Lame excuses for not calling.

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Master of Master Baiters Joined: 11 Jan 2014 Posts: 688

My lad is anxious to send me an ATM card with $7.5 million US on it. Just the massive stumbling block of me being at work, not allowed to use the phone and can't pop out to the W/U office. If someone really offered me 7.5 million dollah, I would struggle to use the phone, as I would need to remove it from my bosses back passage!

What excuses do you have for not calling?

Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 8:22 pm

I've used a couple in my time.

One persona (Cammy) has been hearing-impaired all along.

Mal, OTOH, doesn't use mobiles (because of the cancer risk) and since he's a survival instructor, he doesn't have access to a landline during the day.

Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 8:25 pm

One of my characters lost his hearing in an IED explosion when he was in the Gulf War. We can talk if you have TTY.

Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 8:32 pm

My Indian au pair's uncle (పెద్ద క్లోమము), who is the one paying the fees only speaks Telugu - he's happy to have a conversation if the lad also speaks the language.

Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 8:40 pm

A lad told one of my characters to go and find a public payphone to call him from on my day off - I worked as a live-in nanny for a very wealthy paranoid family whose security staff monitored all calls made by the employees. Shame that my character was phobic about using public payphones - all those germs, yuk!

Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 8:50 pm

As Cammy's brother Roscoe (Captain in the SASR), I told the Lad that calls from base went through the PABX and were monitored - and payphones didn't allow international calls (well, not the ones that I tried...)

Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 9:26 pm

A family of my characters are fishers and spend the workweek on the bay or the ocean catching fish. They have a radio link to shore which is good enough for web and email, but not for voice calls.

Baiting Guru Joined: 03 May 2007 Posts: 18312

I'm not allowed to make personal phone calls from work during the day and there's always a time zone issue. My cell phone will be off during my work day, but he can leave me voice messages if he needs to. (I use a K7 number for this).

OR - my cell phone is shut off because I can't pay my bill right now.

OR - my husband/boyfriend is very suspicious and keeps tabs on my calls. I just want to avoid the fight.

OR - I live with a bunch of roommates and don't want them knowing my business.

OR - I can't make international calls with my current plan, but he can call me - here's my number! (again, K7 number).

OR - I can't make long distance calls because I owe too much on my phone bill and they shut off long distance calling.

Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 10:07 pm

Because of my job as a cruise ship captain, I'm not allowed to talk on the phone. I have no need for a cell phone on the ship.

Or, Work records all of the calls made on our phones.

Or, I'm an old lady and think cell phones are dangerous and it's ridiculous how kids these days have them stuck to their heads.

Or, My home phone is part of my damn bundle and it's on the fritz.

Or I was robbed and my phone, purse, credits cards, etc. were stolen.

Or, I had one but my jerk of an ex, Trevor had me on his plan and he shut it off and I can't get my own plan right now.

Master of Master Baiters Joined: 21 Nov 2012 Posts: 616

Phones are easily hackable, I wouldn't want someone to steal my ATM card now would I?

Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 10:41 pm

My Trucker character mostly just uses the CB in the rig but I'll give you my handle for sure for sure.

I primarily use the Hearing impaired angle as it seems to work rather well. My Hearing was damaged in a Horrific Fudge Packing incident down at the Plant.

OR, Cellphones? Don't they give you Brain Cancer? Saw it on the News so its gotta be true!

OR,Dude!!! My Old Lady took it away from me and said I'm Grounded. Bummer!

OR, There is a payphone in the closet village but I won't be there until a Week next Tuesday.

Etc.

Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 11:15 pm

I like to tell my lads that I keep trying to call their number, but I get a recorded message saying that calls from the US to that number are being blocked because of an investigation.

Most lads supply an alternate number withing a few days--hopefully after trashing their current phone. I then waith at least three days before telling them that I got the same message on their new phone.

I then supply the lad with a phony line to call me when he gets around to asking for my number.

This is not a sure-fire method of delay, and overdoing it will make most lads twig, but it is a fun way to get a hooked lad to panic for a little while.

Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2014 11:25 pm

I once used a character who lived on the top of a mountain in Arkansas. I gave him my Google Voice number and told him it was to the general store at the bottom of the mountain. I left instructions for the lad to leave a message for the proprietor to ask the postmaster to tell the letter carrier to bring a message to my character during one of the twice-weekly mail runs to the mountain top. I got two voice mails that started, "please tell the postmaster . . . ."

Sometimes I tell a lad that I have tinnitus (which is true) and I can hear phone conversations only if the calling party uses a Soundscore VHF Modulator, $199.95 at Radio Shack.

Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 2:33 am

I also tend to drop my cell quite often and break the screen. The replacement should arrive in 5-7 business days. Can you believe those idiots at (delivery company of your choice) left it on the front step? In this neighborhood? When I catch those punks I'm gonna...

Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 3:03 am

Ewok, thanks for asking the questions and to everyone for answering. I was getting bored with just saying I have only a work phone and can't talk on it for personal calls. Great ideas!

Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 3:17 am

lakeside77 wrote:

Sometimes I tell a lad that I have tinnitus (which is true) and I can hear phone conversations only if the calling party uses a Soundscore VHF Modulator, $199.95 at Radio Shack.

True for me also, plus I'm deaf in both ears (one ear in RL) from Meniere's Disease (True). I often use the deaf angle because it's so natural for me. I really can't hear well on any phone. I rather like the Fudge Packing Incident Oscar uses though. Laughing

I don't know how it is in other countries but pay phones are extinct in the US. I haven't seen an operating pay phone in years - cell phones killed them. If you have an Android phone, there's a great app called CallDropper. It simulates a dropped call, complete with breakup before the call is dropped. You can configure how many minutes before the call is dropped and then have the call sent to voice mail if you choose. You can also use this app to record calls for use later. You can also choose certain numbers that will be sent straight to voice mail with no rings. I really drive lads nuts with this. Nothing I can do about it with [insert carrier name here]'s crappy service.

419Eater is my life Joined: 23 Jan 2014 Posts: 295

oscarpiles wrote:

My Hearing was damaged in a Horrific Fudge Packing incident down at the Plant.

Perfect...back here for 2 days and already I'll need a new monitor after I just sprayed my coffee across it Laughing

Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 10:48 am

^^^^^
I've destroyed a keyboard or two.

I usually tell the love lad my phone is paid for by my job and they won't like international calls but they can call my office-K7.

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