I usually try and be polite. It happens to everyone. Reverse a digit or three, enter the last four of your social security number and divide by four and you wind up talking to a complete stranger. But sometimes people just won't let you be polite. Sometimes they are so insistent on their infallibility that you must have put someone else's phone on the bedside table. Sometimes...
I got a call today as I was pulling into my driveway, and keep in mind that I just got off a 24 hour shift where I got killed by calls all night long (don't you people ever sleep?!?!) and on a good day my social graces suffer significantly after being on duty for 24 hours.
It gets worse on the bad days.
So, I got a call this morining as I was pulling into my driveway on my cell phone. Tyrone's aunt was very upset and wanted to speak to him. I don't know Tyrone or his aunt, but I bet he wanted to talk to her even less than I did.
"Just put him on the phone", she said. I explained that Tyrone must have changed his number because I bought my phone and changed numbers back a few months ago.
"No, you don't understand, this is his number and I need to talk to him."
I explained that his number must have changed once again, but his aunt was convinced, "No, this is his number and I don't know why you have it."
"Ma'am (see? polite.), this is my number. He must have changed his, or not payed his bills and had it turned off (less polite). If he hasn't given you his new number, it must either be because he doesn't have one or because he doesn't want you to have it (rude, I know)."
*Click*
Once, just after I had gotten my first cellphone, back in the mid to early 2000's, I was sitting in traffic on Barrett Parkway near the mall in Kennesaw. I had my windows down, and was be-boping along to whatever was playing on the radio (this was also my first car with a radio) when I got a call from another wrong number.
I sat there for a minute or so arguing with him over a) whether or not his girlfriend was home, b) whether or not he called a house and eventually c) whether or not I was at his girlfriends house. Finally I gave in. "Okay, fine. You got me. Let me go upstairs and get her.
*Wham wham wham wham* I hit the roof a few times with my palm to roughly imitate climbing stairs.
"(Girl's name) Are you up here? Some guy wants to talk to you and says he is your boyfriend. I didn't know you had a boyfriend."
Back to the phone: "Hey, she isn't up here. Let me check down stairs"
*Wham wham wham wham* again with the roof.
"(Girl's name) Are you down here? Some guy wants to know why you have other guys over. You need to talk to him."
Back to the phone: "Hey, man, she isn't here. Can I take a message?"
The woebegone caller wasn't amused, and I got quite an earful before I was hung up on. It seems that I wasn't the only one interested in the call because as the call ended and the light changed I got applause from the jeep next to me.
Performance art.
