You can set your watch by Kai Ryssdal’s dental hygiene. When he emerges from the restroom — toothbrush in hand, breath minty fresh — and begins his brisk walk toward the studio, you know it’s very nearly 2 p.m. sharp, when Marketplace tapes live every weekday.
Its Kai’s self-proclaimed weirdest work ritual and look, we all have them, even if you don’t work in an office. From her home in Oakland, California, Molly Wood schedules conference calls around her dog’s schedule. Bystanders might think she’s executing a walk-and-talk with a furry, pooping Josiah Bartlett.
This week on Make Me Smart, Kai and Molly are celebrating these and all workplace quirks with Jennifer Romolini, author of “Weird in a World That’s Not: A Career Guide for Misfits, F*ckups, and Failures.”
In that spirit, I asked the Marketplace staff and all of you about your strangest workplace habits. You didn’t disappoint. Fair’s fair though. I’ll start:
For a @Marketplace story: What’s your weird work habit?
Mine is this framed photo of Baby Grinch I keep at my desk. pic.twitter.com/uP4moay0VM
— Tony Wagner (@tonydwagner) June 28, 2017
I steal bunches of napkins from the Panera downstairs instead of just asking our admin assistant to add kleenex to the office supply order
— Peter LaFontaine (@PedroLaFontaine) June 28, 2017
“My diet for a long time was to only eat when there was free food at work,” Marketplace developer Arjuna Soriano told me. “So I would usually end up eating nothing or like three donuts.”
I had a coworker in professional office who played Take It Easy very loud every morning, sometimes when I arrived, or just randomly.
— Neil (@neilggrupert) June 28, 2017
I keep a fairy by my desk to help me laugh when the day gets too cray cray for comfort pic.twitter.com/PKAoWUuIJY
— Roxanne Darling (@roxannedarling) June 28, 2017
“I keep pillows on the floor in my sound booth, Ermentrude,” Marketplace reporter Sally Herships told me. That’s the name of the booth: Ermentrude. “So usually I’m just sitting on a pillow, on the ground while I’m doing interviews.”
She sent a picture:
My colleague Brandon Echter, over at Science Friday, messes around with settings in the work group chat:
I put SimCity loading messages into our @SlackHQ pic.twitter.com/FA5t6I292j
— Brandon Echter ? (@bechter) June 28, 2017
When I’m cold in the office, I drape two XXL T-shirts across my lap.
— Maxine (@maxinewally) June 28, 2017
Can you top any of these workplace weirdos? Send us your best stories and we’ll add ’em to the list! Tweet your responses to @Marketplace or leave a response in the comments.
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