A random funny story I was reminded of the other day when reading a tweet from my friend I Pick Pretty.
She asked:
I've never in my adult life had a home phone... I used to consider getting one all the time because the reception in my place is atrocious. Maybe AT&T got better or maybe I just never talk on the phone anymore (hint: it's the latter, AT&T still sucks), but I haven't really even thought about it in a while.
However, it reminded me of a funny story. In October I was in Little Rock for a friend's wedding with my family. After looking at my favorites my mom asked "whose number is home?"
"Uhhh... your house?"
"We haven't had a home phone in over a year"
... good to know.
Guess I wasn't calling home very often.
Apparently the straw that broke the camel's back was Newt Gingrich.
My parents have AT&T U-verse, and caller ID pops up on your TV screen. Apparently Newt Gingrich ran an aggressive telephone campaign in the Republican primary election, because my dad said he was calling the house every single day and it was driving them crazy. Seriously, seeing "Newt Gingrich" and a phone number in the corner of your TV on a daily basis would be really freaking annoying.
One day when Newt called during Homeland*, they'd decided they had had enough, and decided to cancel home phone service. It's bad enough to call every day, but when you go interrupting the search for Abu Nazir, it's over. Pull the plug, cancel the phone. Way to go, Newt.
Does anyone actually have a home phone anymore? Why? I just can't think of any reason to have one, unless your reception sucks. But even then... who are you talking on the phone to? Who talks on the phone? Ha.
And all political candidates engaged in phone banking/robo calls - consider this your warning.
*I don't actually know that it was Homeland he interrupted... I just know that Newt called during a good show and my dad got pissed. But in my home, interrupting Homeland is grounds for canceling any way you have of getting in touch with me, so lets go with it.
She asked:
I've never in my adult life had a home phone... I used to consider getting one all the time because the reception in my place is atrocious. Maybe AT&T got better or maybe I just never talk on the phone anymore (hint: it's the latter, AT&T still sucks), but I haven't really even thought about it in a while.
However, it reminded me of a funny story. In October I was in Little Rock for a friend's wedding with my family. After looking at my favorites my mom asked "whose number is home?"
"Uhhh... your house?"
"We haven't had a home phone in over a year"
... good to know.
Guess I wasn't calling home very often.
Apparently the straw that broke the camel's back was Newt Gingrich.
My parents have AT&T U-verse, and caller ID pops up on your TV screen. Apparently Newt Gingrich ran an aggressive telephone campaign in the Republican primary election, because my dad said he was calling the house every single day and it was driving them crazy. Seriously, seeing "Newt Gingrich" and a phone number in the corner of your TV on a daily basis would be really freaking annoying.
One day when Newt called during Homeland*, they'd decided they had had enough, and decided to cancel home phone service. It's bad enough to call every day, but when you go interrupting the search for Abu Nazir, it's over. Pull the plug, cancel the phone. Way to go, Newt.
Does anyone actually have a home phone anymore? Why? I just can't think of any reason to have one, unless your reception sucks. But even then... who are you talking on the phone to? Who talks on the phone? Ha.
And all political candidates engaged in phone banking/robo calls - consider this your warning.
*I don't actually know that it was Homeland he interrupted... I just know that Newt called during a good show and my dad got pissed. But in my home, interrupting Homeland is grounds for canceling any way you have of getting in touch with me, so lets go with it.
Ahhhhhhh Newt. This post made me laugh--especially since you could incorporate Gingrich & Abu Nazir into a story--that's impressive. And, like you my parents cancelled their phone, and didn't think to tell me until I mentioned that it was disconnected. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteOH POLITICAL CALLERS.
ReplyDeleteJM just bit the bullet and are getting FiOS. Our Time Warner internet is shit and drops all the time, and the plan we're getting with WAY faster internet is liek $10 more expensive, includes fun channels, and home phone.
I'm kind of PUMPED for home phone. My #1 worry is that his mom, my mom, and my grandparents will start calling us at home all the time. But we'll see how that goes.... we can always "Spiderwebs" that mess and screen the calls.
Like you, I have never had a home phone as an adult. I consider it a waste of money. If I get close to using up my cell minutes, I use Google Voice as something like a "home phone".
ReplyDeleteI stopped answering our home phone during the last election. I also haven't gotten back in the habit of checking caller id since the election but home phone is part of our bundle so I guess we'll keep it...for now.
ReplyDeleteI have not had a home phone in years. But, my service in our new apartment is so terrible, I am considering it--I don't want to annoy future employers with static when they start calling.
ReplyDeleteThe only reasonable explanation anyone has ever given me for a home phone is the ability to call during storms and the cell is not working or if you need 911 and your phone is dead or whatever. Thing is, neither of those scenarios is all that prevalent so neither is worth paying for a home phone to me.
ReplyDeleteWe live in a rural area so we have had a home phone at our house since we bought it 4 years ago. When I lived in Charlottesville I did not have a home phone, when I lived in Baltimore I did not have a home phone, but my parents have 2 lines as they were executives with at-home offices.
ReplyDeleteWe never get spammy calls though, because M is in law enforcement so we are unlisted... and we both work for the gov't so we cannot get solicited.