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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To kick her feet

51 replies

JungleInTheRumble · 04/07/2017 08:53

I work in an open plan office and the woman opposite me constantly has her feet under my desk! I often have my feet tucked under me but sometimes I want to stretch my legs out a little bit but her kicked off shoes or bare feet will already be there! Envy

I've started kicking her shoes back under her desk and not looking before shifting my position so if her feet get a kick too bad.

She's the open plan office nightmare - constantly muttering to herself, eats loudly, types loudly, holds long loud personal calls then tolls her eyes when asked to doe something like send a letter! Pisses me off no end.

Aibu to get some steel capped boots?!

OP posts:
Original poster
JungleInTheRumble · 04/07/2017 08:53

*rolls her eyes

OP posts:
SpongySand · 04/07/2017 09:03

Kick her repeatedly until she gets the hint. Ideally though I'd just keep telling her to move her feet its more polite. OR get your feet under her desk first and keep them there all day!

sparepantsandtoothbrush · 04/07/2017 09:09

Have you asked her to move her feet? If so then YANBU

ThomasRichard · 04/07/2017 09:10

Can you move desk?

ChicRock · 04/07/2017 09:10

Get a box of paper or a couple of printer cartridges and put them under the desk between yours and hers as a barrier.

Or just stretch your legs out, kick her repeatedly, roll your eyes, huff loudly and say "would you move your trotters from under my desk please" every time your feet touch hers - do this numerous times a day.

Redsippycup · 04/07/2017 09:12

I've had this. I blocked the gap with a cardboard box.

It worked quite well as a footstool too Wink

Original poster
JungleInTheRumble · 04/07/2017 09:13

I can't move desks because my boss wants me sat outside his room.

I haven't asked her to move her feet because she always does move them when I kick them (which is usually by accident because I don't look before moving them around). I'd feel a bit weird looking under the desk then asking her to move - would that be weird?!

OP posts:
Original poster
JungleInTheRumble · 04/07/2017 09:14

Cardboard box is a good idea - will go and hunt for appropriately sized ones

OP posts:
YouWouldntLetItLie · 04/07/2017 09:22

Get one of those foot rockers for under your desk and position it at the halfway point. If she grumbles, say your doctor has advised you to keep your lower legs active during the working day to prevent DVT.

SaucyJack · 04/07/2017 09:26

Can you make some sort of lattice fence out of parcel tape between the back legs of your desk?

SoupDragon · 04/07/2017 09:29

Or you could try talking to her.

SoupDragon · 04/07/2017 09:30

Mind you, I remember building a screen of book racks once to stop a colleague staring at me. At least I thought he was staring at me..

Fl0ellafunbags · 04/07/2017 09:33

Put drawing pins on the floor under your desk.

silkpyjamasallday · 04/07/2017 09:33

Who are all these people who take their shoes off in the office? I would be seriously grossed out by someone's bare feet waggling around under my desk. I do think it's best that you just ask her to move her feet though, boxes and parcel tape barriers sound good, but then you'll look like the crazy unreasonable one!

BubblesBuddy · 04/07/2017 09:33

Get in early with a concrete block (or similar partition) and set it up between the desks! I agree the office habits of some people are gross!

Original poster
JungleInTheRumble · 04/07/2017 09:35

Parcel tape lattice and a book shelf fort...I love it! Much better than reasonable adult conversations. It is seriously gross though - at least her feet don't smell, small mercies.

OP posts:
HotelEuphoria · 04/07/2017 09:52

Definitely a box of six reams of photocopy paper is a good one. Nice and heavy and a good footrest. For you.

Don't your desks have those modesty boards underneath them, ours at work do, and are 800 mm deep so most legs can't or won't meet in the middle.

Original poster
JungleInTheRumble · 04/07/2017 10:07

Yeah you'd think they would but nope. There is a board but it only comes half way down the height of the desk so doesn't prevent any kicking. Although I do notice that most people seem capable of sticking to their own side...

OP posts:
Birdsgottaf1y · 04/07/2017 10:10

Why won't you speak to her? It's what Humans do, we use verbal communication.

TheFaerieQueene · 04/07/2017 10:11

Sprinkle a liberal dose of drawing pins where she puts her feet!

redjoker · 04/07/2017 12:19

Why won't you speak to her? It's what Humans do, we use verbal communication.

Ha, good one! Avoid conversation at all costs even if it means attempting to build a cardboard fort around your working area with only a small hole for breathing, much better and easier than talking I say...Grin

SuperVeggie · 04/07/2017 18:15

Why won't you speak to her? It's what Humans do, we use verbal communication

Because we're British, and we will go to ridiculous lengths to avoid having an awkward conversation with someone :-D

caoraich · 04/07/2017 19:09

If she resents the loss of her foot-waggling space she may "tidy" one day and move any box barrier you've put under there

I found that starting to "go to the gym" before work and shoving an enormous gym bag at the bottom of my desk when I got in every day helped in a similar situation, never mind that I only actually went to the gym about one day in three...

Badbadbunny · 04/07/2017 20:05

You're lucky it's just the foot-shuffle. For my first job, the "senior" and I had to share a tiny office, with us at either side of a "double desk" which is basically about 1.5 times the depth of a usual single desk. We barely had enough desktop space to work when we got our ledgers and adding machines in place. But worse thing was he was a chain smoker - no joke, he lit one up as soon as he finished one - a 40 per day smoker. It was a horrible couple of years and I had to leave to get away from him. I wish the smoking ban had been brought in about 20 years sooner.

KittyLover91 · 05/07/2017 15:30

You must have the patience of a saint! All of that and especially the loud eating Angry i probably would of lost my shit long ago!