Do You Have Telephone "Issues"?

[Tigger&Belle]

ZuZugal, I am IMing my college DD right now so maybe I should ask her if she had any children when I wasn't looking. Better not be a grandmother from my teen sons.

 

[ZuZugal]

ZuZugal, I am IMing my college DD right now so maybe I should ask her if she had any children when I wasn't looking. Better not be a grandmother from my teen sons.

It's those sons we have to watch out for!

And if they do get into any *trouble*, tell them definitely not to call you on the PHONE about it.

 

[WDW Poly Princess]

I am SO not a phone person at all! My cell phone company must love me, because I hardly use any of my minutes.

I work front desk at a hotel, and I hate when I have to call a room for any reason! I always feel like I'm bothering the people.

 

[Toot Sweet]

I don't like talking on the phone either. I very seldom answer my phone. Even when it is my mom or someone I love. I just don't enjoy chatting on the phone. I just let the machine get it and call them back when and if I feel like talking.

 

[MzDiz]

Yay! I'm not alone!

Over the years, I've forced myself to try to get over this silly phobia. I hate calling for pizza or take out, but I make myself do it. Somehow I can make impersonal calls to people I will never have contact with ever again though. I don't know, maybe there's no real risk of me embarrassing myself there.
Several years ago, I found myself hiding from the door when someone knocked. I was terrified and I didn't know why. I knew I needed to get a handle on this. So now I boldly open the door and pick up the phone all the time. It was a hard road, but I saw myself becoming very isolated in the future and it really frightened me.

 

[MzDiz]

Oh, one more thing... the worst kind of phone call. When a new friend says "Call me, we'll make plans to do whatever" It's not that I don't like new friends, I just hate those first few calls!

 

[mickeysgal]

I find myself practicing what to say before I pick up the phone and dial. And even though I practice, if an answering machine picks up - forget it. I freeze like a deer in headlights. I stammer, stutter, and generally make no sense. But I always answer with a lame, but perky " ok thanks, bye". I can't hang up the phone fast enough.

 

[kristen821]

I am constantly on the phone and it doesn't bother me to make or receive phone calls. I hate leaving messages though. The worst is when you are leaving a message for someone and you get another phone call. I always say hold on when I am talking to a machine in the first place.

 

[Piglet4Ever]

I like talking with family and friends on the phone, but I don't like making phone calls to people or businesses that I don't know. I am just not comfortable doing that. Never have been.

 

[1of6]

I love the phone! I can talk forever, but I hate to make calls to people I don't know. Even calling to make appointments for things send me into a tizzy. I will put off placing a call for days or even weeks.

 

[disykat]

WOW--- I was going to type the very same exact thing. I hate hate hate calling anyone, because I'm afraid they are in the middle of something, or it's a bad time. I'll call my mom-- but she's the only person that I don't hate to call (but I swear I start every conversation asking her if "it's a bad time?"). She gets mad if I don't call though, so I don't worry so much. I've actually lost quite a few friends because of this--- I'm sure they thought I wasn't making an effort (which I guess I wasn't), so they stopped calling too. If you have email, I have no problem, but for some reason most of my close friends didn't.

I actually consider the phone calls to friends and family "obligations" that I do because I don't want them to think our relationship is one sided. I sort of keep track in my mind and only call when I think it's my "turn". I think everyone sort of rolls their eyes at my "am I interupting anything" greeting EVERY time I call though.

 

[Aidensmom]

I don't like talking on the phone, I have a definite issue that is close to the lineof a phobia. I am extremely bad about returning phone calls even to my own family members because of it. Ironically, I work in a position where I have to talk on the phone a lot. I still avoid it there as much as possible, preferring to communicate via email. I always thought I was the only one, it is nice to know I have company.

 

[miss missy]

no problem here. I call call anywhere, anyone no troubles. I often feel asleep with the phone in my ear as a teen. I love the phone!!

 

[dreamcometrue]

I have some phone issues. We have caller ID and I won't answer if I don't know the number! I have to answer calls at work all the time, but I am totally ok with that, it's just at home that I have issues!

 

[powellrj]

hate to talk on the phone. I will call people when I know they aren't home just so I can leave a message and not have to talk! I talk to my DM and my DS on the phone every couple of days, but other than that, I really don't talk much.

The kids are another story. They can talk for hours and hours on the phone. I keep saying they can't be my kids!

I always said caller-id was just a waste of money.....until I got it. Now I never answer the phone unless I know who is calling. It drives the kids nuts!! I had a friend who use to really give me a hard time about screening my calls, but I figure if I pay the bill, I can decide who to talk to!

 

[leafette]

I'm not a big fan of the phone, either, but I've gotten better over the last few years. I'd honestly rather email people, and when I found out you can order pizza online, I was in heaven. I do find myself sometimes getting chatty on the phone with my mom and one of my close friends. Poor DH, though. He'll call to see how I'm doing or how my day is going, and I tend to ask him, "Do you have anything to actually tell me." And if not, it's goodbye. He's learned to accept it as a personality quirk.

 

[Chattyaholic]

I am not a telephone person at all. I hate talking on the phone, to anyone!

I would be perfectly happy getting rid of our house phone and just using our cell phones. Mine is almost never turned on. I use it only for emergencies basically. Or if I'm in town and want to stop at my parents' I'll call first to make sure they're home, but that's about the only time I use my phone. I am much more comfortable with e-mail.

I absolutely hate making calls to places like insurance companies, customer service type calls, etc. I sometimes actually write out what I want to say so I don't get all tongue tied and stammer.

 

[nja33]

The only people I call are my mother, sister, and brother. Anyone else? Forget it. I have no problem answering the phone though. And if you call me and want to talk, go ahead. Unless it's small talk which I absolutely hate. I was originally supposed to be the planner for our trip in May and I handed all the phone duties over to my mother because I couldn't do it. I had to call to set up a reservation for dinner once and it took me nearly 20 minutes to work up the nerve. I can't imagine what it's going to be like when I finally move out of my parents' house and have to start calling all those people like the phone company and stuff. Maybe that's why I'm in no hurry to leave.

I've actually been known to let perfectly good relationships go because I hate the phone so much. I met a guy one night at a friend's party and offered to drive him home since his ride was pretty drunk and we had been talking all night anyway. As I'm dropping him off, he asks for my number and I freak, explain that I have telephonophobia (the fear of phones which I now realize is NOT what I have but I was 18 and stupid), and never spoke to him again. Sad and pathetic really.

 

[Caropooh]

I couldn't call a DISer. I have assigned you all "voices." If the one you spoke with didn't match, I'd be freaked. What if Paige has a deep voice, like Suzanne Pleshette? That would be all wrong!

I'm the DIS'r that T&B actually called yesterday! I feel quite important! I will say that her voice is nothing like I expected! It's a cute, tiny little voice. I expected a bit more BOOMING!!!! I will say that we talked for probably about 10 minutes and that is quite the acheivement for both of us! I;m not a phone talker either. I hate making calls, especially if I'm asking for something. Many times I will call when I know someone won't answer, just so I can leave a messege. Phone is only answered if it says who it is in caller ID and I know them. T&B was the exception because she had jsut told me she was going to call me in an IM.

 

[Caropooh]

I sometimes live on the phone. Part of it has to do with my job, I dispatch outbound freight to REI's retail stores, so I talk to the different freight companies and the stores on a daily basis. I used to work a phone bank for a guy running for congress and would make "cold calls" to get out the vote. After that, nothing bothers me.

Like a few of the Posters, I hate to just "small talk" on the phone. My DM calls, or I call her and we are done in less than 3 minutes. Caro's DM or DS calls, and a half hour later, they are still talking but not saying anything really.

May I clarify that on calls from my Mom or sister, normally THEY are the ones doing 95% of the talking. I'm just adding an umm hmmm or OHHhhHHH here and there.