1. When people enter our department and they tap on my desk or drag their fingers across it. I understand my desk is right at hip-level and on the right-hand side, making it quite a convenient thing to do. But I get really involved in my work and it scares the bejeebies out of me every time. A lot of people come and go out of our department, mainly because the 12-member "lunch bunch" congregates in our area and we are the event planners. I've gone so far as to place books, rolls of paper towels, stacks of papers, etc. on the edge of my desk and you know what? Someone always moves them because they bump them when they walk in because they are tapping my desk. Yes, I've politely asked them to stop and they never seem to realize they are doing it.
2. When people enter or leave our department and reach under my desk, within 12 inches of my bum, to use my trash can. Do they not see the six other trashcans around that no one is sitting near? WHY must they come so close to my bum and invade my space? Then tap on my desk after depositing?
3. People come barreling around the corners all the time, especially out of the kitchen while holding beverages. No one can see you! Slow down! I've been part of, or witnessed, more than one collision and more than one extreme jumping session. You'd think this place was a water park/haunted house.
4. When anyone walks up behind me and grabs my shoulders or chair (and ironically someone walked up behind me and grabbed my chair right as I typed this). I restate that I get extremely absorbed in my work. My co-workers are boisterous, so I've learned to tune out. Unfortunately, tuning out includes the sound of people walking up behind me. I've expressed how much this scares me, to no avail. Not to mention the personal space thing. For some reason I have no personal space in my personal life, yet a huge bubble in my professional - although I would say that is a good thing.
5. For three years, I've run live events on Wednesdays from 10:30 -12:30. I send out an e-mail to the entire company with the event information the night before each event. They know I am running an event. Yet, every week from 10:30-12:30 someone gets upset with me because I can't immediately respond to them and they need help. Every week, someone will come tap on my shoulder while I'm frantically running a live event (lots of technical ins and outs) to try and get an answer to a trivial question. I always help (I couldn't stand being "the mean girl" if I said, "go away, I'm running an event" and even when I say I am running an event and turn around, they proceed to ask anyway), but all I ask is for the courtesy to be left alone while I'm trying to run a live event - is that too much to ask?
All things aside, my work really is quite pleasurable and I say all of these things in good humor. I've never actually gotten mad about it and my patience is boundless...but ya know, we all have things that bug.
What really grates your cheese?
