Telephone is so last millennium….

Posted on February 11, 2007 by | 5 Comments

Yup, like Amanda, Atrios and Ed, I hate the telephone.
That is why I don’t have the cell phone. That is why my landline phone has an answering machine.
If you call and the machine picks up and I actually want to talk to you at that particular moment, I’ll pick up. If not, leave a message and I’ll get back with you….by e-mail.
And if you use a phone with me, stick to the brief exchange of information. Business only. Chatting over the phone is reserved for my mother and my brother only.
I prefer to communicate on my own time, in my own way and do not like the tyranny of the phone ring.

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5 responses to “Telephone is so last millennium….”

  1. Roy's avatar Roy | February 11, 2007 at 2:47 pm |

    Go get ’em, tiger!
    A friend of mine won’t answer the door if he doesn’t want to be bothered, or if it’s a stranger. Nothing wrong with that. I’ve since adopted that policy.
    We get junk mail we never answer, junk phone calls we don’t answer, and junk visitors we shouldn’t answer.
    The post office ruined the mails by using first class postage to subsidize junk mail. The phone company ruined landlines by using local calls to subsize long distance private and corporate [telemarketing] calls. So far, you’re still allowed to lock your door and not answer knocks.

  2. The Ridger's avatar The Ridger | February 11, 2007 at 3:23 pm |

    I suppose you make exceptions for people who don’t actually have email? They do exist, you know.
    And the cell phone – nice for when you’re not in the house and someone needs to reach you – or you need to call in and say you’re stuck in traffic and will be late in, can someone take your class, please.
    Black-and-white doesn’t work for this, either.

  3. The Ridger's avatar The Ridger | February 11, 2007 at 3:34 pm |

    Besides, it sounds like none of you really hate the phone – you hate talking to strangers. Which is an entirely different thing.

  4. ericnh's avatar ericnh | February 11, 2007 at 4:21 pm |

    I’m with Roy on answering the door. As for phones, I do have a cell for keeping in touch with my wife and, as I found last weekend, they’re very useful when you crash in bad weather. Few people have my cell # so I usually answer that, but as for the landline I don’t answer any # I don’t recognize or doesn’t show on caller ID. Could be a telemarketer, could be work asking if I’d like to come in early to cover someone who called in sick. Either way I take the message on the machine (if the caller leaves one) and decide what to do with it later. I agree with Ridger that I might not like talking to strangers, but I also view my home as a sanctuary. In this day and age, it’s nice to be out of touch, whether I’m out hiking or just relaxing at home.

  5. John's avatar John | February 11, 2007 at 4:56 pm |

    I’m with you on hating the phone. I find that I get my point across more clearly by writing an email than talking by phone.