I’ve almost always worked with people who were considerate and fun to be around. Ok, worked may be a bit of an exaggeration, but you know what I mean. What I’m saying is that I’ve been pretty lucky.

But there have been a few co-workers over the years who drove me to the very brink of insanity. Some of them are annoying me right now, in fact. You’ve worked with people like this–the occasional person with some little idiosyncrasy or annoying habit that made you want to bash your forehead against your computer screen. See how many of these people you recognize:

The pen clicker (click) (click) He just sits in his cubicle with his ball-point pen and (click) (click) entertains himself for hours. Never mind that the company quit buying those kind of pens eight years ago. He just buys his own.

Otherwise, (click) (click) how would he fill his day?

The Desk Groomer I assume this person sits in her bathroom at home doing quarterly earnings reports and drafting staff memos. She sure doesn’t groom herself, because she saves that for when she’s sitting in her cubicle. We’re talking nail trimming and filing, flossing, popping pimples, and even q-tipping ears. And don’t get me started on hair spray and perfume. Maybe we should install a sink and shower in this person’s cubicle to make things more convenient for her.

The loud talker This person has no volume control. Often the loud voice is reserved for phone calls. He may be capable of carrying on a perfectly normal conversation face-to-face, but when the phone rings it’s time to crank it up a notch! After all, he might be talking to someone literally miles away. A little extra volume is certainly called for. And so what if he decides to use the speakerphone. You wouldn’t want to be subjected to just half the conversation, would you?

The Sniffer/Blower/Cougher Some people really need to blow their noses occasionally. Or have a coughing fit, or even do a little harmless sniffing. But for other people, these activities have become a bizarre compulsion (throat clearing falls into this category, too).

And these are quite possibly the most annoying — and disgusting — habits in the world. I currently work right next to someone who sniffs and blows for literally hours every day.

I’m not sure how she gets any work done. Especially since she’s a loud talker and a desk groomer…a triple threat. The company should give her a plaque or something.

The pop star Almost always a woman, she thinks she has awesome taste in music, and she doesn’t mind sharing it. Heck, it’s her duty! So she cranks up the boom-box on her desk.

Share the love, baby! Who cares if no one else really wants to hear her music, or if they might be trying to quietly listen to music of their own? That’s not her problem. But wait! Not only is her taste in music awesome…girl thinks she can sing, too!

Hey Mr. Perfect, you’re probably thinking, I bet you’ve got some annoying habits of your own. Au contraire, gentle reader. I’m the epitome of the considerate cubicle dweller. Sure, I may occasionally eat Krunchers potato chips at my desk.

And I’ve been accused of being a loud typist–as in hitting the keys too hard. And then there’s the foot tapping…a nervous habit I have. Also, my nervous mouse-clicking has been mentioned by co-workers once or twice. But hey, at least I’m aware of my bad habits, and I’m working on them.

Besides, if you had to work with the people I work with, you’d have a few annoying habits too. And by the way, try chewing with your mouth closed!