NWR: Whistling at work?

Lizzie012

Is it acceptable for a coworker to whistle at work, when they're in a shared office environment? I sit with about 6 people in a bullpen-like setup, and the two guys are constantly whistling. Drives me nuts!Questions is: Can I ask them to stop? Or is that way too anal on my part?

Nebb

I hate when people make unnecessary noise, ask them to please stop.

SarieP

How annoying we have those here also.  They are also the ones who constantly jingle the change in their pockets.  Drives me batty, but I don't ask them to stop. 

CrissyH

There is a whistler in my office.  I want to kill him.  Maybe, just maybe if he whistled an actual tune it wouldn't be so annoying.  but he whistles like a first grader and it makes me want to kill him. 

TheSaltyPeanut

I used to have a gum snapper and I seriously would rather light my hair on fire then listen to that ever again.

sucrets4

Yesterday the teacher in the room next to me was whistling.  I teach choir and it was SUPER distracting.  Oh, and he was in the office that connects our rooms, so it was pretty loud.  It was messing with my pitch since it wasn't in the same key!I would ask them to stop.  Or send an email since I'm chicken.  Or maybe you can start singing at the top of your lungs.  I think Celine Dion is appropriate here.

Pirata13

It would drive me nuts too. I would ask them to stop. You have to be concious of other people when you share an environment. Gum snapping/cracking gets me the most. Oh and clipping all your fingernails at your desk. Ugh.

sarah-bella

do something to annoy them.  click your pen or tap it on the desk to their beat!i have a coworker who likes to sing along to the radio.  only problem is she NEVER gets the lyrics right! 

vallyhoo

I read the title of this post as Whistling whilst at work. And now I have the song Whistle while you work stuck in my head.My co-worker once told me about a temp we had in the cubicles who sounded like he was trying out for American Idol every day. I am full of randomness.

SnShne322

I would ask them to stop if it's disrupting you for sure!I have burpers in my office.  And it's not even the "nice" kinds.  They might as well be throwing up in their mouths.  It's awful.

maggyruth

You can ask them to stop, but be prepared to have to ask over and over and over again. I have found that people who whistle, humm, whatever, do so unconsciously and are usually not aware that they are doing so.  Amazing but true.  I had a roommate who would hum...the same tone.  For hours on end.  I'd ask her to stop. She'd stop.  15 minutes later, she'd start again, completely unaware that she was doing so.  She was used to always having noise.  It was a very difficult habit for her to reign in (of course, now she's married with 3 very active children...she never has to worry about things being quiet ever again.)

Lizzie012

Ugh...thank god it's not just me. I just don't understand how anyone thinks it's ok? Do they think they're adding to the ambience? Look at this happy little office, whistling away while we work... Occasionally one of them will sing too--that is the absolute worst.

vicmo5

I have a coworker who does this, but he only does it when he walks past my desk because I make him nervous.  But seriously, tell him to stop.  Your other coworkers will thank you.

[Deleted User]

I would key their car with the words "shut the fuuck up". I have a lady in my office that sneezes 20 times in a row. It scares the shiit out of me everytime she does it.

*BeachBride0410*

That would be very annoying, just like popping your gum or click your pen.  Gum popping and whistling I think are unacceptable in a professional setting, IMO.  I would ask them politely to stop.  Not saying you are doing this, because I don't know you...but I also think its annoying when people complain about things like this, and don't ask them to stop. 

Lizzie012

@MaggyRuth: That's what I'm afraid of! But at least trying's got to be better than sitting here trying not to tear my hair out...

YaPuppy

We have that here too....as well as imitations of Beeker from the Muppets, bad music, imitations of Apu from the Simpsons....to think I used to like Beeker

Lizzie012

@BeachBride: I guess I know what you mean--at least if I was sitting here stewing over this for months and never had the courtesy to tell them it was bothering me. We're a brand new office though, so it really just started. I haven't asked them to stop yet because I wasn't sure if it was my right, but it seems like I got the answer to that question!

salt78

I'd definitely ask them to stop. That's obnoxious.

tidetravel

I have a coworker that felt it necessary to start answering every phone call via speaker phone.  I let it go for about a week because I was relatively new to this office, until I found out it pissed off EVERYONE else too - they just didn't say anything. I called him out on it (nicely).  He got an attitude with me "Well, when I answer the phone I'm in the middle of working on the computer so I can't use the handset."  I told him that the entire office does not need to be privy to his conversation and we ALL manage to answer our phones AND get our work done.  He still glares at me over his cubicle, but he stopped.

*BeachBride0410*

Sorry Lizzie was just talking to a friend complain about her roomie, I asked if she has brought her issues to the table, and she said no..... That fell into the "don't want to hear you complain if you aren't going to do anything about it category"  Didn't mean to come off harsh towards you!

Lizzie012

@BeachBride: No worries! I got it. And you definitely have a valid point that I hadn't really thought about. If I was doing something subconsciously that pissed off my entire office, I'd be really annoyed if no one ever told me! Ha. Let's hope that's not the case.

*BeachBride0410*

I am sure it bothers everyone else, so you really would be doing the guy a favor!

kikibaby

I used to work with a girl who snapped her gum all day, every day.  I never said anything because I thought I was the only one it bothered.  There were times I had to leave the office because I was so agitated.

BecW2be

There used to be a guy in my old job cubicle farm with a fuckingaflac duck that would quack every time he hit a button on it. Which he did about 397 times a day. It mysteriously disappeared one day and could have possibly turned up in my trash at home, had anyone investigated thoroughly. Things happen. Perhaps their lips disappear one day? Or you could just buy an aflac duck or one of those obnoxious "That was easy." Easy buttons from Office Depot or Staples and hit it every single time one of them starts to whistle.