, yes, it's true. Annoying people are EVERYWHERE. No matter where you go, there is no escaping that fact.

miss_kay said...

My office is definitely dynamic, last year I was on the verge of quitting bc I worked in such a hostile environment I just didn't think I could take it anymore. Fortunately, I ended up getting a promotion within the company, different department, and hella nice perks!!! I love my job now, but I still have the occasional annoying coworkers. The sale executive next to me, works without his shoe on, and spits phlegm into his bin, while I try to tune this out. It's all gross..eww..Everyone's nice in my area now, but this one guys personal hygiene is definitely not something fun. Worse part is he's a nice guy, so I feel totally bad bashing him.

E said...

Oh you so need to watch the Dane Cook skit on you tube about "That Guy" about no matter where you work there is always "that guy" lol

prashant said...

I don't even work in a sports office, I work with phone books!!
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