Dear Amy: I am fortunate to have a good job, which I enjoy, with a company that I hope to make a future with. I really like most of my co-workers.
Unfortunately, there is one individual who constantly makes his presence known at the wrong time.
I begin my day very early, usually before 6:30, to catch up on work before others come in. I cannot even hang up my coat before this person comes over and starts his morning diatribe – almost always about non- work issues.
He is a very nice person, and I do not want to get him in trouble, but I have made it clear on numerous occasions that I need my extra time in the morning to concentrate on work.
I am ready to approach my manager or even a human resources representative, unless there is a more diplomatic but clear way to get the point across.
– Hiding in My Cubicle
Dear Hiding: Anything and everything is more diplomatic than going to your boss or your human resources representative over a colleague who talks too much outside of office hours. I can’t imagine what your boss or HR would do about this, because both you and your colleague have chosen to be in the office during off-hours.
Your colleague is being rude and insensitive, and because you’ve already made it clear that you don’t care to converse with him in the morning, now you need to find a way to ignore him.
I vote for earbuds.
When you enter the office in the morning, say hello to him, get out a pair of earbuds and plug yourself in. A cheerful, “Sorry, can’t talk! Just pretend I’m not here!” every day as you jam them into your ears might help you to establish and maintain a cone of silence.
…
Dear Amy: I recently traveled across several states to help my best friend, who was going through chemo and radiation. The trip took more than eight hours each way and was exhausting. The airplane was typical of what’s happening in air travel today.
Passengers were crammed in like sardines with the seat in front of you practically touching your knees. The woman in front of me decided that she was going to put her seat back, and her head pretty much landed in my lap.
I asked her to raise her seat. She refused, saying that if I wanted more room, I should have bought a seat in first class. I told her that she was the one who needed class. She wouldn’t budge. What is the proper etiquette for air travel in cramped quarters?
– Frazzled in Florida
Dear Frazzled: If you respectfully ask someone to please raise her seat halfway and she refuses, you should immediately ring the flight attendant and say, “I’m so sorry but I am very uncomfortable here because my neighbor has reclined her seat back; could you ask her to raise it a little – or could I perhaps change seats?”
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