Cubicle Kindness...

... or Thinking outside of your cube

Like many people, working for a large company, I reside inside a cubicle for 8 hours a day.

As a general rule, most of my coworkers are kind and considerate enough to keep their own personal noise level to a minimum. But there are a few exceptions to every rule. There should be a list of cube rules - either spoken or unspoken, which all should abide by.

Here are a few of my suggestions:

1. No singing allowed. If you are kind enough to wear head phones, please do not sing along with the music. If I wanted to hear Captain and Tenille or the Bee Gees, I would load them on my iPod. I especially do not want to hear your monotone voice singing "Night Fever' out of tune.
2. Speaker phones are strictly prohibited. Especially when the person you are calling is only four cubes away from you. It's heard in stereo - and personally I think one of you is more than enough.
3. When eating in your cube, please keep the smacking to a minimum. And at least offer a sample to everyone within ear shot.
4. If you have something  (i.e. a funny story, or last night's Survivor episode ending) you want to share with several folks, SEND THEM ALL AN EMAIL!  I do not want to hear it the first time you tell it, much less the 23rd time.
5. Unless we are good friends, do not, I repeat, DO NOT comment on my phone conversations. If I want your opinion, I will ask.
6. If you have an office, and are on the phone with your broker, banker, or a personal phone call, please close your door. I am a poor working woman, and I have no desire hearing you talk about your cabin in the mountains, your condo on the beach or the new porche you bought.
7. Do not brag about how much free time you had to surf the net today, especially while I am trying to work.
8. If you snore, do not nap. I will not call you to wake you up.
9. And last but not least - please - if you have a cold, go to the restroom to blow your nose.