Annoying Co-Workers

Ever read an etiquette book? An advice column? They're full of questions about how to deal with people who exhibit annoying behavior, and the answer is often the same: Don't worry, as soon as he or she gets a job, that will stop. People on the job will teach them the behavior is unacceptable.

Well, guess what? He or she got a job-withyou! And so far, no one has put a stop to the annoying and inappropriate behavior. At the office, the assumption always is that people already know how to act when they get a job. Clearly, this is a bad assumption.

Hoping for advice on how to handle it? Too bad. This is just a rant. Here are some behaviors you can feel empowered to be very annoyed by:

* Snapping fingers-a common problem, and for some reason practiced mostly by those walking by rows of people trying to work.

* Whistling-one of the worst: because it's high-pitched, it carries long distances, it can be heard even by those wearing headphones, and, for some victims, it triggers migraines.