I was working as an IT contractor for a large telecom firm. On this floor, there waa a young lady that ALWAYS used her speakerphone. Not only did she use her speakerphone, but she was really LOUD! She wanted the world to know how important her (insignificant) job was.
Her co-workers as well as the contractors were piqued by her obnoxious behavior. As a matter a fact, I could see a pilgrimage past my cube whenever she started to talk. Things were getting intolerable, to say the least. Because she was a female, I guess everyone was afraid to tell her to tone down her speech.
As I said, I was a contractor and as such, got into the office at least two hours before the employees and 3 hours before FOGHORN ANNIE got there. Her phone was one of those ISDN types that has a hidden mike in one of the "legs" underneath the phone. I took a small wad of wet paper towel and stuffed it into the microphone tube and waited patiently for HER arrival. It wasn't long before she wandered into her cube and hit her phone to make a call. When the person on the other end couldn't understand her, she had to use the handset, just like everyone else. She was reduced to level of one of the peasants!!
There was a poor technician that was repeatedly called to fix the phone. He couldn't understand why it worked perfectly on the bench, but in her cube speech was garbled! They even went so far as to change the phone - which by the way only worked for a few hours on the first day. (grin)
Eventually, she found life on our floor intolerable and got herself transferred to another floor. You know something, now that I think of it, I never learned her name!!!
I often wonder if there was someone on the new floor that was a devious as me or if they just bound and gagged her in her cube.
POST A COMMENTthe confessor(08/14/2005)
I've also heard that mimicking the offending person's behavior can stop it. What's good for the goose is good for the gander...and it also points out that management is often afraid of these folks. Imagine the scene this bucketmouth would cause at a labor hearing. Congrats on getting rid of this pest!
oaklander(08/14/2005)
That's true, confessor. There was a loudmouth woman at my work who got fired for a racist comment that she made. Well she loudly told everyone she could get to sit still for 10 seconds the story. She claimed she didn't say it and she was unfairly blamed. But anyone who knew anything about her would've bet their mortgage that she said it. Problem is, all the people who don't know her might get the impression that the place she worked unfairly fired her. I have been around conversations where she tells the story and people say "That's crazy! You should sue!". But then again maybe they are just humoring her, afraid to say what they really think.
Chaz's Kid(08/17/2005)
Yup. That's my dad. Maybe I can convince him to list some of his other endeavors at dealing with pests...
Tom Foolery(08/17/2005)
C'mon Chaz...enlighten us! We need good ideas for corporate combat. I used to have a lady who barked into a speaker phone too and I've actually found myself WISHING she still sat by me just so I could pull your prank.
AZGEM (08/13/2005)
Ahhhh, good for you. I can't stand people who think their business is so important that everyone would want to hear it. I'll bet this gal gets on her cell phone in the dentist/doctor's office and talks about her cocktail parties.BLECH!
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