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Not always useful. If I give a business my phone number so they can reach me to let me know they're setting out for my place to fix the furnace or whatever, the display may read "Jane Smith" even though it's John Smith who's headed out and I don't know either of them anyway. Right now I'm getting calls from an insurance company because I filed a claim after one of their insureds rear-ended me last week. So far the Caller ID has never shown the company name. A lot of my friends from church, the garden club, etc. don't have names that show up on caller ID unless I program it in.
I have a land line for 2 reasons. First, I consider my cell phone to be a convenience for ME- not a device allowing any business to spam me wherever I am. I also have an excellent cheap plan through Ting but get charged extra if I go over 100 texts or 60 minutes of talk time in a month. I don't want unwanted calls and texts adding to the count. Second- in addition to being useful for longer calls with family, it's also a sort of "spamcatcher" line. I have MagicJack and if I don't answer it sends the voicemail message in an audio file to my e-mail. I miss a lot of junk calls that way.
athena53 pretty much described my relationship with phones. To distill that, and I speak for myself - I want to be in control of who contacts me, when and where.
If I am having a massage, I would not want to be interrupted. For anything. Even a death in the family.
Correct me if I am wrong, but in 45 minutes, they will still be dead. There is nothing so important that can't wait an hour. Usually a day.
My landline is for generic calls. I give it out more easily than I do my cell. My cell phone is for people I know. PERIOD.And yes, as athena53 said it's my "spam catcher"
While I am shopping, I never wanted to know that my cousin had an argument with her SO. Or that I am eligible to lower my monthly utility bills.
When I had school age children, I was no different. When asked for a secondary number I replied "you have my home telephone number. That is where I can be reached"
They would say "What if you are not home?" to which I'd respond "I work from home. If I am out, leave a message. I will return the call".
"If you work from home, do you have a business number?" My response? "We do! That's for clients".
"What about a cell phone. Do you have one?" - Me - "Yes. that is for close friends and family members".
"What if there is an emergency?" Me - "Then don't waist time calling me. Call 911 and the child's pediatrician. You already know the preferred hospital. That's where their doctor admits".
"So what about a neighbor? Can you give us a neighbor's number?" Me - "I am not close friends with any of my neighbors. The few who have my number, have my land line. That would be the number YOU have".
They were RELENTLESS.
My point? 1. I value privacy more than I do information. 2. Most stuff can wait.
athena53 pretty much described my relationship with phones. To distill that, and I speak for myself - I want to be in control of who contacts me, when and where.
If I am having a massage, I would not want to be interrupted. For anything. Even a death in the family.
Correct me if I am wrong, but in 45 minutes, they will still be dead. There is nothing so important that can't wait an hour. Usually a day.
My landline is for generic calls. I give it out more easily than I do my cell. My cell phone is for people I know. PERIOD.And yes, as athena53 said it's my "spam catcher"
While I am shopping, I never wanted to know that my cousin had an argument with her SO. Or that I am eligible to lower my monthly utility bills.
When I had school age children, I was no different. When asked for a secondary number I replied "you have my home telephone number. That is where I can be reached"
They would say "What if you are not home?" to which I'd respond "I work from home. If I am out, leave a message. I will return the call".
"If you work from home, do you have a business number?" My response? "We do! That's for clients".
"What about a cell phone. Do you have one?" - Me - "Yes. that is for close friends and family members".
"What if there is an emergency?" Me - "Then don't waist time calling me. Call 911 and the child's pediatrician. You already know the preferred hospital. That's where their doctor admits".
"So what about a neighbor? Can you give us a neighbor's number?" Me - "I am not close friends with any of my neighbors. The few who have my number, have my land line. That would be the number YOU have".
They were RELENTLESS.
My point? 1. I value privacy more than I do information. 2. Most stuff can wait.
You could have just memorized the phone numbers of local cemeteries and funeral homes -
"Hello, is Sheena there?"
"I don't know. Do you have a plot number?"
Or better yet, the phone number of the person calling.
"Hmmm, that number sounds familiar???"
Dial-a-prayer always appreciates people calling up when they are overwrought and in need of calming.
So many robo calls and scams....we never answer our landline unless we know who it is...name and number shows up on TV.......few know our cell phone number.
So many robo calls and scams....we never answer our landline unless we know who it is...name and number shows up on TV.......few know our cell phone number.
Same here. If I don't recognize the number on my caller ID it goes to voice mail. Most times the caller hangs up no voice mail. Spam callers LOL have a nice day.
We dropped our land line over 10 years ago. All we got were sales calls at dinner. My wife resisted up to the end until i said you do realize we are paying $700 a year to be bothered. Even after signing up for the do not call list on the land line we still get "survey" calls. The kids have cell phones, you have one and I have a work one. So if anyone has an emergency we can reach each other in seconds. A land line is a waste of money for most people these days. Over 10 years that's $7000 we did not waste,
Even the cell phone is starting to get robo calls.
The people I want to have my number have it. If a number come up that i do not recognize I let it go to message. NO message no return call. If its out of state and more than once and still no message I block it .
We screen all calls. If we don’t recognize the caller, we don’t answer. We have missed a few important calls, but not many.
If we’re in the mood, we answer suspect calls so we can add them to the “blocked” feature on the phone. If you answer a robo call, and don’t say anything, and the line is silent, then you can hit the block button.
Same here! We have a landline and our cells. I program the numbers I want to hear from in our Panasonic Phone (landline) so they come up in caller ID such as family- friends - doctors.
Toll Free numbers we ignore. I look at the area code and that's pretty telling to us to ignore. Edited to add: Name and Number pop up on our TV as well, and usually always a family member or friend.
And IF we connected (private) I would make you a "contact" on my smartphone, so I'd KNOW it was you calling.
How's this: I once received a (scam) call..and the number reading out: was my OWN smart phone number!
And shortly after, the (scam) call was from my SPOUSE'S number, sitting right next to me on the love seat. I asked "out if curiosity, are you calling me now?".
No
So, I don't answer the phone for ANY unknown numbers!
Best
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