Why do people think they MUST answer the phone?
 

It makes me laugh when people drop everything and fucking SPRINT to pick up the phone. I generally ignore all phone calls, if its important they'll ring back.

or leave a message... if there is no message it means they just wanted to waste your time with some bullshit chit chat....:thumbsup

preconditioning

1. the ringer is irritating and it keeps ringing until you pickup
2. its psychological issue
3. they get nervous
4. they expect it to be something good news.

hoping their drug dealer just got out of jail.

Caller ID + Voicemail

Maybe it's that they just want to get away from you?:winkwink:

I have the ringer on my home phone and cell disabled . No sound, vibrate, nothing.

What's voicemail?

That's why texting is so great, because you can get the message and decide if you want to "be available" or not.

The days of sprinting to the phone ended when the phone went from hanging up on the wall to inside people's pockets. And secondly, doesn't anyone posting in this thread have a job, a business, family, friends or responsibilities, lol?

I don't know about you guys, but when my phone rings or beeps with an incoming text it's usually someone I want to hear from concerning work and making money, or females, friends and my loved ones that I actually want to hear from.

I know some people that don't like to answer the phone, they are mostly irresponsible losers who are in some stage of failing at something.

My brother will sit there and stare at his phone ringing, and say "I can't deal with (whoever) right now" and just let it ring. I called him a few times and he didn't answer so now when he calls I don't answer.

My home phone rings and I don't usually answer it because only my wife uses that number, I don't even know the number and anytime there's a call it's for her. I am not her damn receptionist.

But I always answer my mobile.

Exactly.

99% of the time it's people wanting something from you, so fuck them.

1. Hi, this is your neighbour, just ringing to say your house is burning down, get back here quick.

2. Hi, a family member of yours is being rushed to hospital and you need to come quick.


But if it's important they will ring back. Nice logic dude.

i never check my voicemail

What are the chances of that?

http://www.darksidedata.com/rolleyes.gif

In either case, I wouldn't be able to help much anyway. Firemen/Doctors would do a better job than me. They could text/leave a message too.

What if they ARE ringing back from another call you didn't answer?

My phone's always on 'silent' and I never pick it up when it's not convenient for me to do so.

Watching a movie -> I'm not picking up my phone.
In bed (for whatever reason) -> I'm not picking up my phone.
Preparing a steak -> not picking up my phone.
Eating lunch/dinner/... -> not picking up my phone.
Talking to someone -> not picking up my phone.
...

Friends and family know that if they need a quick answer they should simply send me a text message.

Every once in a while someone will 'ask' me in a very annoying and patronizing way "Why the hell do you have a cellphone if you never answer it?".
Simple: I have a cellphone so I can make phone calls when I want to make phone calls.

A cellphone is a tool. A tool I use the way I want to use it.

It's pretty funny and sad at the same time how most people have become conditioned like Pavlov's dog to slavishly drop everything when their phone rings.

the only reason I rush to answer the phone is so they will have to pay for the conversation, as opposed to if I had to call them back.
yeah I'm a greedy bastard 8-)

I assign a different ringtone to people who are important to me
only when I hear that ringtone I will answer it while I'm busy doing stuff where I'd normally just let it go to voicemail

me too and my family always says "well what if it's an emergency" so then I ask them "what the fuck am I'm going to do the'll be dead by the time i get there. call 911 dumb asses! not me.

I have my landline setup so a nice female voice announces the name and number of who is calling over a speaker system in my house. That way I don't even need to crawl out of bed to check the call display. The program also lets me block numbers so I can make specific people hear a "this number has been disconnected" message. Works great for telemarketers.

Half the time I don't even take my phone with me when I leave the house.

.

I fucking hate phones. I refuse to have a landline and my cellphone is usually switched off. People only call when they want something anyway, I'd rather be left the fuck alone. Not to mention dealing with people who can hardly string together a decent sentence and/or have horrible thick accents. Africans and Indians are the worst.

Email or texting is the way.

When I have to pee, I dont answer it. *squish*

Yeah, well I answer the phone 99% of the time. However the 1% is when I head to the laundry room or bathroom and suddenly the phone rings. I'm not going to reach it in time to get it, so I let the machine get it. If it's spammy then it's easy enough to hang up.

My wife is like that. She'd knock her grandmother down to get to the phone. I always unplug it when we're watching a movie, because some of her friends have the worst fucking timing.

I rarely pick up the phone. Phones should be like visits, announced :D
You can't drop on / call somebody and expect them to be available for you right then and there.

+1, I agree with everything stated^

I don't get why the phone has to be a big problematic deal for so many these days. Like someone already said,
"call display (caller ID) + voicemail (or answering machine) = :D

When my phone rings I have a look at the call display. If it's a number I don't recognize I let the machine pick it up (set to do so on the 4th ring). If they leave me a message I'll either call them back or I'll pick up and talk to them right then and there. If they don't then to hell with them, they're probably a telemarketer or something anyway.

The phone is one of the least stressful things in my life since I've been doing it that way. The OP is right, jumping up and sprinting to the phone should be a thing of the past.

My girlfriends friends usually ring around dinner time. Pisses me off big time!

She is one of those people though that has to answer it, even if she is eating dinner. Her usual reply to me is "But what if it's really important ??"

Yeah because you friends always have some really important stuff to say... :Oh crap

My wife gets calls over some trivial shit, like something that just happened on a stupid reality show.

i was thinking the same thing..

oh i have a horrible story about that actually...

My mother is one of those phone dashers, highly excitable energy filled type. Around 5 years ago she ran for the phone (despite having a messaging service) slipped on some water spilled from the cats dish and landed face first on the floor with her arms up. She tore tendons in both shoulders and needed surgery to repair them. She still can't raise her arms properly, so she obviously needs more.

Ever since then I try to slow down in the house. I don't stub my toes as often as i used to ;)

i take it you dont have clients or do much important work with other people using the phone

i answer my phone always so im on top of my work ;)

after 10pm i dont.

I think the OP is on about those people that *must* answer the phone even during dinner, personal/relationship time, downtime, etc. Obviously he doesn't mean your business number, during business hours.

Someone else has already said why that is, some people have the "what if it's an emergency???!!!" outlook, simple as that.

Fucking hate that shit when having a proper and/or important conversation with someone out of biz hours, their non-biz phone rings, and they feel compelled to answer it like the world will end, or a SWAT team will crash through the windows if they don't.

I fucked your phone in the ass!

The 'celebs' on www.dial-a-star.com answer the phone because they need the money:2 cents:

Because we have friends and family we care about. Hermits like yourself can go without answering.

So why people should answer Your call when You need something from them? LOL

My personal hate, is when you have gone to town, and are stood in a shop, trying to make a purchase, and the shop phone rings.

The sales assistant says 'Sorry' - And rushes to answer it!

Thats when I just walk out... The person the phone 'may' want to purchase, and despite the fact I am standing in the shop about to purchase... They get priority !!! FUCK THAT !

Yes, it has happened to on multiple occasions

Sorry bro, you don't get to play the "I'm an important playa with VIP clients who is always on top of my shit" card if you don't answer the phone past 10pm. Pretty sure that Dora the Explorer & Power Rangers are still showing until about 9-ish. :1orglaugh :2 cents:

I don't give a shit when the phone rings.......

A phone is for me to call, not the other way around...

haloooo000

I avoid mobiles for a number of reasons. If the land-line rings I answer it out of duty, in case it's family, however it's normally a sales pitch from India or a "Your Computer has a Virus", I ditch these calls quickly while trying if at all possible to remain polite.

When it is family/friends they often think 'Working from Home' means 'On Holiday'.

Email suits me better.

Most people are their cell phone's bitch....

Phone is always always on vibrate and is now always off at 10pm

IMHO back in the day when mobiles and pagers started off, only the unimportant had them (but thought they were important). Like myself back then, as someone else wanted to get hold of you so you were someones bitch.

Pretty much the same now, if you have one and answer it, then its because you dont have the staff or procedures in place to do that kind of shit. YMMV but mine doesnt.

OH, and someone ask me about mobile phone jammers , Mmmmmmm :)

I don't need anything from anyone.

When I make calls, it's about something the other party wants. Like taking my money for their services, so it's their job to answer my calls.

When I call friends, it's usually in their interest to answer it, because I'm setting up something cool and letting them know.