AIBU or are they? Severely distracting noise in the office...

[littlemonkeybix]

The room in which I work is quite quiet, and no one minds chatter striking up, even fits of giggles occasionally break out (even the men!!) - this is all normal!! The AIBU bit is that there is a constant tinny tsst tsst tsst tsst from 1 person's headphones that can be heard by quite a few people. The room is not silent, but the tinny headphone noise permeates to most ears in a near vacinity. I highlighted it to their manager so as not to create a "them and us" between the two teams, but nothing was done. I have highlighted it now every week for about 5 or 6 weeks. There are a number of people in my team getting more and more frustrated by it.

Their manager emailed the culprit today... to which they whispered to their pal "come and have a look at this" and then they bitched about it for a good 10 minutes, where I could hear every word... I don't think they knew it was me, I think they suspect a colleague who faces me... however if I'm a suspect or not, they were, in my eyes, being ar**holes about it.

AIBU to want to make a show of them when they are back in tomorrow, and make them feel quite small about slagging someone off within earshot. BTW they are both nearing pension age, so should know better!

( I have a feeling I won't get everyone on my side here )

YABU. Why did you not just say it to the person directly, instead of involving their manager? They might not have realised their headphones were leaking.

Gang up on the anti-social little bugger and take a pair of scissors to his headphone cable? Strength in numbers.

YANBU to be irritated... that certain tssst tsst tssst noise is worse than actual music of the Beiber kind (only marginally). But maybe its just me but I'd have had to have said something directly to the person first, in a lighthearted way initially, and then a no nonsense way, before I involved the manager. So if you didn't ddo that YABU.

I'm quite curious to know what tinny tsst tsst tsst pensioners listen too?
The Tremeloes?

I never mentioned it directly as this office has a habit of getting "them and us" and I was trying to be discreet so their manager could just have a quiet word to say turn it down as it's leaking.... but after weeks of asking their manager to have a word, the mail was only sent to the culprit today, and that has now created a bitchfest.

They bitched saying "wow they must have really good hearing" amongst a plethora of other whinges (said me, whingily ) yet theres people 3 rows of desks away that can hear it. I just happen to be on the next row of desks... so right in my ear

sandal majority of the time you can't make it quite out... but he did turn the Whitney Houston tracks up LOUD.... we could hear lyrics last week!!

I think you did quite well in creating the them and us scenario

Oh dear, dont come and work in our office then...we get up to all sorts....handstands and cartwheels to the printer sometimes and when I listen to Tony Hadley on my headphones I tend to sing sometimes too :)

betty I like office frivolity...there's a lot goes on here usually (across teams too).... and I know I sound like a proper grouch. I am also quite aware my gently gently approach was a massive fail.

I think it helps to know the office politics... and that I am sat with a lot of manager types, of which I am not one. In fact, there's really only one other of my level on the opposite side, and one a level lower on the opposite side too... so on the recommendation of a manager within my team I ventured that way forth!

I think me being a PG hormonal mentalist doesnt help either.... but I am not ruling out "bumping into" them in the kitchen tomorrow to let them know a) it was me b) I heard every word, and c) it was not an incident from today only as they think, but for weeks, and their manager has left it til I burst!

Ah well... I'm alone in my AIBU quest here I feel!! I know there's me and the 5 others in my team feeling it though.

*admits defeat.... makes

Thanks all, though nice to get perspectve sometimes!

Your office doesnt sound very fun :(..it sounds a bit like the accountancy firm I sometimes have to visit, I reckon there is more noise in a morgue.

I work in a very small office, 3 of us now and the dog and we are very informal......god, I need a laugh at work sometimes or I think I would go mad :)

Does he ever sing along? I used to work near someone who occasionally joined in with the music on his iPod - except I don't think he realised he was doing it. There would just be some occasional involuntary groaning noises as he squirmed about in his seat. It was quite entertaining really.

The young guy who sat opposite me at the time also listed to music quite often and his headphones leaked really badly so everyone could hear. Again, I don't think he knew. Funnily enough if the other fellow was groaning away while young guy wasn't listening to his own stuff then young guy would look really annoyed at the distraction - clearly unaware that his own noise was usually twice as bad!

I have to say none of this bothered me all that much - I just let it wash over.

The manager handled it incorrectly, imo. S/he should have talked to the person directly, not emailed them.

Yes, massive fail on your part. You should have talked to the co-worker first and try to resolve it that way. If it doesn't work, then to a manager.

Don't escalate the problem by being passive aggressive! You will create a toxic work environment for everybody else.