My sister sent me an article she had torn from a magazine. I suspect the magazine could be Oprah, given that there is an O in the upper corner of each page. If you'd like to go see the original article, look for the December, 2004 issue. The article is called "You Have The Right To Remain Silent."
Boy....the title tells you everything. In your house, when the phone rings, is there a rush to answer it? My mother is 88 and she has her own phone. She swears that it waits to ring until she's clear across the house in the kitchen, or sleeping. Once she's established that it's HER phone that is ringing, there's the race to her living room. Of course, she never makes it in time to answer the call. She's installed caller ID, so she can see who called if they didn't leave a message. Once a month or so my stepson will sit down to erase all the messages that have built up in the system for her. If it was my phone, he'd have to sit down once a month to erase all the messages that had built up in the system for me. You can see where I get my mechanical ability.
In the past, our dinner time was roughly 6:00-6:30. For the past fifteen years my husband's business associate has called Monday through Thursday during dinner hour. My husband will not tell him that we are eating. Instead, he takes the call, and then returns to the table. Personally, I feel that when you have a family activity, you should ask your caller if you could return their call later. I've adjusted to Dear Husband's preferences. I'm trying to serve dinner earlier these days. Do you think his calls will come earlier, too?
I have just about reached the point where I don't answer the phone. I mind having charities interrupt my day with their pleas. I don't care to have fund raising companies call and brow beat me to send money for police retirement funds. There are times I simply let the machine take the call. It's not that these things aren't good causes, but there's only so far my charitable giving can stretch, and once you are on a list as a giver, you are on EVERYONE'S list! We are inundated with these calls, and feel they should be on the restricted phoning list, too.
Our business phone and fax are on the same number. The phone is set to ring twice before the fax machine kicks in. If I don't make it to the phone in time, I can pick up the handset to get a piercing blast in my ear from a fax being received. There's good reason to let calls go to the machine. My insurance agent has accused me of being selective about my calls, but it's only to save my hearing.
I resisted getting a fax machine. I was concerned that I would be forever at someone else's beck and call if they could reach me in this manner. I dragged my feet until Dear Husband went out one day and bought an HP Office Jet. I have to admit, MY day is a lot easier with one, but there's still room for abuse. Offices that are poorly organized, will send a fax expecting me to respond immediately, and it isn't going to happen. I've tightened up my business practices to be on top of this kind of thing, but there's a limit to what you can accomplish. It's the old joke about "You want it WHEN???"
I think we should have one day a week when there is NO phone service (except for medical emergencies and police). What do you think? Could you get behind this idea? Let's all disconnect.......walk away from that phone, and do it PROUDLY!
Comments (11)
Good luck in your drive to silence the phones for one day each week, Buffy. For you, I would support the proposal; for me, it would make no difference. Since I've never been in business for myself, I've never felt the need to answer a phone just because it's ringing. Even before we started having to screen the calls (about 10-15 years ago, a business about 30 miles north of us was assigned a phone number that is only one digit different from the number that was assigned us in 1968) by letting the answering machine pick them up, I only answered a ringing phone if it was convenient for me to do so.
Strangers who come to my door get the same lack of response. Just because my doorbell rings does not mean that I drop everything and run to the door. I'm just not that curious as to why someone has found his/her way to my doorstep.
I hate rings/buzzes/musical melodies eminating from the various devices that Hunky Husband buys (I'm convinced that he only does it to torture me--LOL. He probably has about 15 devices that emit audible tones, around this house); but, it bothers me not a whit to ignore pleas for attention from the telephones or doorbell. (I keep the ring tone "off" on the phones in my bedroom and sewing room. I also keep it off on the one in the breakfast room, when I can--that is, when HH is feeling mellow and doesn't subvert my effort. That particular phone's "low" still is so loud that it makes me jump every time it goes off! I only keep the ring tone "on" for the phone in my den. HH has the tone "on" for the phones in his den and in his bedroom.)
Posted by Cop Car | February 10, 2005 4:34 AM
Posted on February 10, 2005 04:34
...my own jet pack!!...I was promised my own personal jet pack - it was the only reason that I agreed to enter the 21st century...all these innovations, all this progress - I thought it was all supposed to lead up to a four hour working day every other week...robots and computers are supposed to be doing everything...and yet I am on call 24/7 - my phone, my mobile (cell), my email account, they have started to issue colleagues with bleepers - we stack shelves!!!...what in the name of all the things that I should name is *so* important that they need instant access to the bloke who keeps the bananas stocked :^)...
...I want my jet pack!!!!!...
Posted by billy | February 10, 2005 8:57 AM
Posted on February 10, 2005 08:57
Cop Car, I KNEW we had a lot in common! I can't turn off the rings, but I'll be darned if I'll run to them like some Pavlovian trained critter!
Billy.....I can't imagine WHY they would want to load you down with all that stuff. Think of the money they could save by just calling you on the phone if they needed to talk to you. They must have gotten "SUCH A DEAL" that they can equip the entire company. I'd drop the beeper in the toilet, I think. Especially since they haven't given you your own jet pack!
Posted by Buffy | February 10, 2005 3:32 PM
Posted on February 10, 2005 15:32
Totally agree.
Fortunately, the Telephone Preference Service in the UK stops the sort of chairty calling you mention, and if I'm busy or eating I just don't answer the phone. I've got an answer machine, and they can either leave a message or call back.
Nothing's so important that it can't wait.
Anyone who may need me in an emergency has my mobile (cell) number - but that displays the number calling, so I can similarly ignore that if I choose. I'm very selective about who gets that number, because I can't stand being interrupted when I'm out unless it's urgent.
Posted by Blue Witch | February 14, 2005 6:37 AM
Posted on February 14, 2005 06:37
Blue Witch, I wish our Telephone Preference system included charities. I hate being rude to people, but telemarketers and fund raisers have been taught to roll right over your objections. I usually end up hanging up on them after pleasantly saying "Im sorry, but we can't help you."
I have a cell phone and I think maybe TWO people have the number! It's strictly for safety as Mother travels with me. So many people have cell phones in the US that pay telephones have become scarce!
Posted by Buffy | February 14, 2005 2:56 PM
Posted on February 14, 2005 14:56
Dear unhock your phone! My family would go nuts! Hey girl, I use the phone rarely. So I cant complain to much. Have a good week girl!
Posted by Joe Smitherman | February 15, 2005 8:31 PM
Posted on February 15, 2005 20:31
Yeah, Joe. I have a niece who needs to have that phone surgically implanted, given all the time she spends on it. Personally, I'd be happy if I could limit my calls to just a few a day.
Posted by Buffy | February 15, 2005 8:57 PM
Posted on February 15, 2005 20:57
Oh yes, Buffy, let's do that. And let's unplug the radio and the TV for a day as well and only listen to the birds. My kind of day but it only happens when I'm home alone.
Posted by Roberta S | February 16, 2005 2:40 AM
Posted on February 16, 2005 02:40
That's a great idea, Roberta! NO electronics for one day a week. I don't know how many people would even consider that, but I think we might be surprised to find a ground swell of support, especially among the baby boomer generation, who can still remember what bird song sounds like.
Posted by Buffy | February 16, 2005 3:56 PM
Posted on February 16, 2005 15:56
Since my furnace, stove, oven, and microwave all have electronic controls (not to mention that my PC and iPAQ are electronics--and my car), I'll opt out on the expansion of the banning. I may want to eat!
Posted by Cop Car | February 17, 2005 1:14 AM
Posted on February 17, 2005 01:14
Oh silly....you know I meant electronics that interrupt family time, or those that intrude when you'd like a little peace. Dear Husband might like to have me close down the computer once in a while, but I'm SURE That he'd like to hve the stove top, microwave and oven working! lol
Posted by Buffy | February 17, 2005 9:43 PM
Posted on February 17, 2005 21:43