Busy signal
I checked my cell as I was leaving work the other day and, surprise of all surprises, my mom had left a message. Being the dutiful, perfect daughter that I am, I immediately checked the message and returned the call.
I waited patiently as my cell phone searched the heavens, found a satellite, communicated that it would like to talk to Montana, argued that Montana is indeed a place, fiddled about a bit as the satellite confirmed this outrageous claim and finally, finally, connected the call through.
Lucky me! I thought, happily awaiting the much anticipated phone conversation. And then, then, I was assaulted by a tone I only hear from one phone in the entire world...a busy signal.
Not a little frustrated, I punched ‘end’ and went about some errands I had planned that evening.
About an hour later, my cell phone and I patiently explained that while Montana seems like a whimsical place reserved to the musty pages of a long lost western adventure book, it does in fact exist and people live there – with phone service, and again sighed as the skeptical satellite put the call through.
That beeping taunted me, haunting from another world, no, another time. A fantastical time with rotary phone dials and operators named “Ethyl” and message machines that half-heartedly recorded your precious voice on tiny cassette tapes.
I didn’t call again. It’s too upsetting. My parents are resigned to live with a phone attached to the wall of their home without caller ID, without call waiting, hooked up to an ancient message machine they can’t figure out and connected to the same line they receive their, *gasp* dial-up internet service. I’ve argued myself blue in the face about this new age of cell phones. How you don’t have to take the phone with you, how caller ID, recorded messages, and call waiting come at no extra charge. How the same company that sets them up with a cell phone also sets you up with wi-fi for just a little more. How you don’t need to have a separate long distance company. All my arguing has come to no avail. All has come down to this: beep...beep....beep....beep........
I waited patiently as my cell phone searched the heavens, found a satellite, communicated that it would like to talk to Montana, argued that Montana is indeed a place, fiddled about a bit as the satellite confirmed this outrageous claim and finally, finally, connected the call through.
Lucky me! I thought, happily awaiting the much anticipated phone conversation. And then, then, I was assaulted by a tone I only hear from one phone in the entire world...a busy signal.
Not a little frustrated, I punched ‘end’ and went about some errands I had planned that evening.
About an hour later, my cell phone and I patiently explained that while Montana seems like a whimsical place reserved to the musty pages of a long lost western adventure book, it does in fact exist and people live there – with phone service, and again sighed as the skeptical satellite put the call through.
That beeping taunted me, haunting from another world, no, another time. A fantastical time with rotary phone dials and operators named “Ethyl” and message machines that half-heartedly recorded your precious voice on tiny cassette tapes.
I didn’t call again. It’s too upsetting. My parents are resigned to live with a phone attached to the wall of their home without caller ID, without call waiting, hooked up to an ancient message machine they can’t figure out and connected to the same line they receive their, *gasp* dial-up internet service. I’ve argued myself blue in the face about this new age of cell phones. How you don’t have to take the phone with you, how caller ID, recorded messages, and call waiting come at no extra charge. How the same company that sets them up with a cell phone also sets you up with wi-fi for just a little more. How you don’t need to have a separate long distance company. All my arguing has come to no avail. All has come down to this: beep...beep....beep....beep........
posted by ldbug at Friday, November 17, 2006
14 Comments:
I HATE busy signals. They drive me crazy. I think that it's about $4 extra a month for call waiting.
On the other hand, my mother has call display, and will call back EVERY number that she sees on the display. 'HELLO? You called me?' Even if in my message I say something like 'Hi, mom,I'm at so and so's, I'll call you later", she'll still call so and so. That drives me crazy,too. ( since we haven't spoken in about 2 years, I'm somewhat less crazy).
And my Hubby? He can build you a house, rebuild an engine, rewire anything...with out instructions...but he can't seem to figure out a phone. I think that I need an old rotary phone just fro him.
My parents don't even have a phone with a display. God, I can't even imagine their confusion with call waiting. Arggg! I'm going home for Christmas and I'm going to try One More Time to get them into this century at Verizon!!
And they really do have an old rotary phone. It's not hooked up anymore, they finally replaced it with a new-fangled push-button phone..but if you want it for your man I bet I can dig it up;-)
Seriously, I understand your frustration. I EXPERIENCE your frustration, frequently. Well, except I don't have to convince the satellites that Texas is a place that should have cell phone coverage! :-)
I like your blog!
Ah, so you too have the parents/family members who refuse the wonderful world of cell phones!!
I guess the satellites can prbably see TX from where they are so no confirmation needed;-)
Thanks!!
i only use a cell (mobile)phone gave up using the ladn line phone as everyone i know uses mobiles
deep cleansing breaths... now exhale and release!!!!!
I think its a great idea to get a prepaid one as a christmas present... and start calling them on it...
dial up? they must not be online much!
Indoors - I can't remember the last time I had a land line!!
Mel - in-out-in, ahhhh, Ok. I don't think they are, I know they check this site from time to time, and my dad says he does research, but when I visit I can't stand it!! Slower than snail mail! I just take my laptop down the block to the free wi-fi zone!
I know how you feel. My mom has a pre-paid cell, but my dad refuses to get a cell phone. He won't even take her phone with him when he goes camping by himself. It's frustrating.
Kicking and screaming, I'm going to drag my parents into this century when I get home!!
I worry about them. They travel all the time around MT w/o a cell. Parents don't seem to realize we worry about them too!!
my mom, too...although she does have an email machine...
Uh. I hate the busy signal. It is taunting.
I can understand your frustration, one of my bug bears is when you ring somewhere and you get this:
if you want this person press 1
if you want that person press 2
"" "" 3
and your there for 10 mins or more while she is going on in your ear and all you wanna do is speak to someone.
dilling - e-mail machine? you mean one of those new fangled CoMpUters;-)
adult - I know it's cruel!
jo - yeas of course, the eveeel machines have taken over the phones!
I heard a busy signal today for the first time in years (okay other than calling to vote for Dancing with the Stars...) calling the boyfriend in the Dominican to wish him a happy birthday. TRES ANNOYING!
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