# To the Wailing Banshee in our office. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 7, 2003, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-wailing-banshee-in-our-office/173728 "2003-05-07T18:40:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Gazelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Gazelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazelle)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-wailing-banshee-in-our-office/173728/41 "2003-05-12T12:41:28Z")
**Bruce\_Daddy** , signatures are not searched, so you don’t have to worry about screwed-up vanity searches. Oh, and I’m afraid that I’m not sure of a love there is no cure for… ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-wailing-banshee-in-our-office/173728/42 "2003-05-12T18:56:56Z")
How would you like to have this woman as your FREAKIN’ SUPERVISOR, like I do??? She sits in her office right next to mine, talking on the phone in a voice that could peel paint and laughing like a freakin’ hyena ALL DAMNED DAY!!! And when she’s hungry, I get to hear about it; when she has to pee, I get to hear about it; when she’s busy/cold/hot/having a thought for a change, I FREAKIN’ GET TO HEAR ABOUT IT!!!{pant, pant} (Oh, just a crazy thought here - you might not be so overloaded if you actually got off the phone from talking to one of your four kids and did some work some day.) Some day I’m going to call her “Useless Tit” to her face, and then I won’t have to worry about it anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Faerie\_Nuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/76d3ee/32.png) [@Faerie\_Nuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Faerie_Nuff)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-wailing-banshee-in-our-office/173728/43 "2003-05-12T20:46:14Z")
Wow, this kind of reminds me of a co-worker who fortunately didn’t stick around for long after I got hired here. Apparently, she used to be useful. Then her job was changed and she didn’t know what she was supposed to do here anymore. Instead of talking to her supervisor about it, she decided to rebel by becoming _completely fucking useless_. When I walked past her desk, she was IMing, shopping online, and often on the phone talking about not business. Then, every now and then, our entirely wooden, very echo-prone office would be filled with the sound of a blender. She had a blender at her desk and made shakes all the time - out of leftover coffee from the coffee maker that she’d freeze in little cups. I was so puzzled one day during my first week when I openned the freezer to find it full of 10 oz. cups of frozen coffee. (And I have a very good excuse for being on SDMB all day. All I do here is answer the phones.) ---
**Author:** ![snermy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@snermy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snermy)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-wailing-banshee-in-our-office/173728/44 "2003-05-13T01:02:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bruce\_Daddy \* > \*\*click click BOOM!!! \*\* Huh. I wonder if the Banshee of blue screen day-uth always shows up right before those unfortunate workplace massacres. It would explain a lot. ---
**Author:** ![stockton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@stockton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stockton)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-wailing-banshee-in-our-office/173728/45 "2003-05-13T04:13:02Z")
I feel your pain. I have THREE. Really. We’re moving to another town soon. ---
**Author:** ![Nutty\_Bunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d07c76/32.png) [@Nutty\_Bunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nutty_Bunny)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-wailing-banshee-in-our-office/173728/46 "2003-05-13T12:31:22Z")
Well, I’ve decided to quit my job. I can’t deal with my co-worker anymore. I went to my boss about her and he didn’t want to do anything about her IM’ing all day and her half-hour long personal phone calls and milking her work so she would look busy, while I work my ass off. He backed her and told me it’s “counter-productive” to worry about things like that. Huh? Isn’t it counter-productive to have an employee who’s lazy? After I have surgery, I’m out of here. Unfortunately, my surgery isn’t until July, so I won’t leave until August. But now I have “short-timer” syndrome. If my co-worker can slack off, so will I. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-wailing-banshee-in-our-office/173728/47 "2003-05-13T13:56:35Z")
Why… that’s just **Nutty, Bunny**! Good luck on the slacking. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-wailing-banshee-in-our-office/173728/48 "2003-05-15T16:11:02Z")
And congrats on being honest with the boss! Even if it didn’t work … actually, it DID. It clarified things and gave you direction. Best wishes! ---
**Author:** ![lisacurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@lisacurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisacurl)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-wailing-banshee-in-our-office/173728/49 "2003-05-15T19:56:49Z")
> [@](#): > > Then, every now and then, our entirely wooden, very echo-prone office would be filled with the sound of a blender. She had a blender at her desk and made shakes all the time - out of leftover coffee from the coffee maker that she’d freeze in little cups. :eek: That is bizarre. I don’t know that I’d be so compulsive as to save my unused coffee _at home_, let alone at the office. But then to bust out the blender at her desk and make Frappucinos, that’s just beyond… anything. ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-wailing-banshee-in-our-office/173728/50 "2003-05-15T20:59:09Z")
A cow-orker at a previous job used to eat bowls of cereal at her desk. Esprix ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-wailing-banshee-in-our-office/173728/51 "2003-05-15T21:07:02Z")
Some people set up in their cubes just as if they were at home. A woman I work with has a persian area rug in her cube. Go figure. I try not to get too comfy. I’m a temp. Ya never know when the axe is gonna drop! ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-wailing-banshee-in-our-office/173728/52 "2003-05-16T11:26:07Z")
I once had a cubicle adjacent to that of a guy whose job required him to make about fifty phone calls a day. Fully a third of those began with “ **WAZZZZZZZZZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP?!** ” ---
**Author:** ![Nutty\_Bunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d07c76/32.png) [@Nutty\_Bunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nutty_Bunny)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-wailing-banshee-in-our-office/173728/53 "2003-05-16T12:13:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Esprix \* > \*\*A cow-orker at a previous job used to eat bowls of cereal at her desk. > Esprix \*\* My aformentioned co-worker does just that! She definitely thinks she’s at home when she’s at her desk. Gaaa! I hate her! I can’t wait to quit. I have to say, though, ever since I’ve made the decision, I’ve been happier. I’m still professional and do my job well, but I don’t feel as tied to it anymore. Anyone want to hire someone with an Associates in Accounting, 11 years of experience, with 3 years of non-profit auditing and tax preparation? Hmmm? ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-wailing-banshee-in-our-office/173728/54 "2003-05-16T20:55:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Esprix \* > \*\*A cow-orker at a previous job used to eat bowls of cereal at her desk. > > Esprix \*\* \*\*Esprix \*\*, I think you’re great, and so far I’ve agreed with almost every post I’ve read of yours. But :eek: eating cereal at your desk is a bad thing? Shoot, our whole office eats their meals at their desks. Is this some sort of “statesider” thing I should know about before I move outside? ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-wailing-banshee-in-our-office/173728/55 "2003-05-16T21:00:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Amanita \* > \*\*:eek: That is bizarre. I don’t know that I’d be so compulsive as to save my unused coffee _at home_, let alone at the office. But then to bust out the blender at her desk and make Frappucinos, that’s just beyond… anything. \*\* ::gulp:: Beginning to feel decidedly “weird” now. I do eat cereal at my desk, and I do make shakes (though NOT out of old coffee, eeeuuuuw, I make “EAS Myoplex” shakes), but not at my desk, I make them in the kitchen and then carry them to my desk. This is a very well accepted thing to do here in Anchortown, is it a faux pas to eat while working in the lower 48? ---
**Author:** ![Racer1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee59a6/32.png) [@Racer1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Racer1)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-wailing-banshee-in-our-office/173728/56 "2003-05-16T21:08:31Z")
I sit just along from a woman who has a laugh like a hiccupping dog. A very loud hiccupping dog. It is so loud it interrupts people talking to me over the phone to the point where they have to stop and wait for her to finish. These people are in other damn countries! God help me, I almost jumped to my death out of the eighth floor window just to make it stop today. Bah, you whine about people eating cereal! I’d buy her diamond-encrusted cornflakes if it would shut her up! ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-wailing-banshee-in-our-office/173728/57 "2003-05-16T21:45:38Z")
**Canvas** , it’s… _excessive_. And we have kitchens and break rooms, too. Of course, I have an entire drawer of snacks and sodas at my desk, but I don’t eat them in front of people, nor loudly or rudely. Esprix ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-wailing-banshee-in-our-office/173728/58 "2003-05-16T22:28:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Esprix \* > \*\ ***Canvas** , it’s… _excessive_. And we have kitchens and break rooms, too. > > Of course, I have an entire drawer of snacks and sodas at my desk, but I don’t eat them in front of people, nor loudly or rudely. > > Esprix \*\* Oh, WHEW!!, so when you said “bowls of cereal” you meant BOWLS of cereal!! Not just one for breakfast or whatnot. ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-wailing-banshee-in-our-office/173728/59 "2003-05-16T22:34:50Z")
No, she usually just had one bowl. But she made quite a show out of it. And having a bowl of cereal at your desk, at least in my experience, is quite out of the ordinary. Having a bagel or something like that isn’t, but a bowl of cereal is. YMMV. Esprix ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2003, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-wailing-banshee-in-our-office/173728/60 "2003-05-16T22:43:32Z")
Of course, _bowells_ of cereal is another problem altogether. :eek: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-wailing-banshee-in-our-office/173728.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-wailing-banshee-in-our-office/173728.md?page=4)