Like any place, EU Brussels has its fair share of irritating people. Here are six widely disliked types.

• ‘No compromisers’ are people who always stick to a rigid set of beliefs and either cannot understand other people believe other things or don’t respect other people because they do. They come from both the political left and right. Those of the ‘funny left’ believe meat eaters are murderers. And those on the ‘funny right’, don’t like foreigners, gays or Muslims and don’t believe in equality of the sexes. ‘No compromisers’ are often unhappy people. Avoid them.

• ‘Down lookers’ look down on others. They are rude to serving personnel and always irritated with security staff. They are often self-aggrandizing. Think about the pushy businessman being rude to a flight attendant. Or the MEP who feels he shouldn’t have to queue like the rest of us to get a coffee.

• ‘Indignants’ are people who, despite knowing better, always express indignation. Doesn’t matter what the subject is: climate, equality, war, food – they must express outrage and indignation. Often, they are politicians who make loud and emotive speeches, and 10 minutes later when someone else is speaking will be playing Candy Crush on their phone.

• ‘Distractors’ are a broad category of people who offend the general senses and in so doing, distract.  There are stinkers – people who stink of alcohol, sweat, smoke, have bad breath, or overuse perfume. Then there those who assault the sense of hearing: too loud, talk too much, have squeaky voices or don’t talk loud enough. Another category is those who distract through appearance – too deep decolletes, hairy chests or too much leg. And possibly the worst are those with bad manners – nose pickers, nail biters, disgusting eaters, and unwanted touching. The only thing to do with all these types of people is avoid them.

• ‘Why changers’ think that everything is fine nowadays and that ‘no change whatsoever anywhere to anything’ is the right way to go. They like paper over digital, cars over bicycles, strict hierarchies over flexible ways of working. Despite almost all of EU Brussels adopting a more flexible work from home approach after COVID, these people want their colleagues all to be in the office five days a week 9:00 to 6:00.

• ‘Loyal number 2’ live for their boss, and their boss is always right. They are pencil-licking, briefcase-carrying, paper-shuffling, yes-nodding, dry clean pick-upper fools. They are sycophantic minions who have no shame in eating their boss’s crumbs. Avoid them at all costs.