Coworkers Behaving Badly

I have to sanitize this a bit -- sorry.

Two days a week we have an extra person on duty to assist with higher levels of activity; answering phones, directing calls, calling out to other agencies, assisting folks at the window.

One one day a week, B works with the direct supervisor in this department, who works the desk to 'keep in touch' with the inner and outer workings of a 911 center. This helps the supervisor measure what does and doesn't work and allows a fresh perspective from that office when TSHTF.

On the second day, B works with R who is 'just a dispatcher' as we dispatcher/911 operators are often referred to. (this is one reason I am happy to just work per Diem in the room now)

R is a nice enough person, but sometimes, R is crotchety. Curmudgeon isn't always accurate a term for R, but we use it often enough ... to R's face even.

Well, R passes gas all day long. ALL. DAY. LONG.

It's disgusting really and while the rest of us can be out of the room while R is doing R's thing, poor B can't get up and leave. B has to stay and work regardless the odor emanating from the other side of the room. On more than one occasion, this gaseous excretion problem has been brought up to the boss ... by B, by me, by others.

Apparently you just can't do anything about a person who, while having this problem, continues to eat, oh, I dunno, four or five jalapeno peppers with lunch. Even Beano has its limits.

But shouldn't said person be spoken to? This is a delicate subject, but come on! Go to the dammed bathroom. Fart. Come back. But please, stop spreading your smelly farts all over the room, not to mention no one wants to use the chair R sits in ... eeeeuuuuwwww

Let me move on to the latest. R is actually quite humorous and funny -- always nice to me. We share a laugh a day at least and if R gives me any lip, I hand it back on a silver platter. It is our coworker relationship and we've been getting along fine for years on just that level.

But R cannot be nice to B. Pretty much ever. For no particular reason that one can figure other than the insult that there has to be another person in the room to 'assist' during busy times. This is surely taken as a personal affront ... but it shouldn't be B that suffers because of it, it should be the boss. Bossman is the one who wants to extra person on duty.

Anyway ...

For years we worked in the worst room in the building (until a big addition and upgrade six or seven years ago). It was tiny, crowded and dirty. One person could work in the room on a good day. On a bad day we'd squeeze in, elbow to elbow, chair to chair, two and sometimes three of us! When we moved into the new big room ... we all felt elated that we had space to move, new chairs, new consoles, new everything! WOW!

Over the course of the last few months, Bossman has been working on setting up a new console. More ergonomic, less height for less craning of the neck ... that sort of thing. Everyone has an opinion, myself included. Bossman has been asking for feedback and suggestions but reminding all of us that he may not be able to make changes on this console, but the second one may be a better set up because of the first one. Makes sense ... he had the 'back up' console put in first so we can try it out and see how we like it.

So, all week, B and R and others are talking about the new console. Likes, dislikes, etc. B mentioned that there really isn't all that much area for writing ... and that if we had a busy day, we couldn't fit two people at the console. Valid points, both.

Late on Friday, after I settled down from the car accident and had time to really think and breath, B and I were chatting and she brought up those points to me. I told B that it wasn't that big a deal, those really hectic, busy, crazy storm and disaster days don't happen often and remember the room we came from? We can figure it out!

We should all keep a positive outlook and be thankful for all that we have now, that which we didn't have before.

Then B told me something that has had me pretty po'd all weekend. The Bossman left early on Friday and shortly after that, B & R were talking about the new console again. (we're all pretty tired of discussing it ad nauseam) and she brought up her concerns about space.

R told B, "You'd complain even if we gave you the rope to hang yourself with."

At which point B stopped talking to R except about work related items. But I know B well enough to know that B was terribly hurt by the remark.

And all I can think is: Who says that to a coworker? Forget that. Who says that to anyone?