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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To dislike a work colleague because.....

113 replies

ChocolateSqueezyyogurts · 02/07/2026 13:05

She types like shes playing a piano! Its so irritating but I dont know why. Its the most random way of typing Ive ever seen.

OP posts:
Ekal · 03/07/2026 17:10

ChocolateSqueezyyogurts · 02/07/2026 13:05

She types like shes playing a piano! Its so irritating but I dont know why. Its the most random way of typing Ive ever seen.

There are so many ways of playing a piano that your post tells me nothing. Does she have a jazz touch or a classical touch? Does she play legato or staccato? Is it the sound or the sight you object to? If it is the sight, why are you watching her? If it is the sound, it could be that you are too strung-up and need to take more breaks from sitting at your desk and more physical exercise generally. My hearing gets very sensitive when I am mentally tired or overstimulated.

MagpiePi · 03/07/2026 08:30

I was quietly impressed when my son ignored the no phones at the dinner table rule one time and was texting away on his phone held under the table.

I’ve got some emergency porridge in my cupboard at work. But I do eat it as I seem to have a lot of hunger related emergencies at work 🙄

Ethelspagetti · 03/07/2026 08:00

NotTheMrMenAgain · 02/07/2026 21:13

No, apparently it was a cover story/stunt potato, so she could allude to having a healthy baked potato lunch, then go to the canteen for cheesy chips every day.

😂

Beenwhereyouareagain · 03/07/2026 07:23

ChocolateSqueezyyogurts · 02/07/2026 18:22

I did suggest this but apparently there was nowhere else for her to sit!

"I did suggest this but apparently there was nowhere else for her to sit!"

No, you misunderstood. I meant that YOU should move. 🙄

Steeleydan · 03/07/2026 07:12

Ethelspagetti · 02/07/2026 13:28

I had a colleague who kept fruit and a potato on her in tray. She’d leave it to rot, throw it away and replace with fresh fruit and a potato! Never ever saw her eat any of it! Such a vicious circle continued for years!

Fruit yes but a potato...wtaf!! What a wierdo
I'd of had to ask her what she planned to do with potato!

Okiedokie123 · 03/07/2026 00:49

cattreats · 02/07/2026 13:21

If you're that irritated, may I suggest that you're actually stressed about something else? How your colleague is sitting and typing shouldn't affect you. You're triggering yourself here and having all the stress responses that are making you feel worse.

I’d like to suggest you are talking utter parsnips.

One of my colleagues types as if he is attacking his keyboard. Is that also somehow only a problem for me because of some personal drama I’m apparently experiencing?

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 03/07/2026 00:41

Ethelspagetti · 02/07/2026 13:28

I had a colleague who kept fruit and a potato on her in tray. She’d leave it to rot, throw it away and replace with fresh fruit and a potato! Never ever saw her eat any of it! Such a vicious circle continued for years!

I can understand that, my old Granny used to say
"You never know when you might need a potato".
And she lived to be almost 100. So there must be some truth in it.

ElenOfTheWays · 03/07/2026 00:36

ReleaseTheDucksOfWar · 02/07/2026 13:30

... a potato?
I mean, fruit I can get. But a 🥔?

Gotta have your potato. You're safe as long as you have your —ing potato.

Btc76 · 02/07/2026 23:50

‘Work colleague’ is a tautology. By definition, someone you work with is a colleague.

Just saying.

mrshoho · 02/07/2026 23:32

Rondayvu · 02/07/2026 23:16

@mrshoho I only type. I don't use my phone for things. I have whatsapp downloaded to the laptop and literally only respond from it or even check into MN on it. I could not use the phone to send messages as I would be there all day. I type really fast thankfully!

I've reluctantly succumbed to thumb typing on WhatsApp and MN. Hence lots of mistakes!

mrshoho · 02/07/2026 23:30

Tonissister · 02/07/2026 23:14

Is she late fifties to sixties? That's how we were taught to type at school on old manual typewriters. You had to really hit the keys and hold your hands up as if playing piano. Hard to unlearn if that's how she was trained.

Yes! We had to use a ruler and pencil to find the centre of the page. Tippex for mistakes. Changing ribbons was a fiddle. Carbon paper to duplicate. It seemed quite high tech at the time though! I think I was about 70wpm a long time ago!

Rondayvu · 02/07/2026 23:16

@mrshoho I only type. I don't use my phone for things. I have whatsapp downloaded to the laptop and literally only respond from it or even check into MN on it. I could not use the phone to send messages as I would be there all day. I type really fast thankfully!

Tonissister · 02/07/2026 23:14

ChocolateSqueezyyogurts · 02/07/2026 17:03

Its really hard to describe too, but its almost like her wrists are slightly raised and her fingers tap the keys very gently and dramatically. If you saw it you'd understand 🤣

Is she late fifties to sixties? That's how we were taught to type at school on old manual typewriters. You had to really hit the keys and hold your hands up as if playing piano. Hard to unlearn if that's how she was trained.

mrshoho · 02/07/2026 23:11

I love when I get the opportunity to touch type lengthy text. Hardly ever get to do it now though. I volunteer whenever needed to take the minutes and clack away.

Hundslappadrifa · 02/07/2026 22:08

ChocolateSqueezyyogurts · 02/07/2026 20:18

Oh this is just the surface with her to be fair but I would feel too mean going into more 😳

So basically you just don’t like her. Nothing to do with her typing really?

Pieandchips999 · 02/07/2026 21:28

About 20 years ago I had a colleague that type fast but onr handed. It was loud and clacky and like a creepy dancing spider! I'd be happy with a slightly pretentious piano style colleague. Not sure piano lady would last long in my team though.

Ohpleeeease · 02/07/2026 21:25

NotTheMrMenAgain · 02/07/2026 21:13

No, apparently it was a cover story/stunt potato, so she could allude to having a healthy baked potato lunch, then go to the canteen for cheesy chips every day.

😂

NotTheMrMenAgain · 02/07/2026 21:13

Ohpleeeease · 02/07/2026 20:31

Was the potato supposed to keep the fruit fresh, do you think?

No, apparently it was a cover story/stunt potato, so she could allude to having a healthy baked potato lunch, then go to the canteen for cheesy chips every day.

Ethelspagetti · 02/07/2026 21:02

Ohpleeeease · 02/07/2026 20:31

Was the potato supposed to keep the fruit fresh, do you think?

Ooh I wonder? Maybe there was a method in her madness!

EdinaTheConfessor · 02/07/2026 20:33

IReallyNeedATimeMachine · 02/07/2026 13:54

I get where you're coming from. I am currently sitting here listing to a colleague who types really loudly. There are 8 other people in the office & they can manage to type quietly. I can't even get away from it at home because my husband works at home in our spare bedroom & when I'm downstairs, it sounds like baby elephants tap dancing on the keyboard!

My DH is exactly the same! He usually works downstairs and me upstairs, but if I’m off he sits upstairs and I can hear every bloody keystroke! Sounds like he’s coming through the ceiling!

Ohpleeeease · 02/07/2026 20:31

Was the potato supposed to keep the fruit fresh, do you think?

ChocolateSqueezyyogurts · 02/07/2026 20:18

NotTheMrMenAgain · 02/07/2026 20:05

YANBU, OP - you can dislike a colleague for any reason you
like! I currently dislike one because they have a really frantic “busy-busy-busy” type of energy about, them which gets on my nerves. At least the pianist typing is a tangible, physical thing 😆. The emotional support potato scenario would enrage re: the repeated waste of lovely carbs.

Oh this is just the surface with her to be fair but I would feel too mean going into more 😳

OP posts:
ChocolateSqueezyyogurts · 02/07/2026 20:17

Ethelspagetti · 02/07/2026 13:28

I had a colleague who kept fruit and a potato on her in tray. She’d leave it to rot, throw it away and replace with fresh fruit and a potato! Never ever saw her eat any of it! Such a vicious circle continued for years!

This is so weird because she does random shit like this too, she is definitely the type of person that would have an emotional support potato!

OP posts:
ClaredeBear · 02/07/2026 20:08

Omg I hope this isn’t me.

NotTheMrMenAgain · 02/07/2026 20:05

YANBU, OP - you can dislike a colleague for any reason you
like! I currently dislike one because they have a really frantic “busy-busy-busy” type of energy about, them which gets on my nerves. At least the pianist typing is a tangible, physical thing 😆. The emotional support potato scenario would enrage re: the repeated waste of lovely carbs.