I want walls and a door

[ny biker]

Back in the day, I had an office at work. So I could close the door when I needed to have a private conversation, or when I needed quiet to concentrate, or when I just wanted to be left alone.

Now I work in a cube farm.

But I don't want to have to inhale the smell of my neighbor's lunch every day. Right now it's making my eyes burn. It doesn't even smell like food.

I can't think because of all the conversations going on around me.

I just want to be left alone so I can get some work done.

If my period gets freaky, I want to be able to call my doctor to discuss it without all of my coworkers overhearing my business.

The guy who invented cubicles should be punished.

Thank you for listening.

[redrhodie]

Time to watch "Office Space" again.

[alpinerabbit]

for the concentration issue

can't help you on the private calls, don't you have a closed corner somewhere you can go?

[ny biker]

Time to watch "Office Space" again.

Big time. Did you get the memo about the TPS reports?

The only really private place for phone calls is my car. Which is kind of inconvenient when you have to leave a message for the doctor and he calls you back when he's free.

Most people here make their personal phone calls in the hallway. Or the stairwell, where there's a huge echo.

[GLC1968]

I hear you.

I have a pair of noise reduction headphones that I use when I need to concentrate. Some classical music and these headphones drown out *most* outside noise (not all, but close). It helps.

For private conversations, my only suggestion is to maybe snag an open conference room? Of course, that doesn't help with the 'call back' issue...

[Aggie_Ama]

I feel ya! I have a back cube with semi-private quarters but dang it is loud and I startle easy so people walking up freaks me out. I told my boss I was building a door but he said no. We do have a conference room for calls but when my husband was so sick with Crohn's flare up and the doctor called me I had to discuss whether or not he was having regular bowel movements (DH was knocked out at home on pain meds) in a stair well because the conference room was taken. Anyone remember the commercial with the prairie dogs comparing it to cubes? I feel like one.

[Zen]

. Did you get the memo about the TPS reports?

You know what TPS stands for, right?

The cubicle farm would surely make me homicidal.

[withm]

You know what TPS stands for, right?

The cubicle farm would surely make me homicidal.

I hate cube farms. Fortunately I have an office these days with a door that closes. And two big windows that open. Way cool! Of course they face west so I literally COOK every afternoon but I wouldn't trade for anything.

But I haven't a clue what TPS means.

[emily_in_nc]

I work in a rat's maze of cubicles too and have since 1985, so it's normal to me, but I hate all the same stuff about it that you do.

The guy that sits across from me grazes ALL day. Crunch, crunch, munch, munch, now popcorn, now fruit, now nuts, it never stops. When he's not crunching, he's on conference calls, all completely legitimate and work-related, but I get to listen to them all. On the plus side, he doesn't sit anywhere near his co-workers, so he doesn't socialize at all. I am sure I drive him crazy because I sit near people I work with and people I'm friends with, so we talk more, mostly about work, but also about TV shows and the weather and whatever else. I feel self-conscious the whole time knowing that "the cruncher" (whom I really don't know) is listening and probably being bugged by the chatter, much as I am by his crunching!

And the personal phone calls to the doc and such is also really annoying. I've told my friends not to even call me at work since there is zilch privacy, and I just don't care for people to know my personal business. I make calls to doctors on my cell phone in my car or outside, but when they have to call back, yeah, that can be very inconvenient!

Cubicles suck!