27 July 2009

My first phone call in the new building

So my brand-new office building comes with brand-new phones (and phone numbers). These phones are complicated and have all sorts of bells and whistles. And I mean bells and whistles. We can choose from a multitude of ring tones, including two that go "Are you there?" (0ne male and one female). Who the hell would ever choose that ring? And who the heck thought that one up?

Anyway.

On my way back from a meeting, I stopped by to ask a favor of a coworker (TM). He said fine and that he'd be in my office "in a jiffy." So I came into my office and was looking at my bookshelf (deciding what to put on which shelves). All of a sudden someone shrieked "ARE YOU THERE?" from directly behind me at the top of her lungs. It practically scared the pants off me, and I shrieked. Of course, there was nobody there. TM had snuck into my office while I was at the meeting and changed my phone settings to that stupid ring tone. He waited until I was in the office to call me and heard me shriek from two doors down. He insists he didn't turn the volume up, and I guess I believe him. Maybe. Moral of the story -- don't let the kids play with your telephone...

I told this story to ThePinkThing, who thought it was hilarious. Ha-ha. What is really weird is that she isn't fazed by a phone with a ring tone that says something. When I was a kid, telephones had rotary dials and cell phones were the stuff of Buck Rogers. Need I say more?

8 comments:

ntsc said...

When I was a kid the phones said: " Number please" and would also tell you the time if asked. And if you f-ed with them too much would call your parents later.

Wish I had that last feature when the then 10 year old discovered 900 numbers.

neurondoc said...

We never had a live person on the other end of the phone, except if we made a collect call. I love the idea of the phone telling on the kids...

But when I was a kid, we could make crank calls without fear of retribution (i.e., caller ID).

(ring, ring)

Innocent Victim: Hello?
BadChildren: Hi!
IV: Yes?
BC: We are calling to find out if your refrigerator is running.
IV: Yes, it is.
BC: Then go catch it! (click)

Much howling by said BadChildren. Probably much grumbling by Innocent Victim.

John the Scientist said...

You have a coworker named Trade Mark?

And did you call the tobacco shop (another relic of the past) and ask if they had Prince Albert in a can?

Yes?

Better let him out before British Embassy comes looking for you... :p

Anonymous said...

You're still the only one to fall prey to my prank. But give it time; I'll strike again on some unsuspecting individual (other than you) when they least expect it. Even just a month or so ought to do it.

WendyB_09 said...

Actual phone call made sometime in the spring of 1973:

PG (in best little kid voice):
Is this the White House?
WH: Yes sir, can I help you?
PG: It is? Really?
WH: Yes, really. Who are you calling?
PG: Who lives there?
WH: The President.
PG: Really? He must be important.
WH: Who is this?
PG: I must be important because I live in a white house too!
Click!

Had I not been standing next to the individual making the call, I'm not sure I would have believed them!

WendyB_09

Anonymous said...

Pity you can't password lock your phone!

Random Michelle K said...

I despise that ring. To make it even worse, the guy saying "Are you there?" was the default ring on our VOIP phones when we rolled them out years ago.

Horrifying.

neurondoc said...

Yes -- horrifying.

Unfortunately the phones aren't password-locked, other than for voicemail.