Americans get really annoyed when people drive badly, smoke in no-smoking zones, or don't pick up after their dogs, but the rude behavior that bugs them most is workplace discrimination, according to a survey.

A poll released Friday by the Civility Initiative at The Johns Hopkins University and the Jacob France Institute of the University of Baltimore found workplace offenses featured highly on the "Terrible Ten" list of rude behaviors.

In the survey, 615 people from two companies in Baltimore and the University of Baltimore were asked to rank 30 examples of rude behavior ranging from text messaging when talking to someone, taking other people's food from the office fridge, to snubbing people.

Dr P M Forni, director of the initiative which promotes civility in the workplace and conducted the survey, said he was surprised discrimination topped the list above other more usual peeves in the workplace such as colleagues brushing their teeth in the water fountain.

"When a worker felt they weren't chosen for a project because they did not speak English as well as others, or felt they weren't promoted because of their national origin, age or sexual preference, they were really upset," he said.

"The American workplace is the most diverse in the world and the American worker is very sensitive to any kind of treatment that seems to be unfair."

Erratic or aggressive driving -- behavior typical of rush-hour commutes -- came second in the list with taking credit for someone else's work rounding out the top three.

Forni said it seemed from this survey that people were starting to focus more on the big issues.

He said people were far more forgiving when family or friends behaved in a way seen as rude than work colleagues.

"With the long hours that are so common today in the workplace, the real determinant of our ability to have a good or bad day is linked to the people we work with," he said.

Here is the list of "Terrible Ten" behaviors:

1. Discrimination in an employment situation

2. Erratic or aggressive driving that endangers others

3. Taking credit for someone else's work

4. Treating service providers as inferiors

5. Jokes or remarks that mock another's race, gender, age, disability, sexual preference or religion

6. Children behaving aggressively

7. Littering (including trash, spitting, pet waste)

8. Misuse of handicapped privileges

9. Smoking in non-smoking places or smoking in front of non-smokers without asking

10. Using cell phones or text messaging in mid-conversation or during an appointment or meeting.

一項調查顯示，美國人對違章駕駛、在禁煙區吸煙及不清理寵物狗的糞便等不文明行為極為反感，但最讓他們厭惡的不文明行為則是職場歧視。

本周五，美國約翰霍普金斯大學和巴爾的摩大學雅各布?弗蘭斯研究院的“文明禮貌”項目公布的一項民調發現，職場歧視高居“十大最令人厭惡的粗魯行為”排行榜之首。

巴爾的摩兩家公司以及巴爾的摩大學的615人參與了該項調查，調查人員讓調查對象對30種粗魯行為進行排位，其中包括邊與別人說話邊發短信、從辦公室冰箱里拿走別人的東西以及責罵別人等。

倡導職場文明的“文明禮貌”項目負責人弗尼博士開展了該項調查。他說他很驚訝職場歧視竟名列榜首，排在了如同事在洗手池里刷牙等其它更為平常的職場不文明行為之前。

他說：“如果一名員工覺得自己沒入選某項目是因為他的英語不如別人好，或者沒得到升遷是因為他的出生國、年齡及性取向，他會非常沮喪。”

“美國的職場多樣性居全球之首。美國員工對于任何不公平待遇都極為敏感。”

上下班高峰期典型的駕駛風格——不遵守規則或野蠻駕駛位居第二，搶別人的功勞名列第三。

弗尼說，這項調查表明人們開始更多地關注“大事”。

他說，人們對家人或朋友的粗魯行為比對待同事要寬容得多。

他說：“如今，長時間呆在工作場所十分普遍，因此，同事便成為決定我們一天心情好壞的關鍵因素。”

“十大令人厭惡的粗魯行為”如下：

1. 職場歧視

2. 危及他人安全的不規則駕駛或野蠻駕駛

3. 搶別人功勞

4. 看不起服務人員

5. 嘲笑或議論他人的種族、性別、年齡、生理殘疾、性取向和宗教

6. 兒童行為過激

7. 亂扔垃圾（包括亂扔廢棄物、隨地吐痰、不清理寵物糞便）

8. 濫用殘疾特權

9. 在禁煙區吸煙或未征得不吸煙者同意就吸煙

10. 與人交談、約會、開會時打電話或發短信