Ain't you never heard of personal space?!

[cantdrv55]

I have this coworker who just gets in your face. Great guy, great sales rep but please stand back a little. My hearing is good so he really doesn't need to be talking to me from less than a foot away. He does this to everybody. Not only can I smell his breath, sometimes he sprays! Man, I hate getting spit on.

How do I tell him to stand back about a foot-and-a-half without hurting his feelings? Anyone else require that much personal space or am I the only one?

[FrayAdjacent911]

Is he foreign?

Some other cultures do that, they get right in your face. It's not meant to be offensive, it's just custom. In the US, we like more personal space. If he is foreign, I'd just explain to him that Americans are not accustomed to people getting so close to them when involved in discussion... or pretty much any other verbal interaction...

[ZOA NOM]

Start farting.

[singpilot]

Zoanas, you took the wind right out of my sails, so to speak.

[cantdrv55]

Originally posted by FrayAdjacent911
Is he foreign?

Some other cultures do that, they get right in your face. It's not meant to be offensive, it's just custom. In the US, we like more personal space. If he is foreign, I'd just explain to him that Americans are not accustomed to people getting so close to them when involved in discussion... or pretty much any other verbal interaction...

I didn't think about that. He's German.

[craigster59]

The best Defense is a good Offense. Next time, just lean in. He'll back right up. Do that every time and pretty soon every time he talks to you,it'll seem like he's laying back in a LazyBoy.

[Mulhollanddose]

Originally posted by ZOANAS
Start farting.

Or somehow make your burp smell like a fart (certain food combinations can achieve this), and then intentionally amplify it Homer Simpson style so it just blows him back a couple of feet or more...Its a little technical but do-able.

[HardDrive]

Lay a fat kiss on him. He'll step the f*ck back next time.

[ZOA NOM]

But seriously, I agree with Craigster's advice. Just lean right back at him. His body language is attempting to subconsciously intimidate you. Countering it should work.

[nostatic]

kiss him

no tongue though

[red-beard]

We had one guy at GE that would lean in and out while making points. One of our younger guys came up with the perfect defense: A Notepad. It extended his "space" such that the close talked wouldn't violate. You just had to point the note pad, or stack of paper towards 'Reed".

Reed was an interesting guy. He removed all chairs from his office/cubical. He put 2 stacks of Telephone books under his keyboard for comfortable typing from a standing position. I'm not sure what he did when he was given a PC with a mouse. He was one of the last guys to convert from Vax Terminal to a PC.

[Jims5543]

Many years ago we were at Disney. There was this little Oriental guy behind my wife in line for a ride, he was probably in his 60's. He was about 2 inches away from her oblivious that he was in "her space".

She poked me and nodded behind her. At first I thought maybe he just liked her so when the line moved we swapped spots. He did the same thing to me. If I leaned back ever so slightly we would touch.

He looked like a kind man and meant no harm. We got a good chuckle from it and laugh about it from time to time to this day.

Someone in the work place doing that on a daily basis? That would get tired real fast. Craigster is right on, lean towards him as he approaches to thwart his first move.

[vash]

chris, i think he just likes you.

i cant stand it when some fool gets up on my arse when i am typing my PIN# in at the register. like the conveyor belt is bringing up the groceries and the idiot needs to stay with it! i told this one guy, that he is getting so close i am gonna expect a reach around. the cashier, this hottie, my fav at the safeway, laughed out loud. i think she wanted me...

as for the close talker, eat some korean food and save up a VERP. (vomit+burp). it is like pepper spray.

[TerryBPP]

Originally posted by HardDrive
Lay a fat kiss on him. He'll step the f*ck back next time.

You might not like the result. Don't forget the germans swing like a Joe DiMaggio bat.

[vash]

yea, it will be like that scene out of PULP FICTION.

cantdrv, does have the gift of gas. he can conjure them up at will.

[cantdrv55]

I'm lactose intolerant.

[juanbenae]

you kill me with the stuff paterno!

[jorian]

Sorry to hijack - Mull - what happened with your recent speeding tkt court appearance?