Friday, February 24, 2006

Difficult Co-worker

I left my old job because of several reasons, one of which was not getting along with the people I worked with on a daily basis. Which was a new thing for me, as I tend to get along with everyone and go out of my way to be nice to people. My new job is 180 degrees different from that, everyone in my department is great. I get along with the other women, which is a pleasant change, and people are just generally more laid back and not as click-ish and snobby as my last job.

However.

The pond scum that occupies the cube next to me is getting to me. We started out on the wrong foot because the week I started, my headphones came unplugged from my computer and, unbeknownst to myself, I was blaring Lyle Lovett across the entire office. He came to my cube, said my music was too loud and that he could hear it over his headphones, and would I turn it down. I apologized profusely, said I had no idea, and it would never happen again, etc. Nothing from him. He didn't even crack a smile and accept my apology. Since then, we have coolly avoided each other. The sight of him makes me cringe. Partly because of the white socks with black pants and black shoes he wears EVERY DAY, but mainly because he is just an unpleasant person. Very holier-than-though. Luckily, he is not in my department. He somehow managed to be transplanted to the middle of the Civil Department when there were more people in this office in his department. Now he's the only one, he probably ran them all off. I was warned about him by others in my department, and he's only managed to prove them right. Anyway, I digress. I had a little smile to myself on Wednesday when one of the drafters in my department came over to yell at him for deleting her drawing from the plotter multiple times. His reason....he had a submittal. OK, we all have submittals, it's an engineering office, that's what we do. But office protocol says you email everyone saying you'll be tying up the plotter for X amount of time. Nothing from him, of course. The rest of us might as well not be here. She got both his and our department managers involved, and he really got it! He left for vacation yesterday, so said drafter and I were discussing her little bout with him and what a pain in the ass he is. THEN she told me that she caught him LAUGHING at me the day my Grandadder died and I could not keep from crying. LAUGHING at my tears and mourning! Can you believe that? He has moved up to my No. 1 Asshole position. He can't actually be human, I don't know anyone that is that callous. I'm so livid I don't know what to do. So, I'm venting by blogging. And, when he gets back next week, I may just play my music without headphones.

9 comments:

japruf said...

Fill his cubical with styrofoam peanuts. Seriously. Saran Wrap the opening (use tape to secure the sides), and then dump in the peaunts, It is completely harmless, but highly amusing.

You could then move on to more vindictive things like removing computer cords.

Timmie Smith said...

Evil evil man. If I weren't in Texas and he weren't on vacation I'd at least come over and make him think I was going to kick his ass. Hang in there, Katie.

Editor in Chief said...

Thanks, Timmie!

I like the computer cords idea....

Timmie Smith said...

If you go after the cords then you need to be subtle. Jerking them out and laying them on the ground is too esy to figure out. Just pull the keyboard cord out enough that it doesn't work. Then the next day disconnect the network connection. Then the mouse. Space this out over a couple of weeks so he doesn't catch on. That way he'll always have to ask the office IT person for help and will always look like an idiot.

Pigs said...

What a turd. Sign his email up for some spam.

Editor in Chief said...

I think you should let your husband talk to him. I know he has some questions he would like to ask him.

Eddie said...

Mail him some poop.

Anonymous said...

He sounds like he might be dangerous.
Maybe get one of those books that tell how to identify sociopaths or psychopaths.

G said...

You have just GOT to be kidding me. What a piece of work.

I very much like the cord-disconnecting idea...CLEVER! :)