“I’ve Got A Beep….”
So Christmas Eve morning I call my sister Mary and she says, “I'm on the other line with Kate, can I call you back?” I say sure and hang up, thinking she might (or might not ) remember to call me back. She’s an artist and although she has many talents, remembering some things, like calling me back, are not high on the list. So I think, OK, I’ll call Theresa (as I do every day) and talk with her. She answers, we start chatting and she says, “I’ve Got a Beep, can I call you back.” I’m now feeling dejected, rejected and alone on this Christmas Eve morning but low and behold, the phone rings. It is Mary who has remembered to call me back! She is laughing….she was Theresa’s beep…. I’ve had it with call waiting and rather rudely tell her that I think their call waiting feature is the rudest technology I’ve ever heard of. ….I rant on “Why is the person calling always more important than me?” “ I’d much rather get a damn busy signal than that …” I point out that I am not saying they are rude, just that they are using a rude technology…”

Well, I believe I was the subject of their Christmas Eve get-together at Theresa’s home that evening. They have both been kinder and gentler and they even seem nervous about getting a beep that might interrupt my conversations with them now. I appreciate it and did not mean to bitch at them but …. I guess I did. Anyway, I miss the day of the good old busy signal when someone is on the phone and NO!!!!! I DO NOT WANT YOU TO KEEP TRYING THE NUMBER FOR ME AND CHARGING ME FOR THAT STUPID CONVENIENCE, MR. PHONE COMPANY COMPUTER VOICE.

So, now I am looking forward to calling my phone company. I called my daughter’s house today and they were on the phone. Guess what happened? No, not what you think....I got the message for my very own voice mail box. How the HELL does that happen. Oh yeah, Frontier’s new enhanced voice mail system….to be continued...or not.

A little research has found that I'm not alone in my dislike of this feature. I found a six year old CBS news report on "Call Rudeness," http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/04/25/opinion/garver/main507261.shtml