On Dec 10, 8:03*pm, John Kuthe > wrote:

> What exactly is it that makes a person suddenly prioritize answering
> the damn phone as THE most important thing to do, just because it
> rings? Especially when they are actively doing something else,
> especially if that thing is conversing with people in real life? All
> the phone ringing means is that someone not in the room with you
> presently suddenly had the desire to dial your phone number. It's not
> like if you do not answer it immediately that they will not ever call
> you back. In fact I've noticed with these bloody cell phones people
> who call, if they do not get an answer the first time will usually
> call back two or three times in rapid succession!! WTF??!! Just
> because YOU had the desire to talk to me, *I* should drop everything
> I'm doing and answer you?
>
> I have voice mail for a reason! Use it! I have CallerID too, and I do
> NOT pick up on 1800 numbers or anything with no name.


I have an answering machine for my landline and I use it to screen
calls. But I'm not being snobbish or exclusive, I just don't want to
answer it and be surprised by some tele-marketer or other annoying
person. When I'm in the cab I use the cellphone. I'm proud of the
way I do it even if I don't make a lot of money, especially lately.
Last night I made minus $26. I came up short. Bad out there.

But anyway, when I'm in the cab and the phone rings, I do not
look at the caller ID, ever. I am proud of that. I answer it the way
it should be answered by an actual cab company. I do not play
favorites. If the next call in is somebody way across town and it's
just a $4 ride, so be it.

Now, as for your question as to what would make a person behave
so rudely, I can speak only of my brother. He is one who for years
has bragged that he is not a 9 to 5 slave, when in reality he's a 24/7
slave. He uses his cellphone for work as well as pleasure or home
use. He's afraid if he misses one call it could spell doom for his
business, which is photography, but also involves a lot of sales.
When I get him alone he admits he's created a monster. He's quite
materialistic and he has to keep working to keep up with all the
latest toys and flat-screen TVs, etc. When I call him at home he'll
talk while he's working on the computer, retouching photographs or
whatever, and I can tell he's not fully there. He's multi-tasking,
which means one or both of the two things he's doing is suffering in
some way. So I can't speak for all cellphone people (they come from
Planet Cellphone), only of my brother and others I know personally.
Actually, he's improved a bit with it. Years ago he went to see a
friend of mine conduct an orchestra (just practice), and his phone
went off while they were playing. I was not there but heard about it
from my friend later. Yes, it is sick. But just as the cellphone
must improve over the years, so till must the behavior of those who
use them, I hope.

TJ