By skyforbes Co-workers would regularly put their drinks on my desk on their way to the restroom and pick them up on the way back.
After asking them not to do that, I put an extra wastebasket at the end of the desk started tossing their drinks in it. They were often genuinely surprised to find no drink when they came back through.
I just apologized and told them that I didn’t know who left their trash on my desk but I needed my desk space to work.
They also bumped into my chair while cutting through my work area.
These things would happen multiple times a day and it was always the same handful of people.
It was so bad that if I were to roll my chair back six inches I’d accidentally run into them so that’s exactly what I started doing.
When I had to get a file from the side drawer I would roll my chair back and turn sideways to get to the files
I decided that I needed a file pretty much every time someone was cutting through my work space.
It took a few times but the worst offenders soon stopped after a few interactions between their ankles and my chair legs.
I would always profusely apologize and ask if they were OK, offer to help them get back to their desk, write an accident report etc.
Nobody was ever seriously injured but I’m sure there were some bruises.
I’m not proud but I would do it all again if I were at that desk in that office.