A Phone is ringing, do you HAVE to answer it?

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   kirstenblogposted 13 years ago

   When you hear that blasted little inconsiderate piece of plastic and metal blaring out some noxious noise alerting you to impending disembodied communication like some sort of small child desperate for attention, do you feel that you HAVE to answer it straight away? Do you fall into some sort of panic that it will stop ringing before you get to it and will instead have that accusing, your too slow dial tone that means you missed the call (that you probably didn't even want to receive in the first place)?
   
   I hate cell phones, because I get that imperative, answer the phone, might as well have that as my ring tune "Answer me NOW DAMNIT!". What I really hate is how people don't call when I am free and able to answer the phone with little trouble, no no, they call when I have just reached the top of the que, am trying to pack my groceries and pay for my goods at the same time. 5 minutes later when I am out of the shop and happy to answer? Hell no, never happens! EVER! If I get a call when I am out it is ALWAYS when packing my goods and paying for them, never when I am at the back of a long line with lots of time on my hands, never once I am out of the shop with good reception! Suffice to say I HATE cell phones, bloody intrusive things! Gahh!
   
   One thing tho, since watching phonebooth I will NOT answer a ringing phone in a phone booth
   I hear the one on my walk to work ring from time to time and I just keep going, it takes a real strength of will to not answer the thing but if you have seen phone booth you will know why I make the effort
   
   So what about you guys?
   Any other slightly crazy people out there who panic over a ringing phone?

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      Uninvited Writerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Is this a philosophical question?

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         kirstenblogposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Could well be philosophical, why not?

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   earnestshubposted 13 years ago

   No, I follow the advice of a professor friend of my father.
   
   When asked to answer the phone in his lab, he just says "Hello phone!"

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      kirstenblogposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      ROFL! Good practice

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   Uninvited Writerposted 13 years ago

   No...if I don't recognize the number or if it doesn't say who it is I don't answer it. When my TV is on I can send it right to voice mail

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   Emile Rposted 13 years ago

   I rarely answer the phone, unless I'm home. I hate answering it when I'm out and I hate other people doing it. I would love a device to put on my car to jam phone signals within a half mile radius, because one of my pet peeves is idiots that think they can talk on the phone and pay attention to the road at the same time.

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   WriteAngledposted 13 years ago

   I'm very sensitive to sounds. I find standard phone ring tones extremely stressful, so at home I have to answer if I am nearby otherwise I become very shaky and anxious as the ringing continues. Being in a public place with an unanswered phone ringing on and on is unbearable. It has brought me to tears on a number of occasions.
   
   For my mobile phone, I selected the least aggravating musical tone I could find. I have it set fairly quietly and am able to ignore it reasonably easily if I am not in a position to answer.

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      kirstenblogposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Sure is nice to know I am not alone
      I don't quite get to the point of tears at all but I do get the anxiety and stressful sort of panic that the thing needs answering. I find it very strange that a little device like a phone can do that to a person but for me at least it does seem to, and I had the idea others get similar reactions to some degree.

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   EmpressFelicityposted 13 years ago

   I run a tiny business from home so I really do feel I have to answer it otherwise I might lose work!
   
   I don't enjoy using the telephone, even though I recognise its usefulness for arranging appointments etc.  I can't phone people up "just to chat" - it's simply not in my nature. 
   
   To get around my aversion to unwanted callers such as salespeople I've developed several useful "get them off the line quickly" techniques and a sliding system of "polite, rude and very rude" for persistent offenders.

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   Merlin Fraserposted 13 years ago

   Fixed phone or Cell...Depends where I am, if I am alone I will answer it, on the other hand how rude is it to answer a phone when you are with and talking to another person.
   
   What you are saying is I'm sorry but whoever is ringing me is more important than you !
   
   If is that important they will ring back.  With all these stupid smart phones they still don't have a button to press that  A) Stops the damn thing ringing while sending B0 A text to say Piss Off I'm busy !
   
   These days even an incoming Text message has priority over actual one to one conversation. A cell phone ringing odds on the other person will look at the screen and say, "I must take this ..."
   
   An estate agent did that to me and I just smiled and said, "Please carry on but don't excpect me to be still standing here when you're finished."
   
   In a shop next in line to be served the phone rings, who gets priority you or the phone ?
   
   The damn things have made Slaves of us all and Bloody Rude slaves at that.
   
     " SMART PHONE;  PITY ABOUT THE OWNER !"

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      kirstenblogposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      
      Brilliant quote!
      I will be using it

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         Merlin Fraserposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         It's based upon a Italian Car advertisment I saw years ago,
         
         Great big poster with the words :
         
           "Designed by Experts,Built by Robots" written on it.
         
            Someone wrote underneath... "Driven by Idiots!"

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   SomewayOuttaHereposted 13 years ago

   no...never feel i have to answer it unless family is calling...when i'm working I have to, but sometimes i set it to DND

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   Lisa HWposted 13 years ago

   I tend to have to answer my own unless I know, for certain, it's someone I don't want to talk to, of course.  I have absolutely no urge to answer anyone else's - or a public - phone.     I don't always keep talking after answering but I want pretty much all my calls.  I have kids.  Even though they're grown I still want to know they can reach me at all times.  I don't have more than quick conversations on my cell phone if I'm out somewhere, but I like cell phones.   I'm not above carrying a spare if I think it might be necessary.       What I hate are answering machines/recordings for messages that could really have waited.  I don't want to use them, and I get irked to have to call mine to check messages.

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