Conference turris::womannotes-v3

    As long as you're not sneezing on anybody,
    Sneeze the way you sneeze...
    
    I get complaints from the opposite side of the bank...
    
    I have a little sneeze and all I hear is, "YOU CALL THAT A SNEEZE?"
    Can't keep 'em all happy, alla da time.
    
                                              

    Tell the manager there is nothing you can do about it, it is a health
    condition combination of rhinitis and asthma.  
    
    Is there a reason you're sneezing?  I tend to sneeze or wheeze when
    they're painting nearby.  In addition, if I have a cold, I always try
    to have kleenex (kleenices? is that the plural?  Like vertex and
    vertices?) around and I sneeze INTO it so it muffles it a bit.  
    
    It's like someone telling a person with Tourette's Syndrome, "Excuse
    me, could you stop that twitching, you make me nervous...."  If there's
    nothing you can DO about it, there's nothing you can do about it.  And
    if that's not enough they can darn well go to health services and ask
    for cotton to stuff in their ears!
    
    -Jody
    

    Sounds like the complainer is suffering from really tetchy nerves.
    
    Does he jump so high when you sneeze that his head impacts the ceiling?
    
    Have you checked for grease marks on said ceiling?
    
    Briana

    re:  .0
    
    Oh, wow, can I relate to this!  When I sneeze people literally DO jump
    a foot off their chairs.  I always apologize, but I just can't help it. 
    Have them put cotton in their ears, as someone has already stated.
    
    -Dotti.

    It's a good thing he doesn't sit near me.  I've made people jump, too.
    
    Lorna
    

    Yet an other loud sneezer here. And I seldom just sneeze once.
    Four in a row is the norm. Six not unheard of. IN meetings
    people just wait for me to stop. It's nothing I can do about.
    Ask your manager what you should do about it. If he can help
    you share the secret. If he can't tell him to see if he can
    solve the other person's problem easier as that would seem more
    likely.
    
    		Alfred

    	There are 4 or 5 of us in LJ02. I've said before that
    	if we all sneezed at exactly the same time, the building
    	would fall down.
    
    	Your sneezes may be loud, but it's easier on your eardrums
    	than holding it in. Tremendous pressure builds up when you
    	try to hold back.
    
    	Save your eardrums. Sneeze as loud as you want.
    
    	Scott

    re .6
    
    You sound just like my boyfriend!  LOUD and repetative.  Sometimes up
    to 10 times.  (Then he is exhausted...all that cursing.)  It makes me
    jump,  but I've gotten used to it a bit, and I ask him to PLEASE use a
    tissue.....it really does help muffle!
    

    Some people sure are jumpy these days!  (must have something to do with
    the economy or the state of the world?)
    
    Those of us with allergies usually cannot help sneezing, and what we
    have is not contagious - luckily for the rest of you!  If you think I
    sneeze loudly these days, you didn't know me before I finally gave up
    and started going to an allergy specialist.  Sneeze away!
    
    /Charlotte (a-CHOO!)

    With all the troubles this world is facing ... it's kinda hard to
    believe that someone would complain about someone else's sneezes !
    
    Let 'er rip .... 8^)
    
    Jerry ...

    As one of the jumpy people of the world, I guess I've got to comment
    on some of the less than supportive replies here.
    
    While there is little some individuals can do about sneezing, there's
    also little some individuals can do about jumping.  Both are
    *involuntary*.  (And, while your group is laughing at your sneezing,
    I'm sure the other group is laughing at their jumping.)
    
    
    I can imagine some poor wreck out there finally stressed out to the
    point of mentioning it to their manager.  Not a problem.  (I can
    also imagine some jerk who is just yanking chains.  A problem.)
    
    Assume for a moment that there is someone who really is jumping when
    you sneeze.
    
    
    What *IS* a problem is that you should feel *any* guilt about sneezing!
    What *IS* a problem is that the jumper should feel like they are "hiding
    behind" a manager!  What nonsense!  It sounds like the manager really
    blew this one.
    
    Given:
    	You *will* sneeze.
    	They *will* jump.
    	You probably both are in cubicals (this is digital, afterall).
    
    What should *you* do about it?
    
    Probably nothing.  Sneeze away.  You don't own this problem.
    
    
    What should you all do about it?
    
    Some people have suggested tissues.  Probably not going to help the
    jumper much, but they might appreciate the symbolic gesture.  I've
    found headphones to be some help, but not everyone can solve it that
    way.  If your groups are large enough, consider office shuffles, but
    that might not help, and will certainly disrupt two to four people.
    Banish one of you to an office with a door, but I wouldn't accept
    that solution, and nobody should force either of you two either.
    (Now, if you've always secretly coveted an office with a door on
    the other hand.)  Oh, lots more, you all can come up with all sorts
    of possible solutions.
    
    Oh, all that's assuming there is someone who is *so* bothered by
    your sneezing that's it's *really* bothering them.  Big assumption.
    Check that out.  Manager could have over-reacted.
    
    
    The only thing I'm pretty sure about is there are one or more managers
    who have a thing or two to learn.  (And possibly a few group members
    as well.)
    
    								-mr. bill
    

    RE: .7, in the section of LJO2 where my group resides, a number of
    us sneeze on a regular basis.  What I find quite interesting is that
    when one person has a bad week, i.e. more sneezing than usual, all
    of us have the same symptoms.  This week has been worse than usual.

    I know a loud sneezer (I come from a family where "Ladies don't
    sneeze out loud", so I notice these things)
    
    ...anyway, this person REALLY LETS GO with a sneeze,
    looks around and says:
    
    	"Anybody hurt?"
    
    
    As long as they cover their mouths, I guess it really doesn't bother
    me, but I always have to overcome the old training not to think
    "How Ruuuuuude.", especially if it's a woman.
    
    --DE
    
    
    

    Its quite funny reading this note.
    
    I think people in Hong Kong sneeze much more than people in other
    places. It is because the air in Hong Kong are very bad. So people
    always sneeze.
    
    I don't know how loud your sneeze can be(well you may give me the
    loudness of your sneeze in decibel), I just know sneezes that make
    other jump up to the ceiling is quite normal.
    
    There is one live next to my building. He always sneeze, very very
    loud. When he sneezed, my family and I always follow with words
    "wao, what a sneeze! The whole district can hear!"
    
    I know a method that claimed can reduce the loudness of sneeze.
    That is when you are going to sneeze, you take in the air as little
    as possible. This makes you have less air to 'explode' out (bombs
    that can give out large amount of air will give a large explode.)
    I don't know if this work, but you may try.
    
    If you think that it is hard to do so, just sneeze as loud as you
    can. When someone complain, you can simply say "Oh sorry, I think
    I have wake you up in your dream!"
    
    Just sneeze!
    
    Mickwid.
    
    ps. I used to sneeze as loud as I can, this really make me feel
    great!

    
    	I once complained to a manager that it was always too cold in
    	our office area. He looked at me and said, "You wouldn't be
    	complaining about the temperature if there wasn't something
    	else already bothering you. So, what is it??". He was right. 
    	Maybe your jumper is under stress from something else, but he
    	feels better complaining about the sneezing than identifying 
    	what is truly bothering him...
    
    	Sherry
    

    
    Get this person a pair of the ear muffs that engineers wear
    in labs.  Dec will pay for this.  It would be a nice gesture
    and put some better feelings between the two of you.