How do I tell a co-worker that snapping her gum is annoying me?

Question

I sit in cubeville and an outside consultant comes in two days a week and sits in the cube next to me. The cube walls are not very high (you can see the other person's head if you look over).

The girl next to me, without fail, eats a piece of gum after lunch and proceeds to snap it, blow bubbles and chew loudly until it's time to leave at 4pm.

I don't want to come off as a *****. How do I politely tell her she is annoying the hell out of me? Do I say something? Do I email her? I am ready to take the gum and shove it down her throat....so any advice would be great. Thanks!

Answer 1

:) You've let it get to you too long. When something like this annoys you, it's best to address it early on because by letting it fester, you've reduced your ability to handle the situation calmly. (this coming from the person who just grins and bears it when her cube-co-worker clips his fingernails because I'm afraid I'd punch him if I tried to tell him to stop)

What I would do is approach her before she chews the gum and say something nicely like "I've been meaning to ask you a favor but keep holding back. When you chew gum, would you be able to keep it a little quiet? It's just that I can hear every snap, crackle, and pop and I know it sounds ridiculous but it's really gotten under my skin. Do you think you can chew it quieter?"

Answer 2

Wow! She must be a high volume chomper. Either that or you have become overly sensitised. Obviously you can't redecorate the office, or raise your cube wall (or can you? some are adjustable) nor can you drape stuff over the cube wall. But you likely can put a small radio in your cube and keep the volume 'way down, or use an ear phone, and that will block the sound on those unfortunate two days a week. Or put a loudly ticking clock on your desk that will drive her nuts. (of course, she might not even notice with all the racket she's making). If it bothers anyone else, you could get together and send her a note telling her that you'd appreciate her chewing her cud out in the pasture.
Don't give up. Maybe she'll get promoted and go somewhere else. Or maybe you will.

Answer 3

You could get some gum too and do the same thing only be 10 times louder.

I bet that would be fun to see what happens next.

Or, you could just ask her if she wouldn't mind chewing the gum quieter.

Or, stick on an Ipod, turn on the radio so you don't hear it.

Answer 4

Snap your gum back, she will catch on. Or better yet, begin to hum, if nobody else notices you will have your musical corner. Laugh about it, good grief, its her way of coping and you want to take it away from her?

Answer 5

politely is the key just ask could you help me understand why do you smack your gum ? if she answers that she did not know you hear it then let her know politely you do and could she not especially when you're with a consultant . if she gives you attitude then take your trash can lift it up and say spit out the gum please

Answer 6

you really have to mention it to her. say, i hate to have to mention this, but the your chomping gum gives me a headache. seriously, i am in the next cube over and i can hear you, and those on the phone i am speaking to can hear you chomp your gum, thats how loud it is. can you please try to be more courteous? geeze, i really appreciated it. thanks....

or, you could email her a large graphic of a cow chewing cud. she might get the message that way.

good luck!

Answer 7

Find out her petpeeves and do just that. Two people can play the same game, just like an old man couldn't tell his young neighbors to turn down their rock music volume so he installs huge speakers outside the house and blare Bach and Mozart. They got the message.

Answer 8

Id send her a polite e-mail explaining to her that you didn't want to come off as rude but you want it to stop. she may not even realize it's bothering anyone and it may just be a habit that she does without thinking. Be honest.

Answer 9

As polite as you can, ask her to stop popping her gum because it bothers you & it makes it hard for you to concentrate on your work.

Because if you're not nice, she'll do it out of spite 'cause she knows it annoys the hell out of you.

Answer 10

It's best to be up front and tell her. She may not know that it is annoying unless you tell her. Something like that should be done away from the office anyways, it's unprofessional. You can tell her that also and this may support your case. Good luck!