I work in an office with approximately 90-100 people. This building is kind of split up into different smaller sections, and at a maximum there are 21 people sitting in the same area as me.
Often, some of these people will be participating in the same teleconference. That is, several people will be on the same phone call at the same time. This becomes very frustrating to be nearby once the call gets underway because they're trying to talk over one another and end up being much louder than they need to be. In addition, sometimes one or more of them put it on speaker-phone at their desks, and there's a lag between when they talk and when it comes through the phone line. This creates an echo effect, and essentially listeners in the office are subjected to hearing one person speak twice.
Sometimes one or more of these people in the office will actually put their headset on mute, stand up, and speak to one another over the cubicles while at their respective desks. WHY???!?!?!??!?
Despite being aggravated by listening to participants speaking too loudly in the office space, and having to hear people's echo, my main gripe is this burning question: why don't they just book a conference room and get on the call together? There are several conference rooms available at any one given time. In fact, there is one less than 40 feet away from anyone in this area of the office! Not only would this solve the loud-talking and echo issues, but they could even talk amongst themselves without participating in the call if they chose to do so (side discussions), eliminating the obvious issue of satisfying one's own needs at the expense of others.
Showing posts with label noise pollution. Show all posts
Showing posts with label noise pollution. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Thursday, June 12, 2014
#123 Voice Volume
A guy that I work with is notorious for having a loud, booming voice. Apparently all of our company's customers that interact with him just love him because he's nice or whatever, but I am so annoyed by him for many, many reasons.
When I first started working at this company, we had to work on a project together. He called me by a different name on a number of occasions: Melissa, Michelle, Lisa (don't ask me how you get Lisa from Melanie... I will never know). He has also sent numerous emails to a different Melanie (probably the only other person in the entire company who shares my first name) because he once sent her an email so her name pops up in the "To:" field first (and he's too oblivious to notice). My name is not that difficult. If I had a strange or unusual name that is predominant in a foreign country, I could totally understand that someone could have some difficulty with it. I could also understand if perhaps we didn't work together often, but this guy saw me in the office every single day.
He also draws out many filler words. "Yeaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh" or "oooooooooooookaaaaaaaayyyy" or even "wellllllllllllllllll" are ones he uses often. Then he passes by and starts off with, "Heeeeeeeeyyyyy there." A simple, "Good morning" or "Hello" would suffice, thanks.
This guy is lucky enough to have an office. He frequently has conversations with coworkers outside of his office, and his voice can literally be heard clear across half the building (or farther!). This is particularly distracting when a) I'm on the phone (this causes difficulty hearing the person(s) on the other end of the line, and b) when the conversation is non-work related, which is often the case.
Actually, conversations that occur within his office are particularly distracting as well. He will actually talk louder while he's on the phone in his office than when he has a face-to-face conversation with someone. On a few different occasions I have actually walked over to his office and closed the door while he was talking to someone (either on speakerphone, on the telephone handset, or in-person).
I don't understand why, if there is a door on your office, you don't CLOSE IT when you're having a conversation. No one wants to hear what you're talking about! If you want someone to join the conversation, please invite them into your office. If you don't want people to hear a private conversation, close the door. Additionally, lowering your voice is helpful, too! In most cases, the conversations this guy is having are of absolutely no interest to me.
Some people would argue that I could just ignore him. To that argument I say, "It's easier said than done." Even with earbuds playing music or laboratory-issued certified hearing protection for noisy environments, I can STILL hear hear his voice. It's ridiculous.
When I first started working at this company, we had to work on a project together. He called me by a different name on a number of occasions: Melissa, Michelle, Lisa (don't ask me how you get Lisa from Melanie... I will never know). He has also sent numerous emails to a different Melanie (probably the only other person in the entire company who shares my first name) because he once sent her an email so her name pops up in the "To:" field first (and he's too oblivious to notice). My name is not that difficult. If I had a strange or unusual name that is predominant in a foreign country, I could totally understand that someone could have some difficulty with it. I could also understand if perhaps we didn't work together often, but this guy saw me in the office every single day.
He also draws out many filler words. "Yeaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh" or "oooooooooooookaaaaaaaayyyy" or even "wellllllllllllllllll" are ones he uses often. Then he passes by and starts off with, "Heeeeeeeeyyyyy there." A simple, "Good morning" or "Hello" would suffice, thanks.
This guy is lucky enough to have an office. He frequently has conversations with coworkers outside of his office, and his voice can literally be heard clear across half the building (or farther!). This is particularly distracting when a) I'm on the phone (this causes difficulty hearing the person(s) on the other end of the line, and b) when the conversation is non-work related, which is often the case.
Actually, conversations that occur within his office are particularly distracting as well. He will actually talk louder while he's on the phone in his office than when he has a face-to-face conversation with someone. On a few different occasions I have actually walked over to his office and closed the door while he was talking to someone (either on speakerphone, on the telephone handset, or in-person).
I don't understand why, if there is a door on your office, you don't CLOSE IT when you're having a conversation. No one wants to hear what you're talking about! If you want someone to join the conversation, please invite them into your office. If you don't want people to hear a private conversation, close the door. Additionally, lowering your voice is helpful, too! In most cases, the conversations this guy is having are of absolutely no interest to me.
Some people would argue that I could just ignore him. To that argument I say, "It's easier said than done." Even with earbuds playing music or laboratory-issued certified hearing protection for noisy environments, I can STILL hear hear his voice. It's ridiculous.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
#110 Copier Issues
Technology is a force to be reckoned with. It is in our everyday lives, and is nearly impossible to avoid.
At my office there are several "copy" machines which are used for making copies, printing, faxing, and scanning. Don't get me started about faxing, but using this machine is pretty straightforward. This type of machine has been around for at least a decade, so people who have been in office settings for quite some time should be accustomed to them.
However, this is apparently not the case. My desk is situated within earshot of this multipurpose machine, and people are routinely perplexed by the multitude of functions available. They are also frustrated when something goes wrong, and just look at the machine as if their eyes should be able to solve the problem rather than following some simple steps in order to resolve the issue.
For example, according to this Wikipedia page, the US and Canada are the only countries that have not adopted the ISO standard for paper sizes. In this day and age of global business practices, it should be expected that some documents will get formatted to an "A4" or other ISO paper size. So when they are printed in the US or Canada the printers don't recognize this size and require assistance from the user. I don't usually think to check the document size before I print so I wouldn't expect anyone else to check either, but the printer starts freaking out and beeping and flashing lights to alert the user that there was an error and some assistance is required. There's a bright red button that you have to push and select an alternate paper size because that paper size isn't already loaded in the printer. LITERALLY it's just two steps, but people just can't seem to figure it out or comprehend what happened!
There is also someone in my office who regularly has to scan documents. However, the sheets of paper this person receives to scan are always crinkled up with corners folded and dirty and just overall not very "flat" pieces of paper. This person tries to use the auto-feed feature where the printer sucks the paper in, scans it, then spits it back out, but since the sheets of paper are so untidy they tend to jam the machine which makes the process take longer and results in this person swearing at the machine under their breath.
Also, adding paper to the machine..... I really fail to see the difficulty in this task, however yesterday someone managed to fill the machine with paper on THE OTHER SIDE of the plastic divider that holds the paper in place. But seriously, don't get me started on printer paper replenishment. This person just could NOT figure out why their document didn't print even though they JUST loaded the printer full of paper.
At my office there are several "copy" machines which are used for making copies, printing, faxing, and scanning. Don't get me started about faxing, but using this machine is pretty straightforward. This type of machine has been around for at least a decade, so people who have been in office settings for quite some time should be accustomed to them.
However, this is apparently not the case. My desk is situated within earshot of this multipurpose machine, and people are routinely perplexed by the multitude of functions available. They are also frustrated when something goes wrong, and just look at the machine as if their eyes should be able to solve the problem rather than following some simple steps in order to resolve the issue.
For example, according to this Wikipedia page, the US and Canada are the only countries that have not adopted the ISO standard for paper sizes. In this day and age of global business practices, it should be expected that some documents will get formatted to an "A4" or other ISO paper size. So when they are printed in the US or Canada the printers don't recognize this size and require assistance from the user. I don't usually think to check the document size before I print so I wouldn't expect anyone else to check either, but the printer starts freaking out and beeping and flashing lights to alert the user that there was an error and some assistance is required. There's a bright red button that you have to push and select an alternate paper size because that paper size isn't already loaded in the printer. LITERALLY it's just two steps, but people just can't seem to figure it out or comprehend what happened!
There is also someone in my office who regularly has to scan documents. However, the sheets of paper this person receives to scan are always crinkled up with corners folded and dirty and just overall not very "flat" pieces of paper. This person tries to use the auto-feed feature where the printer sucks the paper in, scans it, then spits it back out, but since the sheets of paper are so untidy they tend to jam the machine which makes the process take longer and results in this person swearing at the machine under their breath.
Also, adding paper to the machine..... I really fail to see the difficulty in this task, however yesterday someone managed to fill the machine with paper on THE OTHER SIDE of the plastic divider that holds the paper in place. But seriously, don't get me started on printer paper replenishment. This person just could NOT figure out why their document didn't print even though they JUST loaded the printer full of paper.
Friday, December 7, 2012
#108 Volume Level (TV / radio)
Everyone's sense of hearing is a little different. What is too loud for one person can be perfectly acceptable or too quiet for someone else. However, when it comes to electronics that have sound controls, everyone should turn the volume down to a low volume before turning them off.
I recently visited with friends of mine and their 2-year-old daughter was playing with a soft ball. She tossed the ball and it hit the power button on a clock-radio and the radio came on at seemingly full volume. It scared her such that her whole body shook and she started crying because it startled her so badly. Who the hell leaves their clock-radio on the heavy metal station at full blast?!
We have a woman come to our house and clean every couple of weeks. While she's cleaning she turns the TV up really loudly so she can hear it in all parts of the house. However, she doesn't return the volume to a lower level when she leaves, so when we turn the TV on later it's extremely loud. This is horribly inconvenient when my baby's sleeping and I just want to zone out and watch some tv for a while. Instead, the TV wakes up my child and then I can't watch TV because I have to calm a crying baby.
Driving someone else's vehicle is awkward enough - you have to worry about adjusting the seat, mirrors, steering wheel, armrest... so when you turn on the vehicle, the last thing you want is to have the radio blasting your head off, especially if you don't even like their taste in music! Even if they don't leave the radio ON when the vehicle is started, they should still return it to a low volume before turning it OFF as well.
We have a woman come to our house and clean every couple of weeks. While she's cleaning she turns the TV up really loudly so she can hear it in all parts of the house. However, she doesn't return the volume to a lower level when she leaves, so when we turn the TV on later it's extremely loud. This is horribly inconvenient when my baby's sleeping and I just want to zone out and watch some tv for a while. Instead, the TV wakes up my child and then I can't watch TV because I have to calm a crying baby.
Driving someone else's vehicle is awkward enough - you have to worry about adjusting the seat, mirrors, steering wheel, armrest... so when you turn on the vehicle, the last thing you want is to have the radio blasting your head off, especially if you don't even like their taste in music! Even if they don't leave the radio ON when the vehicle is started, they should still return it to a low volume before turning it OFF as well.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
#106 Receiving Calls (Complaining)
This guy just doesn't quit (annoying me). Here's yet another example of what bothers me about vocal-emissions / blah-blah-blah / interjecting-confirmations-guy.
The purpose of having a cell phone at work is so that you can be reached easily and so that people can reach you easily. Taking calls / emails after business hours? Maybe. Sometimes cell phones are company-mandated (they issue one to you and you have to use it), and to what extent you use your phone is up to you and the expectations of your boss. Taking calls during regular business hours? Well, that's to be expected whether you have a cell phone or not.
First, I'd like to state some facts: this guy willingly volunteered his own personal cell phone for company use and didn't request any reimbursement of his bill for at least six months. He wasn't worried about it until he had to call his boss in a foreign country a few times and his wife bitched him out about his phone bill and the excessive charges. I think it was at that point that he started requesting reimbursement, and I'm pretty sure it was only partial reimbursement at that. His phone is not a smartphone, so he's not bogged down by notifications from emails coming in all the time (not that he's good about checking them, anyways), and the only time his phone rings is if (go figure) someone calls him.
I couldn’t tell you exactly how many phone calls he receives or places in any given day. If I had to guess, I'd say he receives maybe about 6-8 calls per day (perhaps one per hour?), which I don't think is excessive since he's working on some pretty in-demand projects which requires collaboration from a lot of different people in several different places.
However, every time he receives a call, he complains. It's always "Aw, come on!" or "Are you serious?!" or "Ugh, geeeeez..." like he is completely shocked that someone is trying to get hold of him. It's as if he just got off of a three-hour conference call and he can't believe he has to take yet another phone call, or it's as if he had just received 17 calls in a row in the past 20 minutes and he can't believe someone else could possibly need something else from him. His cell phone number isn't even listed in the company directory anywhere, so if he didn't want people to have his number, he could have prevented them from getting it by not actually giving it out in the first place. But, he DID volunteer his own personal cell phone for company use, and he DID volunteer giving out his phone number so that anyone could call him whenever they needed him, so I don't feel sorry for him whatsoever. He did this to himself!
If he really didn't want to take any calls, he should just shut his phone off. I'm pretty sure people would get the idea when the call goes straight to voicemail. He has a desk phone to use, and everyone has that number, too. People can just leave a message and he can get back to them. I mean, his ringtone is annoying enough as it is... perhaps he should just put it on vibrate and maybe it won't annoy HIM as much, either!
The purpose of having a cell phone at work is so that you can be reached easily and so that people can reach you easily. Taking calls / emails after business hours? Maybe. Sometimes cell phones are company-mandated (they issue one to you and you have to use it), and to what extent you use your phone is up to you and the expectations of your boss. Taking calls during regular business hours? Well, that's to be expected whether you have a cell phone or not.
First, I'd like to state some facts: this guy willingly volunteered his own personal cell phone for company use and didn't request any reimbursement of his bill for at least six months. He wasn't worried about it until he had to call his boss in a foreign country a few times and his wife bitched him out about his phone bill and the excessive charges. I think it was at that point that he started requesting reimbursement, and I'm pretty sure it was only partial reimbursement at that. His phone is not a smartphone, so he's not bogged down by notifications from emails coming in all the time (not that he's good about checking them, anyways), and the only time his phone rings is if (go figure) someone calls him.
I couldn’t tell you exactly how many phone calls he receives or places in any given day. If I had to guess, I'd say he receives maybe about 6-8 calls per day (perhaps one per hour?), which I don't think is excessive since he's working on some pretty in-demand projects which requires collaboration from a lot of different people in several different places.
If he really didn't want to take any calls, he should just shut his phone off. I'm pretty sure people would get the idea when the call goes straight to voicemail. He has a desk phone to use, and everyone has that number, too. People can just leave a message and he can get back to them. I mean, his ringtone is annoying enough as it is... perhaps he should just put it on vibrate and maybe it won't annoy HIM as much, either!
Monday, August 13, 2012
#105 Audibly-Ticking Watches
Recently I had to attend a meeting with everyone that works in the same building as me, regarding some topics that applied to me and most that did not. While attempting to NOT look like I was falling asleep, I was quickly distracted by someone behind me who I thought was fidgeting. I HATE fidgeting. I thought this person's leg was literally going to bounce off of their body and land on the floor behind me – that's what it sounded like.
Alas, I was mistaken. It wasn't until after I had already shot the culprit a few dirty looks did I realize that they were not, in fact, fidgeting... it was their wristwatch making the noise.
This person had a wristwatch that ticked 4 times every second. All I could focus on for the rest of this boring meeting was this incessant ticking, and I seriously just wanted to rip the watch right off of this person's arm. It just kept ticking, and ticking, and ticking... My head was about, what, 2 or 2.5 feet from this person's wrist? Why could I hear every single tick that came out of this thing? I'm sure other people could hear it, too. Why weren't they bothered by it? Why wasn't the wearer bothered by it? Does the wearer have a hearing impairment? That would be the only way that I could possibly fathom this person is able to wear that watch without being driven completely mad by the relentless ticking of this fucking watch, but I know for a fact that the wearer can hear just fine.
I understand that mechanical watches require the ticking in order to keep time, but with such a new, sophisticated timepiece that this person was wearing, one would be inclined to think that the manufacturer would have placed greater emphasis on buffering the sound being emitted from the device. Unfortunately, that was not the case.
I am not opposed to people wearing watches – I wear a watch (one that ticks) every day on my wrist. I just don't think watches should be able to be heard any farther away than about 2 inches from one's ear (or less!).
Alas, I was mistaken. It wasn't until after I had already shot the culprit a few dirty looks did I realize that they were not, in fact, fidgeting... it was their wristwatch making the noise.
I understand that mechanical watches require the ticking in order to keep time, but with such a new, sophisticated timepiece that this person was wearing, one would be inclined to think that the manufacturer would have placed greater emphasis on buffering the sound being emitted from the device. Unfortunately, that was not the case.
I am not opposed to people wearing watches – I wear a watch (one that ticks) every day on my wrist. I just don't think watches should be able to be heard any farther away than about 2 inches from one's ear (or less!).
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
#103 Key Chains
However, if you (as an adult) have more key chains than keys, that's when I start to get annoyed.
First of all: what are you, 9 years old? Do you need to have a myriad of key chains so that you won't lose your house key to let yourself in after elementary school lets out for the day? Are you proud of your overly-abundant pile of metal and glitter and fuzz that you compare with your friends to show off how cool you are based on the number of obnoxious items on your key ring?
Second: if the sound of your key chains precedes you while walking through any area where people are located, you definitely have too many key chains. I can actually tell who is walking through my office area at work just by the sound of their key chains jangling away as they walk behind/past me. For fuck's sake, put that shit in your pocket or your purse! I don't want to hear that crap! If you MUST carry several keys and several key chains, at least silence them while you’re walking.
Third: what is the purpose of having so many key chains? According to Wikipedia, there are a multitude of uses and purposes for a single key chain. Mainly though, they are used for identification, advertising, souvenir, popular characters and nostalgia-related items. Do I think it's necessary to have a key ring with a key chain of the Eiffel Tower AND Stewie from Family Guy AND a tiny stuffed teddy bear AND a bottle opener AND a skateboard? No. Choose one and call it good. If you really need all of those key chains because you lose your keys often, you have bigger problems than all of the pressure and stress of selecting only one key chain for your key ring.
Friday, June 1, 2012
#098 Interjecting Confirmations
Vocal Emissions-guy strikes again.
He's still exhibiting the same behavior all the time, but now he's gotten even more annoying. He constantly interjects, saying such things as "uh-huh" and "yes, sir" and "gotcha" and "got it" and "excellent" and "sure" and a whole bunch of other terms or phrases to confirm his understanding or agreement with a conversation.
The only problem is that if someone is trying to explain something, he doesn't even wait until that person has finished speaking *an entire sentence* before interjecting. Generally people pause after explaining something to allow the other person in the conversation to ask a question or confirm whether they agree or disagree, but apparently this guy doesn't even have the social aptitude to determine when exactly that is. Either that, or he doesn't care.
I just listened to a conversation this guy had with another guy that sits near me, and he averaged about 3-4 seconds between interjections within a 5-minute conversation. That is OBSCENE. Luckily this guy doesn't spend much time in the office area because he doesn't manage his time well and ends up working 56 hours (or more) a week. However, I don't even have to SEE him to know when he's in the office because I can always HEAR him.
He's still exhibiting the same behavior all the time, but now he's gotten even more annoying. He constantly interjects, saying such things as "uh-huh" and "yes, sir" and "gotcha" and "got it" and "excellent" and "sure" and a whole bunch of other terms or phrases to confirm his understanding or agreement with a conversation.
The only problem is that if someone is trying to explain something, he doesn't even wait until that person has finished speaking *an entire sentence* before interjecting. Generally people pause after explaining something to allow the other person in the conversation to ask a question or confirm whether they agree or disagree, but apparently this guy doesn't even have the social aptitude to determine when exactly that is. Either that, or he doesn't care.
I just listened to a conversation this guy had with another guy that sits near me, and he averaged about 3-4 seconds between interjections within a 5-minute conversation. That is OBSCENE. Luckily this guy doesn't spend much time in the office area because he doesn't manage his time well and ends up working 56 hours (or more) a week. However, I don't even have to SEE him to know when he's in the office because I can always HEAR him.
Monday, February 27, 2012
#090 Slamming Doors (Hotel Rooms)
Hotel rooms are generally very basic, but one safety feature most of them seem to have is the heavy, self-closing door. This is especially helpful if your hands are full of luggage or if you simply forget to push your door closed all the way. Unfortunately this feature can also be very annoying if you're trying to sleep and people down the hall from you are going in and out of their rooms with the doors slamming behind them.
On a recent business trip I stayed in an older hotel that had modern accommodations. The hotel was located in a pretty nice area that seemed to attract mostly middle-to-upper class patrons. All of the doors in this particular hotel were of the heavy, self-closing variety and every time someone used their door (and it slammed) the wall seemed to shake each and every time. This is particularly aggravating when you have changed 6 time zones and your schedule has not yet acclimated to the new time zone. Taking a nap is next to impossible unless you're a very heavy sleeper, and since I'm a light-to-medium sleeper... needless to say, I didn't get much sleep on this trip. Luckily most of the people seemed to be my age and older, so most of them went to sleep around the same time I did, but it was still something that I could have done without.
When I am in this situation and I am aware of things that bother others, I will always do my best to make sure I don't become one of "those people" when it comes to these things. The majority of people won't even realize these things are bothering others. I, however, will make it a point to hold my door as it is closing to make sure it doesn't slam upon latching. I wish others would do the same.
On a recent business trip I stayed in an older hotel that had modern accommodations. The hotel was located in a pretty nice area that seemed to attract mostly middle-to-upper class patrons. All of the doors in this particular hotel were of the heavy, self-closing variety and every time someone used their door (and it slammed) the wall seemed to shake each and every time. This is particularly aggravating when you have changed 6 time zones and your schedule has not yet acclimated to the new time zone. Taking a nap is next to impossible unless you're a very heavy sleeper, and since I'm a light-to-medium sleeper... needless to say, I didn't get much sleep on this trip. Luckily most of the people seemed to be my age and older, so most of them went to sleep around the same time I did, but it was still something that I could have done without.
When I am in this situation and I am aware of things that bother others, I will always do my best to make sure I don't become one of "those people" when it comes to these things. The majority of people won't even realize these things are bothering others. I, however, will make it a point to hold my door as it is closing to make sure it doesn't slam upon latching. I wish others would do the same.
Monday, February 6, 2012
#088 Conversation Fillers
People who don't really know what they're talking about will face harsher criticism and will often end up irritating the people around them, making it increasingly difficult for those that can help to actually do it. Example: "So, I have this Thing-A that attaches to Thing-B, but then this other guy came and replaced Thing-A with Thing-C and now it's different, blah blah blah, aaaanywaaaaaays...." (and so on).
I have a theory about people that can't effectively communicate what they want or that try "to make a long story short": they have no idea what they're talking about.
I work with a guy that says "blah blah blah" in the middle of virtually every conversation he has. He just goes ON AND ON about what he's trying to explain, and the only thing I can figure out about him is either (or both) of the following:
1. He really doesn't have a clue what he's talking about.
2. He likes to hear himself talk to make himself seem important and an asset to the company so he doesn't get fired.
Figure out what you're asking for and get as much information as you can so you don't look like an idiot. Do research if necessary. Otherwise, keep your mouth shut!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
#087 Conference Calls
Conference calls themselves really don't bother me. Sure, they're often boring and stereotypical, and people tend to just regurgitate the same information just in a different way that makes them sound unique and profound (like they actually know what they're talking about).
What really bothers me is other people's lack of respect while people are on a conference call. It's difficult enough to try to understand people with certain types of foreign accents, so it's really distracting and irritating when people are walking by my desk and having loud and/or casual conversations while I'm trying to focus. I wish I had my own office, because that would really solve this issue... but I don't and I can't do anything about that. When possible, I try to book a conference room to have some privacy but those aren't always available, either.
For some reason, people seem to forget what an appropriate "office voice" is and how loudly they should speak to one another while in the presence of others.
Monday, January 16, 2012
#085 Squeaky Toddler Shoes
On a recent vacation I flew on an airplane to a much warmer climate. While waiting in the TSA security checkpoint prior to my departure, I was forced to listen to a toddler (accompanied by her parents) walk through the line with squeakers inside of her shoes. Every single time she took a step, a "squeak" was emitted from her shoes. This sounded like the same type of squeaker commonly found in dog and cat toys.
Upon further investigation, there are several sites and several manufacturers of similar types of shoes in existence! Quite honestly, I am thankful I have never heard of these shoes before (because I would have blogged about it then), and I hope I never have to hear them again. Think about it: children have shorter legs and therefore have to take many more steps than adults. Each time the child takes a step you hear a squeak. How awful!
I mean, I get it: you're travelling with your young child and you want to keep tabs on them without having to literally put one of those baby-leashes on them, and the squeaky shoes will help you do just that (I guess). But, there's GOT to be a better way to keep track of your child than to put shoes with squeakers on them!
Upon further investigation, there are several sites and several manufacturers of similar types of shoes in existence! Quite honestly, I am thankful I have never heard of these shoes before (because I would have blogged about it then), and I hope I never have to hear them again. Think about it: children have shorter legs and therefore have to take many more steps than adults. Each time the child takes a step you hear a squeak. How awful!
I mean, I get it: you're travelling with your young child and you want to keep tabs on them without having to literally put one of those baby-leashes on them, and the squeaky shoes will help you do just that (I guess). But, there's GOT to be a better way to keep track of your child than to put shoes with squeakers on them!
Friday, October 21, 2011
#077 Pocket Change
So if you use cash, as fewer and fewer of us are doing these days, you are likely to end up with some change in coins. While women have change purses to store loose change, men typically do not. And for some reason unbeknownst to me, men tend to accumulate massive more amounts of change than women.
I've noticed that men tend to collect this change in their pockets, and once it's in there it's for some reason irresistible to them: they can't stop jingling the coins together in their pocket! Is it a nervous habit? Are they just generally fidgety? Whatever the reason they do it, it absolutely drives me crazy.
Monday, October 3, 2011
#073 Shouting Conversations
It is unbelievable how lazy we have become these days. I am so annoyed when someone sitting over 20 feet from me strikes up a conversation but refuses to pick their (able-bodied) lazy ass up out of the chair and come talk to me.
I was sitting at a dinner table at someone's house the other day while (go figure) eating dinner, when another person decided to start a conversation with me... while seated in a completely different room. This person was either on the computer or watching television... basically doing something that required little attention. At the same time I was eating, they were literally shouting to me in order for me to hear them, and I had to shout back. Had I not been eating I would have gladly gotten up and relocated myself to their location to have a normal conversation at a normal volume. Instead, they proceeded to shout back and forth to me, waiting for me to respond in between mouthfuls of food. How incredibly rude!
Currently I am fortunate enough to sit in a relatively small office space, but there have been other occasions where I have not been so lucky. I have been in several situations where people would literally shout to me over the tops of cubicles to ask me a question. Let me put it to you this way: if you need to shout, you're too far away. If you're that far away, pick up the phone and call me, or even write me an email if you're THAT lazy to get up and come talk to me. In just about every case, that other person could probably have benefited from getting what little physical effort it took to actually pick themselves up and walk over to me. If it is impossible for you to comply with my request for you to be physically near me when engaging in conversation, I honestly would rather not speak to you at all.
I was sitting at a dinner table at someone's house the other day while (go figure) eating dinner, when another person decided to start a conversation with me... while seated in a completely different room. This person was either on the computer or watching television... basically doing something that required little attention. At the same time I was eating, they were literally shouting to me in order for me to hear them, and I had to shout back. Had I not been eating I would have gladly gotten up and relocated myself to their location to have a normal conversation at a normal volume. Instead, they proceeded to shout back and forth to me, waiting for me to respond in between mouthfuls of food. How incredibly rude!
Monday, July 25, 2011
#064 Pronunciation (English + other languages)
There are several words used regularly in the English language that have been borrowed from other languages. Below are a few random examples.
bagel: a Yiddish word defined as a ring-shaped bread roll made by boiling then baking the dough
vodka: a Russian word defined as an alcoholic liquor distilled from fermented mash of wheat, rye, corn, or potatoes
tofu: a Japanese word defined as a bean curd
graffiti: an Italian word defined as "scratched"
A good friend of mine was at a grocery store (in the United States) the other day and witnessed a child (around age 8) and his mother selecting a package of thin, flat cornmeal pancakes... also known as tortillas. The child said something about getting tortillas [tawr-tee-uhs], but his mother (in)corrected him by pronouncing the Ls [tawr-till-uhs].
My friend did what was likely the "right" thing by keeping her mouth shut and not say anything to the mother or the child, but had I been there I would not have been so nice. I would have spoken up and told her that she was wrong and her child was right! I'm not saying that they or anyone else for that matter has to pronounce a "foreign" word with that country's indigenous accent, but at least pronounce the word with the same fundamentals.
As a parent, you are your child's first teacher. If you're stupid, then you're going to teach your kids to do the same stupid things that you do. Not sure how to spell something? Look it up! Don't go through life thinking that you're spelling "independance" correctly because that's how you saw someone else spell it. Do the rest of the world a favor (making it a better place for the rest of us) by NOT passing on your ignorance to the future generations of this country.
bagel: a Yiddish word defined as a ring-shaped bread roll made by boiling then baking the dough
vodka: a Russian word defined as an alcoholic liquor distilled from fermented mash of wheat, rye, corn, or potatoes
tofu: a Japanese word defined as a bean curd
graffiti: an Italian word defined as "scratched"
A good friend of mine was at a grocery store (in the United States) the other day and witnessed a child (around age 8) and his mother selecting a package of thin, flat cornmeal pancakes... also known as tortillas. The child said something about getting tortillas [tawr-tee-uhs], but his mother (in)corrected him by pronouncing the Ls [tawr-till-uhs].
My friend did what was likely the "right" thing by keeping her mouth shut and not say anything to the mother or the child, but had I been there I would not have been so nice. I would have spoken up and told her that she was wrong and her child was right! I'm not saying that they or anyone else for that matter has to pronounce a "foreign" word with that country's indigenous accent, but at least pronounce the word with the same fundamentals.
As a parent, you are your child's first teacher. If you're stupid, then you're going to teach your kids to do the same stupid things that you do. Not sure how to spell something? Look it up! Don't go through life thinking that you're spelling "independance" correctly because that's how you saw someone else spell it. Do the rest of the world a favor (making it a better place for the rest of us) by NOT passing on your ignorance to the future generations of this country.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
#063 Excessive Music Volume in Drive-Throughs
Imagine you've been working and you haven't eaten all day, and you're practically dying of starvation. You pull your vehicle into the nearest fast-food restaurant and go into the drive-through. You’re just about to place your order when a vehicle pulls up in line behind you with their music practically as loud as possible.
I don't know about you, but when I get super hungry I get really bitchy, too. So the fact that someone wouldn’t turn down their music volume while I’m trying to order some food would piss me off so badly that I might just be inclined to do something irrational. They will have to turn it down when they pull up to the speaker anyways, so when you're that close together everyone around you can hear it, too. This makes for very difficult order-placing and order-taking, and everyone has to repeat themselves to make sure it is correct which pretty much defeats the purpose of the drive-through (efficiency).
Do yourself and your surroundings a favor and save whatever hearing ability you have left by turning down your music ALWAYS.
I don't know about you, but when I get super hungry I get really bitchy, too. So the fact that someone wouldn’t turn down their music volume while I’m trying to order some food would piss me off so badly that I might just be inclined to do something irrational. They will have to turn it down when they pull up to the speaker anyways, so when you're that close together everyone around you can hear it, too. This makes for very difficult order-placing and order-taking, and everyone has to repeat themselves to make sure it is correct which pretty much defeats the purpose of the drive-through (efficiency).
Do yourself and your surroundings a favor and save whatever hearing ability you have left by turning down your music ALWAYS.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
#061 Nail Clipping
Fingernails and toenails grow over time, and there's really no getting around that. In fact, according to Wikipedia, human fingernails grow 3 millimeters per month on average. Impressive! However, nail clipping in public simply is NOT acceptable.
Nail clipping is a form of personal hygiene; after all, the length of yours depends on your preference, much like the length of the hairs on your body. Why would you do something like this in public? Lately there seems to be quite a number of people clipping their nails near me, and it drives me completely insane.
First of all – it's kind of gross. Did you wash your hands before you clipped your nails? Did you sterilize, or even somewhat clean your nail clipper? Unlikely (for both).
Second of all, THAT SOUND….. ugh. The sharp snipping sound that it makes, which is only amplified in a larger room (such as an office space), is just absolutely excruciating. I could understand if perhaps you chipped a nail on something and you need to clip the rest of it off to smooth the end of it, but clipping all of your nails IN SUCCESSION should be something that is done in the privacy of your own home, or at very least in the restroom.
Nail clipping is a form of personal hygiene; after all, the length of yours depends on your preference, much like the length of the hairs on your body. Why would you do something like this in public? Lately there seems to be quite a number of people clipping their nails near me, and it drives me completely insane.
First of all – it's kind of gross. Did you wash your hands before you clipped your nails? Did you sterilize, or even somewhat clean your nail clipper? Unlikely (for both).
Second of all, THAT SOUND….. ugh. The sharp snipping sound that it makes, which is only amplified in a larger room (such as an office space), is just absolutely excruciating. I could understand if perhaps you chipped a nail on something and you need to clip the rest of it off to smooth the end of it, but clipping all of your nails IN SUCCESSION should be something that is done in the privacy of your own home, or at very least in the restroom.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
#055 Talking With Food In Your Mouth
Growing up, I didn't spend an abundance of time with my immediate family as a whole, but the time we typically spent together was at mealtime. If there was anything I learned from my mother about table etiquette, it was this: never talk with food in your mouth.
While I realize that I often blog about inefficiencies and time wasting (especially when it comes to hearing/listening), communication is something that must not be rushed while eating. It is very common in our society to socialize during meals, and I have absolutely NO PROBLEM with this. However, it is completely inappropriate to take a large bite of food and then proceed to start a conversation. Not only is it inappropriate, but it's really difficult to try to make out the words you're trying to say with a mouth full of food! I will likely ask you to repeat yourself anyway, making the process inefficient and totally annoying. I would rather just wait until you're done.
If you and I were sitting down to a meal, and we were carrying on a conversation prior to the meal being served, I would absolutely expect the scene to carry out as follows:
Me: "How was work today?" Take a bite; chew.
You: finish chewing; "It totally sucked; Mike is such an asshole." Take a bite; chew.
Me: finish chewing; "Oh yeah? What happened?" Take another bite; chew.
You: finish chewing; "He’s just a whiny bitch, that's all." Take another bite; chew.
(etc.)
Don't try to combine any of the above chewing / talking combinations. Doing so will only frustrate and enrage the other person (provided that person has manners and uses proper etiquette on a regular basis!).
Also, if I ask you a question while you're eating, I fully expect you to wait to answer my question until after you've cleared all of the food from your mouth. I won't get impatient that you're not answering me; I can clearly see that you’re eating!
While I realize that I often blog about inefficiencies and time wasting (especially when it comes to hearing/listening), communication is something that must not be rushed while eating. It is very common in our society to socialize during meals, and I have absolutely NO PROBLEM with this. However, it is completely inappropriate to take a large bite of food and then proceed to start a conversation. Not only is it inappropriate, but it's really difficult to try to make out the words you're trying to say with a mouth full of food! I will likely ask you to repeat yourself anyway, making the process inefficient and totally annoying. I would rather just wait until you're done.
If you and I were sitting down to a meal, and we were carrying on a conversation prior to the meal being served, I would absolutely expect the scene to carry out as follows:
Me: "How was work today?" Take a bite; chew.
You: finish chewing; "It totally sucked; Mike is such an asshole." Take a bite; chew.
Me: finish chewing; "Oh yeah? What happened?" Take another bite; chew.
You: finish chewing; "He’s just a whiny bitch, that's all." Take another bite; chew.
(etc.)
Don't try to combine any of the above chewing / talking combinations. Doing so will only frustrate and enrage the other person (provided that person has manners and uses proper etiquette on a regular basis!).
Also, if I ask you a question while you're eating, I fully expect you to wait to answer my question until after you've cleared all of the food from your mouth. I won't get impatient that you're not answering me; I can clearly see that you’re eating!
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
#053 Office Etiquette (Conference Rooms)
In an office setting, conference rooms are extremely resourceful. Whether you're having a conference through the internet, a telephone conference or even just a meeting with associates at your location, conference rooms can give you the resources and privacy needed to discuss project-related or sensitive topics.
At one of my previous jobs, my desk was situated directly across from the door to a conference room. That is, I could turn my head to the right and look directly inside the room and see all the chairs and the table. There would constantly be people meeting in this room, sometimes just meeting in person but often having telephone conferences. This room was actually constructed out of what was originally a few cubicles, so walls were constructed in their place to form an enclosed room. However, when they constructed this room, they did not insulate the walls. Every time there was a telephone conference I could literally hear every word everyone was saying when the door was open but ALSO when it was closed! Closing the door made the sound a bit more muffled, but I eventually kept a small fan at my desk and turned it on to drown out the noise.
When there are desks / cubicles near conference rooms, it is not polite to leave the door open. It's not so much the content of the meeting that needs to remain private (although often it is), but rather the fact that having a conversation about anything near anyone that doesn't need to hear it is kind of rude. Point 1: Keep conference room doors closed.
Another useful tool when it comes to conference rooms is the ability to reserve them. From my past experience, most companies manage the use of conference rooms through the company's email client. This makes it easy to see which rooms are available and when, and also to manage them when there is a conflict. However, it is SO ANNOYING when you actually book a room and someone else is using the room but didn't bother to check the schedule for that room.
Two days in a row now I have had a meeting in the morning, and both days there has been the same person in the room, using the room literally as a personal office. This person is a repeat offender – they frequently use this room without reserving it, then when I or others hover outside the room until they notice, they emerge from the room and ask, "Oh, do you have this room now?". Uhhhhhh... YEAH, had you bothered to check the schedule, you would have seen when my meeting was scheduled, so you can go call-in to your telephone conference either from your own desk or another conference room that was not reserved. Better yet, you likely know AHEAD OF TIME that you have to call-in to a telephone conference, so why don't you (*gasp*) reserve a room for that time so you can make sure that no one disturbs you! Point 2: Reserve a conference room if you need one.
At my current job, I sit near a manager's office (a small room with a window and door). Very often there are people that stop by to chat with him, have meetings, and also to have conference calls (rather than reserving a conference room). There are times when people will stop by either on purpose or just to chat, and they will actually stand in the doorway and talk to the manager as opposed to going inside the office, sitting down and having the conversation at a reasonable volume. Instead, from the doorway, they will carry on a conversation at a completely unreasonable "office" volume and joke, laugh and carry on for several minutes – once it lasted up to 45 minutes. The manager is pretty mindful of their surroundings, but it's the people that come talk to the manager that are completely disrespectful. Point 3: If there is a room with a door, get in the room and close the door before proceeding with your conversation.
At one of my previous jobs, my desk was situated directly across from the door to a conference room. That is, I could turn my head to the right and look directly inside the room and see all the chairs and the table. There would constantly be people meeting in this room, sometimes just meeting in person but often having telephone conferences. This room was actually constructed out of what was originally a few cubicles, so walls were constructed in their place to form an enclosed room. However, when they constructed this room, they did not insulate the walls. Every time there was a telephone conference I could literally hear every word everyone was saying when the door was open but ALSO when it was closed! Closing the door made the sound a bit more muffled, but I eventually kept a small fan at my desk and turned it on to drown out the noise.
When there are desks / cubicles near conference rooms, it is not polite to leave the door open. It's not so much the content of the meeting that needs to remain private (although often it is), but rather the fact that having a conversation about anything near anyone that doesn't need to hear it is kind of rude. Point 1: Keep conference room doors closed.
Another useful tool when it comes to conference rooms is the ability to reserve them. From my past experience, most companies manage the use of conference rooms through the company's email client. This makes it easy to see which rooms are available and when, and also to manage them when there is a conflict. However, it is SO ANNOYING when you actually book a room and someone else is using the room but didn't bother to check the schedule for that room.
Two days in a row now I have had a meeting in the morning, and both days there has been the same person in the room, using the room literally as a personal office. This person is a repeat offender – they frequently use this room without reserving it, then when I or others hover outside the room until they notice, they emerge from the room and ask, "Oh, do you have this room now?". Uhhhhhh... YEAH, had you bothered to check the schedule, you would have seen when my meeting was scheduled, so you can go call-in to your telephone conference either from your own desk or another conference room that was not reserved. Better yet, you likely know AHEAD OF TIME that you have to call-in to a telephone conference, so why don't you (*gasp*) reserve a room for that time so you can make sure that no one disturbs you! Point 2: Reserve a conference room if you need one.
At my current job, I sit near a manager's office (a small room with a window and door). Very often there are people that stop by to chat with him, have meetings, and also to have conference calls (rather than reserving a conference room). There are times when people will stop by either on purpose or just to chat, and they will actually stand in the doorway and talk to the manager as opposed to going inside the office, sitting down and having the conversation at a reasonable volume. Instead, from the doorway, they will carry on a conversation at a completely unreasonable "office" volume and joke, laugh and carry on for several minutes – once it lasted up to 45 minutes. The manager is pretty mindful of their surroundings, but it's the people that come talk to the manager that are completely disrespectful. Point 3: If there is a room with a door, get in the room and close the door before proceeding with your conversation.
Monday, May 9, 2011
#051 Names (Shortening)
I am not typically a fan of name shortening, unless the person whose name is being shortened is the one requesting it to be that way.
My first name has three syllables and is not particularly common. In a world full of shortened names, apparently there are too many syllables in my name that people would rather just shorten it to the first three letters. If you have spoken to me in person any time in the last 15 years, you know for a fact that I ABSOLUTELY HATE my name being shortened. Therefore, I would hope that you would respect my preference and only refer to me by my FULL first name (or, The Most is acceptable, also). :) I always refer to people by their full first name unless they tell me otherwise.
Many older, traditional names get shortened a lot, but they sort of puzzle me. For example, if your name is Richard, why would you want to be called Dick? This name is sort of old-fashioned; typically only older men shorten their name this way – seems to be a generational thing. I understand Rich or even Rick, and it’s likely that you were named after your father or grandfather, so you want to differentiate between yourself and your family member – I get it. Also, Jim is kind of an odd derivation of James, but that is so widely accepted these days that no one questions it. Another example is Michael: does Michael sound too formal? Is Mike more casual?
I’m guessing people who shorten their own names just don’t care much for their full names, or just want to be slightly different in a crowd full of people of the same (likely common) names. Take the name Jennifer – it is quite the popular female name – so I can understand why it is often shortened to Jen or I’ve even seen Jenn (which is definitely much less common). Also, the name Timothy is a somewhat common name, but every Timothy I’ve ever met has gone by Tim – so why do people keep naming their boys Timothy if no one actually goes by that name? Do one-syllable names sound more powerful than their full-length counterparts? If your intent is to refer to your child by a shortened name for the rest of their lives (Daniel --> Dan, Matthew --> Matt, Christopher --> Chris, David --> Dave), maybe you should go ahead and just keep the name short to begin with.
A friend of mine’s parents’ names are Russell Anthony and Diana Susan, and both of them go by a shortened version of their middle names: Russell goes by Tony and Diana goes by Sue. A relative of mine’s sister-in-law’s name is Rita Teresa and mostly everyone calls her Teresa, but sometimes people refer to her as Rita as well. Using middle names as first names is SO CONFUSING. What’s wrong with your first name that you have to use a form of your middle name instead? Does this go back to the other-family-member-is-named-that-so-I-want-something-different thing? GaahhhhhhhhHH!!!
Combined with name shortening, something that completely irritates me is the way people spell their shortened names when it has absolutely nothing to do with how their name is originally spelled. I know a guy whose given name is Salvadore, but everyone (including family) calls him Seve. I don’t know if that’s some sort of Italian thing or what, but I’m not sure how you get Seve from Salvadore. Also, I know of a woman whose given name is Kimberly, and she spells her shortened name Kymm. How do you get Kymm from Kimberly? Why not just Kim? Are there too many Kims that you need to distinguish yourself by spelling it outrageously? Last but not least, I know another woman whose given name is Rebecca, and at some point in middle or high school she decided that she was going to switch from Becky to Behkey. I’m not even going to touch that one, because I can’t even begin to explain how entirely messed up that is.
My first name has three syllables and is not particularly common. In a world full of shortened names, apparently there are too many syllables in my name that people would rather just shorten it to the first three letters. If you have spoken to me in person any time in the last 15 years, you know for a fact that I ABSOLUTELY HATE my name being shortened. Therefore, I would hope that you would respect my preference and only refer to me by my FULL first name (or, The Most is acceptable, also). :) I always refer to people by their full first name unless they tell me otherwise.
Many older, traditional names get shortened a lot, but they sort of puzzle me. For example, if your name is Richard, why would you want to be called Dick? This name is sort of old-fashioned; typically only older men shorten their name this way – seems to be a generational thing. I understand Rich or even Rick, and it’s likely that you were named after your father or grandfather, so you want to differentiate between yourself and your family member – I get it. Also, Jim is kind of an odd derivation of James, but that is so widely accepted these days that no one questions it. Another example is Michael: does Michael sound too formal? Is Mike more casual?
I’m guessing people who shorten their own names just don’t care much for their full names, or just want to be slightly different in a crowd full of people of the same (likely common) names. Take the name Jennifer – it is quite the popular female name – so I can understand why it is often shortened to Jen or I’ve even seen Jenn (which is definitely much less common). Also, the name Timothy is a somewhat common name, but every Timothy I’ve ever met has gone by Tim – so why do people keep naming their boys Timothy if no one actually goes by that name? Do one-syllable names sound more powerful than their full-length counterparts? If your intent is to refer to your child by a shortened name for the rest of their lives (Daniel --> Dan, Matthew --> Matt, Christopher --> Chris, David --> Dave), maybe you should go ahead and just keep the name short to begin with.
A friend of mine’s parents’ names are Russell Anthony and Diana Susan, and both of them go by a shortened version of their middle names: Russell goes by Tony and Diana goes by Sue. A relative of mine’s sister-in-law’s name is Rita Teresa and mostly everyone calls her Teresa, but sometimes people refer to her as Rita as well. Using middle names as first names is SO CONFUSING. What’s wrong with your first name that you have to use a form of your middle name instead? Does this go back to the other-family-member-is-named-that-so-I-want-something-different thing? GaahhhhhhhhHH!!!
Combined with name shortening, something that completely irritates me is the way people spell their shortened names when it has absolutely nothing to do with how their name is originally spelled. I know a guy whose given name is Salvadore, but everyone (including family) calls him Seve. I don’t know if that’s some sort of Italian thing or what, but I’m not sure how you get Seve from Salvadore. Also, I know of a woman whose given name is Kimberly, and she spells her shortened name Kymm. How do you get Kymm from Kimberly? Why not just Kim? Are there too many Kims that you need to distinguish yourself by spelling it outrageously? Last but not least, I know another woman whose given name is Rebecca, and at some point in middle or high school she decided that she was going to switch from Becky to Behkey. I’m not even going to touch that one, because I can’t even begin to explain how entirely messed up that is.
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