“one of my coworkers — normally a calm, even-keeled woman — sits near the door of the office,” writes ali in minnesota. “when others come in at night to write reports or look up info, they apparently destroy her desk in the matter of minutes. after a series of coffee cups and chair-lowerings, up went this note. everyone in the office found it so funny they started adding snarling animals to the note. ferocious!”
while i can understand this woman’s frustration, one thing i’ll never be able to understand is the logic behind highlighting an entire (caps-locked!) message.
related: cubicle etiquette
126 responses so far ↓
#1
Geek Goddesss
Using that highlighter was obviously cathartic. I will have to try that next time I am unbearably frustrated.
Apr 26, 2009 at 12:26 pm rating: +18
#2
Fern
I like the ‘arrest/complaint’ memo on the left — and her sweet pictures of cuddly animals.
Apr 26, 2009 at 12:37 pm rating: +1
#3
Stella
Ok, so if the highlighted all caps-locked note isn’t scary enough, the ostrich picture sent me over the edge. I would not fuck with this woman.
Apr 26, 2009 at 12:42 pm rating: +5
#4
Cat Skyfire
Sadly, I understand how she feels. If I came to my desk in the morning and found it messed up, I’d be ticked. And the note had to come after it happened a lot. Also, it is a pain in the neck to try to get a chair readjusted back to one’s personal level.
At the same time, I wonder, if someone comes in late to do some work, why don’t they go to their own desks anyway?
Apr 26, 2009 at 1:03 pm rating: +31
#5
mamason
I am so totally on “Team Don’t Touch My Stuff”, that I’m starting a “Don’t Touch My Stuff” group on Facebook!
Apr 26, 2009 at 1:07 pm rating: +21
#6
candybeans
i don’t think ostriches have teeth–making that picture WAY freakier. http://frenchvillage.org/graphics/Ostrich.gif
Apr 26, 2009 at 1:14 pm rating: 0
#7
Dorkus Malorkus
I was a secretary in a rehab clinic, and sat in a common area surrounded by offices. Most of the counselors didn’t have computers in their offices at the time (this was not a progressive workplace) so they were always using my computer. It seemed like every time I got up from my chair, even to just walk across the room, I would come back and find someone using my computer. It was incredibly annoying. I can definitely understand this woman’s feelings!
Apr 26, 2009 at 1:18 pm rating: +4
#8
Canthz_B
I don’t want to birth your child.
Please don’t leave your DNA in my workspace!
That’s just so ewww!!!
Apr 26, 2009 at 2:16 pm rating: +2
#9
Sarah
This happens to me every Monday. People use my desk over the weekend. I find half-empty soda cans and bottles, used tissues, food wrappers, and grease stains on my papers. There is a trash can less than three feet away. I have a note that I put up every Friday asking people to throw away their trash when they are finished.
This woman is not overreacting. She is asking that adults behave like adults and clean up after themselves. That is certainly not asking too much. If they want their office areas to be greasy, smelly and disgusting, then fine – but leave my office alone!
Apr 26, 2009 at 2:42 pm rating: +27
#10
mamason
We don’t have this problem where I work. As a matter of fact, I take it upon myself to clean my co-worker’s desks. If they leave coffee cups or soda cans on their desk, into the trash it goes. I can’t tell you how many times someone has come back from a bathroom break and been all like… where’s my drink and I’m all like… you weren’t done with that and they’re all like… no, and I’m all like… my bad.
Apr 26, 2009 at 2:56 pm rating: +6
#11
Neeners
Not only would I also highlight my caps in as many colors as I could get my hands on, I would booby trap the desk when I left. Nothing lethal just something causing finger loss. If that did not deter the desk invader I would hide out in the supply closet at night with a 50,000 volt tazer and seek revenge or at least a little pleasurable release. That would by far beat the vibrator comment made above. But that’s just me…..
Apr 26, 2009 at 3:58 pm rating: +5
#12
you suck at craigslist
I’m Team That Lady as well. My desk is my personal space, and if other people use it they should at least leave it the way they found it.
I would consider mounting a motion-sensor tazer on my chair a reasonable option.
Apr 26, 2009 at 4:05 pm rating: +9
#13
tinkerspell
Totally justified.
Apr 26, 2009 at 4:37 pm rating: +4
#14
Margaret
Is there a better approach than leaving a passive aggressive note? Absolutely. But what ticks me off about snotty reactions to passive aggressive notes is that suddenly the people who did the stupid/inconsiderate/obnoxious thing that inspired the note feel like they are absolved because the person they offended ‘went too far’.
So the person who receives the note is all, “I know my dog shit on her carpet, but…” or “Yeah, I was blasting my music at two in the morning, but…” and “Sure, I left my greasy garbage and leaky coffee mug on this woman’s desk, but….”
I find, at least half the time reading this site, that the writing of the passive aggressive note is less offensive than the activity that made the person write the note. Treating someone’s desk like a personal garbage dump is far more rude than writing a note asking people *not* to treat a desk like a personal garbage dump, even with the capslock and highlighter.
Apr 26, 2009 at 6:02 pm rating: +33
#15
Emily
She works in some sort of police or security-related job (the sheet in the corner of the picture lists “exceptionally cleared,” “arrest/complaint,” “redlined,” and “refer to other unit”) — which I think makes the animal pictures even more funny.
Apr 26, 2009 at 6:18 pm rating: +1
#16
Neeners
Maybe the offender should try that crap at the bosses desk! I bet that would nip the problem in the bud????!!!! Whoever thought up that saying anyway? Nip it in the bud….is that a gardening term????
Apr 26, 2009 at 8:27 pm rating: +2
#17
Grimfool_Reluctant
Okay, no one else is going to mention it, so I have to jump in . . . what the hell is a Cyreche? Is it the note-writer’s name (we only know that it starts with a C)? Or is it some kind of insulting comeback? “Ok, cyreche!” Is in an ostrich with teeth?
And by the way . . . note-writer is described as “normally a calm, even-keeled woman,” and, hello, that’s EXACTLY the type of person who will bring five guns and 5000 rounds in a black satchel to the office . . . or at least a bitchy badger and an ostrich with teeth.
Okay, cyreche!
Apr 26, 2009 at 10:11 pm rating: +5
#18
mamason
can’t take the pressure…
DON’T SIT IN MY CHAIR
Apr 27, 2009 at 12:11 am rating: +1
#19
aaa
badger badger badger badger badger badger badger badger
MUSHROOM MUSHROOM
(Sorry, couldn’t resist.)
Apr 27, 2009 at 1:04 am rating: +4
#20
goose
Team ostrich-with-teeth.
Apr 27, 2009 at 2:08 am rating: +5
#21
Crystal
because people will not notice or read it unless it’s super obvious and obnoxious (i.e. loud).
believe me, I know this all too well. I work as a receptionist and people are too lazy to bother reading things unless it’s eye catching, even if that means eye catching in a bad way.
Apr 27, 2009 at 7:49 pm rating: 0
#22
sadPeopleSadTimes
They mock her with wild animal photos, but did they apologize?
I would’ve asked people to please stop using my desk if they can’t keep it clean in person – IF I knew who it was. If I didn’t know who was doing it, I’d leave a note, too. I say, if you’re over the age of 20 and can’t respect other people’s personal spaces like that, you’re a sad little sh*t.
Apr 29, 2009 at 4:05 pm rating: +1
#23
sadPeopleSadTimes
Ooh, and look at the thumbs-up for the witty vibrator comments! Wow, guys, you must be the Latchkey kids I’ve heard so much about. No parents, no boundaries, no respect, just take what you want and do what you want, and cram the middle finger up the nose of the nearest person who disagrees with you! LOL!! You bunch of brats are too much!
Apr 29, 2009 at 4:09 pm rating: +1
#24
voidseraph
i sincerely hope that everyone had a sense of humor about this, and that she enjoys the ferocious animal clippings as much as they enjoyed putting them on there… i know i would, anyway. Sometimes it’s the nice girls that snap the hardest, and then everyone acts so surprised. Well, now they know.
Rawr!
Apr 30, 2009 at 3:23 am rating: 0
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