[Skylark]

In the movie The Devil Wears Prada, one of the characters says to his girlfriend, "The person you always answer the phone for is the person you're in a relationship with." The girlfriend worked for a demanding fashionista and always took her boss' phone calls, meanwhile neglecting her friends and boyfriend, though she didn't want to.

Do you think he was right: is the person whose phone calls you always take the most important person to you? Do any of you always answer for more than one person?

 

[GhostUser]

I think there's some truth to that. I find myself doing the same - picking up the phone for the most important people in my life. Whenever my family calls, I always pick up. I used to get calls from ex-brothers and sisters in a business frat (of which I'm no longer a member), and they'd get ignored sometimes. I'd say they weren't very important to me, so I guess that's why I find truth in the quote from the movie.

 

[bstutzma]

I think its a bit simplistic. I always pick up for my husband, unless I'm already talking to someone who I rarely speak to, or who is very upset and I don't want to put on hold - I know I can call him right back.

I always, always pick up for my siblings, parents, etc. I almost always pick up for friends, unless I'm too tired, and don't have the energy I know said friend would require. ;-) I think some people just like to pick up the phone, and others, never answer the phone no matter what (my husband is one of these. He always screens calls, drives me nuts.)

 

[Skylark]

I almost never answer when it's a number I don't recognize. I'll listen to the voicemail and call the person back if I feel like it.

Unless I'm in a don't-disturb-me meeting or the phone doesn't ring, I answer it for friends and family members. Sure, there are some I don't really want to talk to, but I don't have chronic problems with annoying cousins calling to ramble at me.

On my office phone, I always answer it. There was one exceptionI spent half an hour trying to get off the phone with a crazy man who lives on my beat. He called me back nearly immediately, and I saw his number on the caller ID and didn't answer. He called me at least 20 more times, none of which I answered. He eventually left a voice mail saying if I wanted proof of what he had told me in his long ramblings, I should call so-and-so and this-number.

 

[elibrown]

Hmmm. The only time I don't answer the phone is if someone really annoying whom I don't like is calling, or someone I don't feel like talking to. Or if I suspect it might be an automated message from Blockbuster telling me to bring my movies back, a hospital in Mississippi who needs my bill paid, or the student loan people.

So if everyone I know except annoying aquaintances and bill collectors are my significant other, then I guess yeah, the movie is right.

 

[sugar magnolia]

No, I think a phone call is a request for my attention that I need not always respond to.

 

[synergy]

I always pick up if it's work calling. I have made it known that my employees can call me if they need help. They never abuse it, and it's often far easier to give support at the time of, and fix a mistake before it happens rather than after the fact.

 

[kpickell]

I didn't quite understand the statement. I guess you would need caller id first, and then screen your calls?

 

[Skyla]

Caller ID has been a lifesaver for me on quite a few occasions - I have someone stalking me and harassing me on the phone, so having Caller ID makes it possible that I can ignore the insane amounts of calls I get from them on a daily basis.

Other than that, I would say that I pick up the phone if its work related, school related, or generally if its my boyfriend, and my good friends. I screen my family's calls because its a tense situation and I don't like the stress from the calls. I think mostly though, when I don't pick up the phone when my boyfriend calls (and my best friends) its because I'm either really sick, in a really bad mood, I'm napping, or I'm in a lot of pain (migraine or otherwise).

I think that there is some truth to who you are more likely to answer the phone for, but there are many other factors which can come into play, not to mention not everyone has Caller ID.

Just my $0.02 *shrug*

 

[astro]

In my house we almost never answer the calls. Anybody that we consider important can reach us on our mobiles (or cell, or whatever you guys call them) which we nearly always answer. The landline phone is just there to take messages really. As none of us are really day people, we deliberately leave it unplugged so we can't hear it if it rings at 9 or 10 am. Every other day or so we plug it back in and get the messages.

 

[MZCsmpsns]

to caller ID. I only answer if it's family/friends/bf... sometimes not even then if I don't feel like talking to certain people. We get SOO many solicitor calls, so 'out of area' calls/'private caller' are always screened w/the machine

 

[Nishani]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skyla

Caller ID has been a lifesaver for me on quite a few occasions - I have someone stalking me and harassing me on the phone, so having Caller ID makes it possible that I can ignore the insane amounts of calls I get from them on a daily basis.

probably time to change your number