Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Can a Tic Beget a Tic?

A couple weeks before I left for my honeymoon, my team at work had to move to a different floor. They're consolidating everyone onto 4 floors instead of 5, so we're pretty much sardined into the available spaces now. It's not the worst thing that's ever happened in life, but I am definitely having a hard time adjusting to the change.

Particularly because of my new cubicle neighbors.

Especially the one with the tic.

I'm not sure what day I first noticed it. I think he may not have been in the office the first few days after the move. But then, one afternoon, I heard it.

Ttt Ttt.

It's sort of like a tisk sound, but also sort of like a tapping noise. It comes in twos and threes, quickly sputtered. Sometimes it's rapid fire. Other times, there are big gaps between outbursts.

People, it is like Chinese water torture of the ears.

I turn up my headphones and I can still hear it. It's the perfect pitch to cut through other sound. And it's driving me batshit crazy.

I think I'm developing an eye twitch as a result of hearing it so often.

Do you think I could get fired for muzzling a coworker?

7 comments:

Jane Moneypenny said...

I'll take that over my cubicle neighbor. He breathes SO loudly that one would think he's asleep/snoring, but he's not. And then he sneezes every 10 minutes (I counted). And he only wears polo shirts (maroon, black, brown), changing them out every 3 days (I kept track). On top of it all, he hates me. But hey, that's what noise-canceling headphones are for.

LesleyG said...

Just this morning I was thinking of when I worked in cubeland and would hear everyone's noises in the morning-- mostly mouth and throat and general phlegm noises. Oy. One day a coworker walked by my cube and apparently I had that look of I-just-can't-take-it-anymore that you seem to have. He asked, "What's wrong?" and I just blurted out "Oh, nothing, it's just PHLEGM CENTRAL IN HERE."

Sadly, my outburst did not change things one bit. I feel ya.

Mandy_Fish said...

I used to have an office neighbor who typed with the tips of her nails. Oh that sound drove me nuts. She also jabbed and stabbed at her keyboard as if it were the enemy. I later found out that everyone in our hall could hear her attacking her keyboard. Thank goodness my headphones did manage to drown out the sound.

Sizzle said...

Is he making that noise with his mouth or? I tend to wear my earbuds the majority of the day just so I can concentrate. I hate cubicles.

Anonymous said...

At least you're allowed to have headphones at work. They're banned at mine.

Forget muzzling. Next time it happens, just dump a bucket of water on her, in her cubicle.

Hunner Woof said...

Everytime you hear it, do something equally obnoxious in response. Snort. Squeal. Go "pppbbbbttttttt" with your tongue. I don't think it will fix it...but it sure would be funny.

Janice MacLeod said...

I walked all over London with a tic person for a week. I wanted to haul off and slap it out of her.

Girl, I feel your pain.