To report the cleaner

[EmotionalLimbo]

I'm a PhD student and work in a doctoral school office with several other researchers, all doing our own thing. It's a wonderful quiet space and we're very lucky.

Well quiet that is until the bins are emptied every afternoon. I'm not sure if the person who comes in is a cleaner because I've never seen her do any cleaning in this office but she might do in other parts of the building.

She's just so loud. She's talking on the phone using Bluetooth earpieces so it looks like she's talking to herself. It's so distracting and it's not a work conversation because it's a foreign language.

I've contacted the estates people to ask them to tell her to stop as it's annoying everyone but nobody dare say anything. It's not my job to tackle her.

AIBU?

You don't need to ask her in front of others - you could wait until she finishes and then ask for a quick word with her outside in the corridor.

Just wave to get her attention and do a shhh with your finger in front of your mouth.
Or as suggested, just ask her to keep it down.
You're the bothered one, you should speak up.

This really doesn't need to be a big thing. Just indicate to her in some way (no need to be very formal about it) that she's distracting you.
If you've done this a few times and she still persists, and it's genuinely really distracting, then raise it with someone else.
Give her a chance to sort it first informally.

Nice

Of course you're not unreasonable to have a problem with this. You are slightly unreasonable to have spent so much time worrying about it. There are four options here as far as I can see. Speak to her supervisor. Speak to her yourself. Wear noise cancelling headphones when she comes in. Put a sign on the door she comes in by saying that this is a quiet environment and would everyone please respect that.

In your place, I would have chosen one and given it a go. If that didn't work, I would have gone through the list one by one. PhD or not, it doesn't feel like rocket science!

Just act like an adult and deal with it. You are no more special than the cleaner is. I used to be a cleaner and emptied bins, it really doesn't take that long. Or maybe just empty them yourself.

What a silly perspective. What are you on about, being special? Where have you got that nonsense from? And why would I do someone else's job? You don't walk into a bar and go down the optics yourself so why would anyone do this?

You spend an awful amount of time on MN
for a doctoral candidate. And before you say that I do too, I acknowledge that I could be doing something more useful. Thankfully, I am not a PhD candidate.

The time you have expended defending yourself and explaining your actions really makes me wonder why you couldn’t just ask her to be quiet. I also wonder why the prospect of doing so felt like such a big deal for you. What’s going on?

It's the weekend ... I do have weekends, you know.

And this is how you choose to spend it? My excuse is that I am old.

She’s replying to you lot!! If she didn’t you’d moan about that too 🤣

This weekend I went to a party, a football match, watched Strictly, did some washing and met some friends. And multitasked.

Such an extravagant weekend for a student. I am starting to think this spy "cleaner" thing has been made up by someone. That it's a rouse to deflect from the real spy.

And someone noise averse going to a football match ? Must be a Luton Town fan. So you are one of the 18 are you OP ?I heard their fan base is so small that season ticket holders get a slice of the half time orange. Quietest stadium in the West.

Lot's of clues for Morse here.

:-)

You're really bored aren't you?

Nah. Just trying to make sense of what appears to be a non issue.

I just happen to have this page open on my 2nd laptop screen as I do some research.

Omg…16 pages and almost 80 op’s replies trying to prove you are not the kind of person most of the posters saying you are…

"I’ve noticed a lot of white women who put wads of toilet tissue down the toilet so no one hears them taking a shit. What is up with that?!"

Where did you do research for such an odd 'fact'?

Every time I go into the toilets at work.

Do only white women use the loo at work?

No, I usually find the wads of toilet tissues in the toilet after a white woman has been. I don’t see it as much with black/asian women.

I don't have anything to prove. How weird.

Then why are you still here arguing with strangers on the internet. You’re saying the exact same thing over and over again. Some people think YANBU and will not be changing their minds, some think you’re justified. You clearly think you’re justified and are going to report her.

So, all done and dusted. If you don’t have anything to prove, why are you still here? This is my first comment on this thread, so I’ve no skin in this game. Just wondering what the point is.

TBH, that might be more of a hairy arse issue. Some take a hell of a lot of wiping, and later on chipping, when it dries.

This is what I think is great about free flowing chat. It can go anywhere.

Edit: I am talking about men here of course, just to be clear.