Cell phone etiquette
Something kind of odd happened to me this afternoon. I was standing in line at the cafe, about to order lunch, when my cell phone rang. I took it outside to answer it (even though there was almost nobody in the cafe), and my "hello?" was answered by an irritated woman's voice demanding, "Who is this?"
"Um, you called me," I said. "Who are you trying to reach?"
"I did not call you," she replied. "What is the meaning of this? Who are you?"
Well! I was kind of stumped as to how to answer. I didn't recognize the number, and I knew I hadn't called her, not even by accident, since the keypad was locked and anyway, as everyone knows, phones only ring when somebody calls them (not when you call somebody). Also, I didn't appreciate being yelled at by someone I didn't even know.
"Who are you?" I asked again. "My phone rang, and I answered it. Maybe you got a wrong number?"
"No, I did not," she said. "Now who is this?"
So weird! I didn't know what to say to that, so I didn't say anything. Then she said, "How did you get on my line? Hang up, hang up!"
"What do you mean, hang up? You're the one who made the call! You hang up." I don't know why I said that, except that I suddenly felt like I was being attacked, and I didn't want to back down. Some stranger calls me up out of the blue and starts interrogating me and ordering me around? I'll show her who's the boss of me! Me, that's who!
Only after I finally did hang up did I realize how weird it was for me to react so defensively. What do I care what a stranger says on the phone? I could have just hung up without saying anything at all. But also, how weird of her! I looked up the number in the reverse directory when I got back to my office and it's just some residence, nobody I know. Doesn't that seem kind of rude, though? To dial a wrong number (or whatever happened), and then start abusing the person who answers?
While I'm on the topic of etiquette, another thing that's been bothering me lately is that there's this certain person who works with me who is constantly walking up behind me at my desk and leaning over my shoulder to look on my computer screen and ask, "Whatchya working on?" I know it's probably only because they think my work is more interesting than theirs, and it's not like I have anything to hide, but I just have always hated it when people come in and bug me while I'm working. First, because I have to stop working in order to talk to them, and second, because it makes me feel like I'm being scrutinized and spied on, and third, because ... well, I guess just because I have a deep hatred for that kind of stupid small talk, especially with people I don't particularly like, and especially when I'm on deadline, which I almost always am.
So that's my grouse for today.
"Um, you called me," I said. "Who are you trying to reach?"
"I did not call you," she replied. "What is the meaning of this? Who are you?"
Well! I was kind of stumped as to how to answer. I didn't recognize the number, and I knew I hadn't called her, not even by accident, since the keypad was locked and anyway, as everyone knows, phones only ring when somebody calls them (not when you call somebody). Also, I didn't appreciate being yelled at by someone I didn't even know.
"Who are you?" I asked again. "My phone rang, and I answered it. Maybe you got a wrong number?"
"No, I did not," she said. "Now who is this?"
So weird! I didn't know what to say to that, so I didn't say anything. Then she said, "How did you get on my line? Hang up, hang up!"
"What do you mean, hang up? You're the one who made the call! You hang up." I don't know why I said that, except that I suddenly felt like I was being attacked, and I didn't want to back down. Some stranger calls me up out of the blue and starts interrogating me and ordering me around? I'll show her who's the boss of me! Me, that's who!
Only after I finally did hang up did I realize how weird it was for me to react so defensively. What do I care what a stranger says on the phone? I could have just hung up without saying anything at all. But also, how weird of her! I looked up the number in the reverse directory when I got back to my office and it's just some residence, nobody I know. Doesn't that seem kind of rude, though? To dial a wrong number (or whatever happened), and then start abusing the person who answers?
While I'm on the topic of etiquette, another thing that's been bothering me lately is that there's this certain person who works with me who is constantly walking up behind me at my desk and leaning over my shoulder to look on my computer screen and ask, "Whatchya working on?" I know it's probably only because they think my work is more interesting than theirs, and it's not like I have anything to hide, but I just have always hated it when people come in and bug me while I'm working. First, because I have to stop working in order to talk to them, and second, because it makes me feel like I'm being scrutinized and spied on, and third, because ... well, I guess just because I have a deep hatred for that kind of stupid small talk, especially with people I don't particularly like, and especially when I'm on deadline, which I almost always am.
So that's my grouse for today.
Labels: rants
1 Comments:
That cell phone incident is freaky and that woman was exceptionally rude!
It reminds me of when I called my doctor a month or so ago to make a routine gyno appt. I got transferred to someone who could just not get it through her head that I was not the person with the ovarian cyst that (evidently) she'd previously put on hold. I had to repeat over and over and over again that I was not the person with the cyst. It took five minutes for her to get it, but at least she then apologized.
So weird.
I have to admit that I sometimes go look over B's shoulder when he's working. He absolutely hates it (and I totally understand why), but I still do it. I chalk it up to my natural tendency to be curious and not wanting to do my own work.
I love the new banner on your blog.
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