To have shouted at colleague?

[YeahYeahz]

I work with a woman who starts off her sentences normally and then tailors off into a whispered mumble so you can't understand what she's saying. It's like she starts off knowing she's speaking to other people but then forgets and thinks she's only talking to herself. I've tried being patient for months now but it's so frustrating. Just before Christmas I lost my rag with her and said "I'm sorry, I can't understand what you're saying!" So she seemed to instantly snap out of it and repeated what she was saying in a clear, normal tone! It didn't stop her doing it though and I find my patience getting shorter and shorter.

Over Christmas I've listened intently and then as soon as the mumbling starts I jump in with "sorry??" And everytime she snaps out of it and resumes normal tone.

Today she started saying:

"I was thinking, rather than us doing the spa weekend we could try a thing in the dhstghbkkfdsgbvgjjbn......." so I shouted "WHAT???" As usual she snapped out of it but sending my irritance said "are you ok?". I replied something along the lines of "yes I'm sorry I snapped but I can't understand a word you're saying when you start mumbling like that!". She said she hadn't realised she was mumbling but has been funny with me ever since. As I said I've tried being patient for months but I find her so tiring and frustrating to talk to! It's like I have to concentrate 10 fold to understand the gist of what she's saying before the mumbling starts. Should I not have said anything???

OP, if you're still reading - you sound like a bitch. Poor woman (colleague, not you).

Aww OP you sound horrible 👎🏼

these sort of disabilities are so often trivialised and ridiculed

The woman in the OP mumbles, don't make it out to be more than it is.

She'll survive & hopefully will stop bloody mumbling!!

'streetlife I have a fairly serious speech impediment so I am unable to ‘talk properly* but at least I’m not a cunt.'

^
Puppyduppy - I love you x. A much wittier response than Street life's original 'joke'.

Maybe the OP and streetlife could go and work together. They can shout at and bully each other as much they like (only 'joking' though obviously streetlife). They can laugh at us 'lowly beings' with our speech impediments and imperfections (and anyone else who wants to join them can go too), and the rest of us will all be much much happier being kinder to each other ? Just a thought...

From what the OP has said; it doesn't sound like the number has a speech impediment or anxiety... as she can easily repeat herself clearly when prompted without mumbling

It would infuriate me too if it was due to laziness (Not if it was a disability obviously!) But I would avoid her / communicate via email instead as much as poss.

I have it worse at my work... there is a lady whom when you talk to her (about anything. Literally anything) she just stares at you in this weird glare and you think it's yourself who isn't speaking clearly.

Bit she does it to everyone .

It's unnerving

Stop projecting curtain. This thread was about a woman who doesn’t have a disability or speech impediment. That got brought up later.

Perhaps you and puppy could work together, sit calling everyone ‘cunts’ and pretending everyone is disablist as you project your insecurities onto them.

I think I'm with Hesterton. People should own their problems.

I was an expert speakers when I got stage fright. I got thru my talk, struggling to keep voice above a whisper. It never happened before. If it does again, SOD IT. We are a geeky industry so I will tell people I can't speak b/c I have nerves. They'll probably be reasonably understanding. At least I can have clear conscience I behaved like an adult.

Actually no, I don’t have to tell people. I would find that excruciatingly embarrassing which would make my speech impediment worse while I told you that part of me was broken. How fucking humiliating would
that be.

I've been at conferences where someone owned up to something odd at the start of their talk, like ASD or a stutter. They seemed to find it a relief that took pressure off to be like others. What is there to be embarrassed about?

I think you were really very rude. You handled it badly and unprofessionally. You should say sorry.

Your choice of language says everything about why people are embarrassed “owned up to something odd”. Disgraceful.

streetlife did you read my post that said it had been suggested to me that I alter the sound level of my voice to try and manage my speech impediment? Or a you just a completely vile person who mocks the fact that other people may have an impediment and be trying to deal with it?

where someone owned up to something odd at the start of their talk, like ASD or a stutter. very poor choice of words.

No DottyS that’s much more than a poor choice of words, it’s ignorance at best.

Maybe she starts mumbling because she gets neevous having to talk such an abrasive, unprofessional prick like you, OP

Yes, I think it was wrong to shout at your colleague. You could just say something along the lines of 'sorry, I didn't catch that last bit, you went a bit quiet.'