Do You Answer Your Telephone?

[SanFranciscan]

Do you answer your telephone when it rings? I recently heard some statistics that 70% of the population doesn't answer.

 

[Michelle67]

Unless the caller ID says it is someone I don't want to talk to, I do. People who ignore phones drive me bonkers. Their phone, their right, but it irritates me to death.

 

[Barbossa]

Depends on who's on the other end. We have call blocking, callers can't get through to us unless their caller ID is turned on. We did this a while back when we were getting a rash of crank calls.

 

[mickeyfan1]

I answer it if it is someone I know and I want to talk with them. Or if it is someone who is calling for the second time and it is an 800 number or one that is IDed and I don't recognize it. I answer on the second call to tell them they are calling a number on the Do Not Call List and if they call again, I will report it to the FCC. I have noticed that I am getting a lot of calls with fake caller IDs, you can't report them.

 

[disney-inspired]

We don't have caller ID so we don't.
We're sick and tired of telemarketers, ugh!

 

[Tasha+Scott]

It depends what number shows up on the Caller ID.

 

[HelenePA]

Right now unless its DH calling YEP I am ignoring EVERYONE. I have turned into a witch with a capital B these last few days... its better if I don't talk to anyone right now

 

[PaulaSB12]

Just as a quick explanatioin I work 2 shifts, its either 7am to 7pm or 7pm to 7am. My sister rang one friday some time after I had gone to bed. I picked up the phone and answered and went back to sleep, then I started hearing a funny tinny voice wondered what it was it was my sister telling me to wake up, which I did and we finished the conversation. If its a non family member who wakes me up its usually i'm asleep bye and the phone goes down.

 

[bicker]

Only if we recognize the Caller ID.

 

[Imzadi]

No, that's what the answering machine is for. I don't have caller ID and am planning on giving up my land-line completely. I can't remember the last time I actually received a call from there that I wanted. everyone, who I want to call me has my cell phone number.

As for the PP who's irritated at people not answering phone, I think of it as more than being "my phone." It's my house and my time and my own private space. A phone call, unless it's prearranged expected, is an interruption at the least, an invasion at the most. Just because people get the number doesn't mean they have a right to interrupt me in the privacy of my own home.

I shouldn't be expected to drop everything to answer the phone for someone else's convenience. In my own home, I'll get back to them when I want to. Of course, they'd better answer when I call back.

 

[Pin Wizard]

Anyone important to me has my cell phone number. All others get the house phone number. No, I don't answer at home. If I don't recognize a number (which is about 99.9% of the time,) I don't answer. For a kick I did answer one the other night from an 800 number. Silence on the other end. Darn telemarketers. I'm sure their "machine" is calling to see what time of day someone will pick up. Nope, not answering again.

 

[just4today]

I only answer if it's someone I want to talk to. I let the rest go to voicemail.

 

[LaraK]

No, I don't answer. Sometimes I don't even answer if I do know the caller unless it's family.

 

[Kitty 34]

I usually answer the phone but if it turns out it's just a telemarketer, I simply hang up.

 

[suzimar57]

only if it's someone i recognize and want to talk to

otherwise, no - we don't answer - that's what call-waiting and voicemail are for.

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

Depends on who the Caller ID says is calling. If it's 800 service or Out of Area, not usually. If it's a local number I don't recognize we usually pick up, out of mere curiousity. And we defintely answer from names/numbers we know. The land line doesn't receive too many calls anymore.

 

[Carly_Roach]

As for the PP who's irritated at people not answering phone, I think of it as more than being "my phone." It's my house and my time and my own private space. A phone call, unless it's prearranged expected, is an interruption at the least, an invasion at the most. Just because people get the number doesn't mean they have a right to interrupt me in the privacy of my own home.

I shouldn't be expected to drop everything to answer the phone for someone else's convenience.

I agree. I pay for my phone for my convenience, not someone else's. Count me in as one of the 70%.

 

[MushyMushy]

We got rid of our landline because we never used it. We never answered it and didn't make any calls on it, so out that needless expense went.

Now I'm getting the same way with my cell phone. When my mother died, someone gave some family members I don't care for the number and they've been calling.

 

[cruellababy]

I also don't answer-really hardly ever;unless it's family etc. But I don't have voicemail anymore as it was always full-and I just deleted anyway never listened to the messages.

 

[KelNottAt]

Except for during dinner, I always answer. Even if I don't recognize the number, it might be a friend or family member calling with an emergency.

Sure, I end up getting a lot of solicitations. But, I just cut them off, tell them to remove me from their lists, and hang up. Less than 5 seconds of my time.