A Shortcoming of Portable Phones

December 9th, 2003

Filed under:
Technology

A Shortcoming of Portable Phones

Lately, as I work from home, I’ve been getting telemarketing calls at a rate of three or four a week. It’s gotten to the point that if I say “hello” and there’s that tell-tale extra-long pause, I just hang up. If it’s someone who knows me, they’ll call back.

Which brings me to the shortcoming of the portable phone. With non-portable (corded?) phones, you could satsifying slam down the receiver, conveying your frustration to the other party. Now what have you got? The TALK button. And sometimes you can’t even find it, so you’ve got to hunt for it while the other party is still on the line.

This phenonomenon is highlighted in movies, where actors struggle to convey their emotions by stabbing at the TALK button with a ridiculous ferocity.

In a few years, I imagine a generation of children who will never know the joy of slamming down the phone. Don’t believe me? When I was about 12, I had a friend over to play. When it was time for him to go, he asked to use the phone to call his mother. I led him to the kitchen, where he stared at the old rotary telephone in disbelief. He’d never seen one before, and had to idea how to use it. Albert Kaan was a smart kid, but a little too modern for his own good.

Mostly I included his name at the end so that, should he google himself, he may find my site.

Comments: 7 Responses so far

Rog
December 9th, 2003
5:25 pm

Kids today are missing a cool experience, rotary phones were fun to dial.

I’ve done the push-the-talk-button-down-really-hard thing, it’s not as effective as slamming down the receiver with that satisfying clang.

My usual phrase of “I’m sorry I don’t accept unsolicited calls at this number” seems to have confused enough telemarketers that it’s now rare for me to get those calls anymore.

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Rog
December 9th, 2003
5:26 pm

BTW, way to make me feel old eh? =P

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Heather
December 10th, 2003
12:04 am

I was angry one time, pressed the talk button, then hurled the phone across the room. That was very satisfying. Phone still works too. Rather incredibly, considering I threw it a good fifteen feet.

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KevinG
December 10th, 2003
12:50 am

Three or four a week?

I lived in Chicago (and Denver) for about 6 years. At it’s peak we would get 2 or three call during dinner - Fair Dinkum

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col
December 10th, 2003
1:12 am

don’t you find that’s the same things with newer cars and horns? in my ‘88 acura, the entire middle part of my steering wheel is the horn. it’s so satisfying to slam my hand down to get an immediate response. while driving a newer rental car, I had to hunt for the little square button to get the horn..and by the time I found it, the moment had passed!

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