I’m in a baaaaad mood. Really wrath of god type bad, you know what I’m saying? Sure you do. In my new location, at my Place Of Employment, my dept. butts up against another department now. And right behind my little pod is someone notorious for the volume of his phone voice. and he is on the phone ALL DAY LONG. We shall call him Monkee. The people in Monkee’s dept. have relegated him to his current position because it is as far away from them as possible. The problem is, that current position is near me. Management, on my side, is unsure they can do anything about this. I am totally sure I can do something about it. If given permission. Right now, I’m going all laissez faire about it. It’s not my place. But, if there is nothing we can do about it, I don’t think it is out of line to go over there and tell him to STICK IT IN HIS PIE HOLE if I can still hear him above the music playing in my headphones. Is there? No. Politely of course. The whole reason we sit in cubes, instead of offices is because “we” [and by we I mean not actually us] consider the interaction valuable, a certain kind of knowledge gained by osmosis. Which may have been true, back in the day, when we were all phone techs and needed immediate reaction/help. But now, not so much. And if one has to wear headphones all day to block out Monkees, well then, the point is moot, is it not? Not that there are enough offices for us. It’s kinda too late for that. And I am really disappointed and sulky about that. Because I wanted really tall walls, up to the ceiling. And a door. More than anything else. Instead, I get Monkee.
No, seriously, I should be able to go over and request he lower his phone voice. Right? Seriously. [stickitinhispiehole]
On the positive side, I currently have this poster in my cube. We had a collection of them lining the walls in our old space. No one really knew where they came from, or who they belonged to. So we sort, quietly, appropriated the ones we wanted for our cubes when we moved. She’s not in mint condition, but she sells for $250 on the web. So it’s pretty cool. I’m digging Amelia.
“Consider the interaction valuable, a certain kind of knowledge gained by osmosis” is a mighty optimistic logic. Here and I thought it was because it was cheaper!
Have you thought about puppets? I had a puppet in my NY cube that would scare the hell out of people on The Other Side. That and a big long knitting needle punching through may get your point across.
Til then, here’s something sent in hopes to cheer you up (this isn’t the best one I’ve seen, but it’s still got some value):
http://www.milkandcookies.com/links/23436/
now, you see, the monkee is only slightly less annoying than those two girls. only slightly. i just heard him speak for 5 minutes straight without taking a break, during which time he used the phrase “long story short’ 4 separate times.
i don’t think he understands what that phrase means.
i’m digging amelia too. yay for women and people who think differently…even those who fly solo across the world and disapper never to be found again.
maybe you should tinfoil his cube. i suppose cotton-balling it might muffle the sound more though.