Old Fogey Thoughts ITT

When did people stop asking for someone or introducing themselves when they call. Is is so much to ask that when you call me that you ask for the intended recipient or say "This is ...". It would surely make figuring out that you have the wrong number much easer than each of us saying hello 6 times with me waiting for you to try to tell me why or who you called for.

4/21/2011 10:43:19 AM

caller id killed the phone etiquette. one of my pet peeves. And I really hate it when i call someone and they answer the phone with 'hey mark'.

4/21/2011 5:03:02 PM

We need a new section for you really old farts

4/21/2011 9:45:49 PM

Why the fuck am I gonna answer my cellphone, "Hello, this is Tyler"

4/21/2011 9:51:42 PM

*facepalm*

4/25/2011 10:01:22 PM

^^Thats how I answer my phone. Kind of weird since my name isn't Tyler.

4/27/2011 12:02:42 AM

You know what I hate? Phone menus.

The other day I went to call one of those numbers that you see on bumper stickers. I hate the things myself, always leaving pieces of the bumper sticker behind when you try to take them off. I don't see why anyone would put a bumper sticker on their motor vehicle. Anyway, it was a bumper sticker that you sometimes see on vehicles that asks the question "How's my driving?" How's my driving? You should know, you are the one driving after all so you shouldn't have to ask. If you have to ask maybe the question you should be asking is why am I driving in the first place?

Well I decided to write down the information on the bumper sticker so I could call the number when I got home. I wanted to inform the local electric service provider that I had witnessed a woman driving one of their vehicles. The number on the sticker had an "866" area code, so I was a bit concerned about long distance charges applying to my bill. I dialed the operator and she assured me that the 866 area code was toll free. They should really do something about the quantity of telephone numbers. If we as a society have gotten to the point where there are so many telephone numbers that more area codes are needed to supply additional toll free services we need to take a step back and ask ourselves... are all the assigned telephone numbers really in use? Maybe it's time to stop assigning new numbers and start reassigning the numbers no one uses any more.

I finally dial the number and I'm greeted by a recording asking me to press 1 for English and 2 for Spanish. Spanish. With the way this country is headed pretty soon that recording will ask people to press 1 for Spanish and 2 for English. Can you imagine?

To make a long story short I discovered that I couldn't continue my telephone call due to what I would later discover as the inability of the phone menu system to recognize the numbers I was dialing from my rotary dial telephone. After discussing the problem with one of my grandchildren I was informed that I would need a new telephone.

When I arrived at the nearest Radio Shack the sales clerk attempted to sell me a telephone that didn't even have a wire to connect it to the wall. After a heated debate the sales clerk showed me a "touch tone" phone that worked on something called a "land line." I expressed my concerns that the telephone lines that connected to my home were on poles and that they were suspended in the air, but the clerk ensured me that it would work. I'm still not too sure about that guy.

The new telephone was $12.99. Can you imagine? So much for a telephone, that was nearly the same price as my mortgage payment when I was paying off my house. And why do prices always end in 99 cents? Like they are really tricking people into thinking that their goods cost a dollar less simply by deducting a penny from the asking price.

When I finally got home with my new telephone I had forgotten the issue I had with the driver of the local electric service provider truck. Having forgotten I had to make the assumption that his driving was beyond reproach, so I decided not to make the call after all.

4/27/2011 10:00:07 AM

YOU GOT BRUCE, WHAT'S UP?

4/27/2011 11:02:50 AM

Phone menus that you have to speak your selection really grind my gears.

4/27/2011 11:39:06 AM