Messy people - How to deal with? (Aug/11/2008 )
Get some balls and tell her to get the hell out of your stuff.
-jorge1907-
QUOTE (bacterie @ Aug 23 2008, 12:09 PM)
Well, first of all, obviously I will NOT slap anyone! I have a bad temper, but never goes into physical injuries. That was just a joke... or a deep down wish that will never come true... snif!
Yesterday, I walked into my lab at some hour that usually I am never there and guess what??? I CAUGHT HER in my bench, with one of my pipettes in one hand and a bottle of reagent in the other hand!!!
Me:
then 
THAT WOMAN:
Me: "Do you need something?" (that was not the first thing that came into my mind, but was the first thing I could articulate to say, considering the cursing nature of the former one, that was !#%&$"$%).
THAT WOMAN: "I used your reagent real quick!" (putting the bottle back where it was).
Me: "You shouldn't use my reagents and tools. I had contamination problems before and I think that you wouldn't want your experiments contaminated by using my stuff"
THAT WOMAN: "Why you had contaminants?" (she thought I was accusing her as the source of contamination)
Me: "I don't know why, but you don't want my contaminants in your experiments" (reverse psychology?!?!)
THAT WOMAN: "I see"
She did some other stuff for about 2 min more and then she left for the rest of the day.
THAT WOMAN has been working on my bench the whole week, but she have been "careful" enough to put things back, not as before, when she was using my stuff and I had to look for it all the time, at least she is respecting the fact that I love to have my bench organized.
I don't know how things will work from now on, I am tempted to prepare some reagents she use from my bench and give them to her or put it on her bench. But I don't know if that would be offensive at the end.
I also instructed the new student to keep everything clean and organized (common use things, of course) while she was there, hopefully, listening too, and I explained the new student how by doing that she would be considerate with the rest of the people working there. I hope that she (the WOMAN) took some of that for herself. I am running out of my 3.2 picograms of patience I have.
Yesterday, I walked into my lab at some hour that usually I am never there and guess what??? I CAUGHT HER in my bench, with one of my pipettes in one hand and a bottle of reagent in the other hand!!!
Me:
then THAT WOMAN:
Me: "Do you need something?" (that was not the first thing that came into my mind, but was the first thing I could articulate to say, considering the cursing nature of the former one, that was !#%&$"$%).
THAT WOMAN: "I used your reagent real quick!" (putting the bottle back where it was).
Me: "You shouldn't use my reagents and tools. I had contamination problems before and I think that you wouldn't want your experiments contaminated by using my stuff"
THAT WOMAN: "Why you had contaminants?" (she thought I was accusing her as the source of contamination)
Me: "I don't know why, but you don't want my contaminants in your experiments" (reverse psychology?!?!)
THAT WOMAN: "I see"
She did some other stuff for about 2 min more and then she left for the rest of the day.
THAT WOMAN has been working on my bench the whole week, but she have been "careful" enough to put things back, not as before, when she was using my stuff and I had to look for it all the time, at least she is respecting the fact that I love to have my bench organized.
I don't know how things will work from now on, I am tempted to prepare some reagents she use from my bench and give them to her or put it on her bench. But I don't know if that would be offensive at the end.
I also instructed the new student to keep everything clean and organized (common use things, of course) while she was there, hopefully, listening too, and I explained the new student how by doing that she would be considerate with the rest of the people working there. I hope that she (the WOMAN) took some of that for herself. I am running out of my 3.2 picograms of patience I have.
Hi bacterie,
I think you're being so modest bec you've got more than that paltry 3.2 picograms...you shld have my halo
. The fact that THAT WOMAN showed a bit of guilt is a good sign..who knows, she might suddenly give in to the shame..I think that the vigilant attitude might work...let her know that you are "watching" her..keep reminding the new student about proper work ethics all the time in her presence..it's underhanded.... but it might work...keep us updated (I like your blow by blow account )- casandra
-casandra-
QUOTE (bacterie @ Aug 23 2008, 08:09 PM)
I am tempted to prepare some reagents she use from my bench and give them to her or put it on her bench. But I don't know if that would be offensive at the end.
I think that is a good idea. "With complement I present you this bottle of X. If you need more, I am happy to provide you the protocol." or something along the line. Do it with a smile. And she will get the idea.
Also don't share reagents with the new students. Unfortunate to say, may strange things happen around new students. So it better to get reagents for that student. Can use him/her as labour to get all the stuff together.
-perneseblue-
We have a saying, 'Taming your daughter-in-law by beating your daughter' - really sexist but there is such saying. 
What u call reverse psycology is cool.
-Bungalow Boy-
I wonder how her husband copes with her mess at home 
...with lots of patience 
-Minnie Mouse-
QUOTE (Minnie Mouse @ Aug 25 2008, 02:56 PM)
I wonder how her husband copes with her mess at home ...with lots of patience
...with lots of patience Gives her projects and sends her to lab so that she stays away from fridge, TV, and kitchen at home.
-Bungalow Boy-
QUOTE (Bungalow Boy @ Aug 24 2008, 10:54 PM)
QUOTE (Minnie Mouse @ Aug 25 2008, 02:56 PM)
I wonder how her husband copes with her mess at home ...with lots of patience
...with lots of patience Gives her projects and sends her to lab so that she stays away from fridge, TV, and kitchen at home.
X 10000I can't stop saying it, you are a wise man!!
I should give her some recipes or cupons for sewing or knitting lessons, so she can stay away from lab!!
By the way, BB are you japanese or just happen to live in japan? (I am learning japanese, so I was just curious)
-bacterie-
QUOTE (bacterie @ Aug 23 2008, 09:09 PM)
I also instructed the new student to keep everything clean and organized (common use things, of course) while she was there, hopefully, listening too, and I explained the new student how by doing that she would be considerate with the rest of the people working there. I hope that she (the WOMAN) took some of that for herself. I am running out of my 3.2 picograms of patience I have.
Meight work, although it takes its time and some ng of patience....we have a similar problem in our lab, and I usually instruct new students very loud and usually when the *oink oink* are in the lab....was a long way but it got better, they know now how the dishwasher works ("nobody has told me"
) !QUOTE (bacterie @ Aug 23 2008, 09:09 PM)
Well, first of all, obviously I will NOT slap anyone! I have a bad temper, but never goes into physical injuries. That was just a joke... or a deep down wish that will never come true... snif!
Just let her think you might do it.....Sword of Damocles....works quite well especially with a bad temper
....Oderint dum metuant 
-gebirgsziege-
How many years she has worked in her husband's lab?
-Minnie Mouse-
QUOTE (Minnie Mouse @ Aug 25 2008, 02:58 PM)
How many years she has worked in her husband's lab?
I think this is the first time they work together in a lab. But they have been married for some years, probably 8 or so... that's why I think that BB's theory is correct
gebirgsziege: sword of democles.... I like it!!
(and the *oink oink* thing was waaay too funny to prevent me of looking like a crazy woman giggling everytime I saw THAT WOMAN and the *oink oink* came to my mind) -bacterie-