Have U ever hesitated before answering the phone? & then it was someone U REALLY didn't want 2 talk 2?

Question

I have a sort of moment of anxiety when the phone rings & I have to decide whether to answer it, a deja vu moment when I think I know who is calling & either find out I'm right or be so shocked because I couldn't have predicted who was on the other end of the line if my life depended on it. As I reach for the phone I wonder would I be happier if I didn't answer this call?

So I guess I'm looking for extreme good and bad answering phone experiences. :D
And don't bother commenting on telemarketers unless it's a particularly good/unusual story. I'm with BunBun (from Sluggy Freelance) on the whole telemarketer affair.

Ok, so I guess I forgot to mention the obvious CALLER ID DOESN'T ALWAYS HELP. Duh

Like you recognize the area code but there's nothing but a # and then it turns out to be your boss' cell phone calling you into work on the weekend.

Also I can't screen calls since I only have voicemail so there's no "it's me -- pick up" I have to call back because I can't screen calls just listen after if they actually leave a message.

Answer 1

I now use an answering machine and screen all calls for that very reason. If you really want to know, you can get caller ID. I evade a lot of irritating calls by screening, though my friends hate that I do it. I am very busy and don't have time to try to get off the phone with someone I don't want to talk with.

Answer 2

Phone experiences sought from us... Ok, here's mine.

All my phone experiences are indirect, as I'm deaf.

A Deaf person's phone experiences...

1... A Telephone relay service where I type my conversation onto a machine, and the phone operator reads out what I types, and types for me what the other person said. This experience happened before the advent of mobile text messages...

This particular operator could not really type. One time I spent ages waiting for the operator trying to type a simple message. You can guess the phone bill i got!

2. Phoning via the internet. I hooked up and used the internet to chat online. (This was in 1994) when I was finished I ended the conversatiuon, but a hacker spent 14 hours chatting on an international call. when the phone bill came, the phone company told me I had to pay the bill, but when I explained it was impossible for me to make a phone call at all, never mind a 14 hour international call. They didn't believe me, but when they met me, they had to concede. Fair play to the phone company, they waived the bill.

3. People phoning on my behalf delivering my message, giving me the response, and then hanging up BEFORE I had a chance to respond in turn... ooooo thank god for mobiles!!

Answer 3

Use an Answering Machine.. ask people to leave a message. Those that call that don't leave messages are telemarketeers. You can
always call them back with that call return number. It's listed in most phone books in the front pages!

Answer 4

I'll tell you how bad I got it over answering a ringing phone. I don't answer it, I let it ring and the after it stops, I star 69 it to hear what the last number that called was. If I recognize it and they're a friend or family member then i call them back.

Answer 5

Answer the phone and say, "Hello" through a comb covered with waxed paper. Listen to the voice of the caller, and now that you know to whom you are speaking, either continue without the voice distortion you were using or hang up.

Answer 6

It once happened to me.There was a girl in my class she always used to call just a day before paper and say "can you plz tell me the syllabus".She used to waste time soooooo much that i decided not to pick up the phone.But unfortunatly my family had to go somewhere and i was alone and you wont believe it the first call that i received was of her.Thank god i kept my head and i remembered someone telling me that my voice resembled a lot with my sis.I told her that i was not her classfellow but her elder sis and that she would have to call later to talk to me.
I know i did lie but otherwise i would have failed my test!

Answer 7

that sounds painful! i so get u lol- like having moments together with her which u in simple terms wanna circulate back to.. like the bomber guy element. it hurts lots! even nonetheless she feels like shes had such countless human beings, she looks to nevertheless refer to u approximately it and proceed to be on the brink of u the completed time. examining this fairly makes me think of u ought to tell her- how has the region been left? in the journey that your no longer at college/college together with her anymore then u wont ought to stand her in front of individuals which makes it much less perplexing to tell her how u experience. i do exactly what u do! pretend i dont have thoughts by utilising appearing informal and stuff..yet it is hurting u and giving her the incorrect indicators that u are no longer involved in that way. i say meet up, get to a difficulty the place u are on my own mutually sittin close n in simple terms look deep into her eyes, carry her gaze and smile! drop some tricks...

Answer 8

well i have days where i dont want to talk to most people (or anyone sometimes) so if my caller ID dont give the number or if it's a number i dont recognize then i just let my voicemail get it and if they dont leave a message then they really didnt want anything that bad.

Answer 9

Caller ID is great but IF its not available with some calls I will answer but if there rude & hang up or never speak ect. *69 and I give them MY thoughts back & tell them I called the local police on them for doing that.......And......Soon after they apolojise. Or simple I never hear from them again. SIMPLE

Please NOTE: a cell phone is not the same you can easly call them back.....Hey draw your own conclusions.

Answer 10

Yes I usually know who is calling and will decide if I'm up for their 'energy' or not. And some people are on a permanent 'no-answer' list. That is your intuition working when you don't want to answer.