A Peeve

One of these days I'm going to do it. Don't ask me how but I'll figure it out, somehow. I don't care who they are, I'm going to reach through the receiver and slap ‘em. Or punch ‘em. Or smack ‘em over the head with their telephone until it sinks in.

If you're calling someone and another person answers, IDENTIFY YOURSELF!

The phone rings, you pick up the receiver and the person on the other end says, "Can I talk to (blank)?"

Sometimes it's prefaced with a "Hello" or even a "Hi!" Often not even that. It's straight to "Can I talk to (blank)?"

(I've been known to respond on occasion, "I don't know. Can you?" That, however, is a different issue.)

I spent mumble-something years where part of my job included answering calls or making them, so perhaps it's just me. I know I was danged rough on Da Kid about it when he was young and started using the telephone. At work it was called telephone ettiquette. At home, manners, and those early lessons served him well when he started working.

Is who they are supposed to be a super-secret or something? Or if they tell me who they are, are they afraid I won't let them speak to the person they want to talk to? Or, perhaps, are they're insecure and worry that if they tell me who they are, that I'll tell the person they want to talk to who's calling, and they'll find out that the person they want to talk to doesn't want to talk to them?

(Or maybe after they say their name and I tell it to whomever, and whoever picks up the phone and says, "Hi, (blank)! " like in the movie after their name's been said three times, they're terrified they'll disappear?)

It's not just "kids" but adults, too, and sometimes business calls. To make things even more fun, Hubby and Da Kid have the same first name.

THEM: "Can I talk to (blank)?"

ME: "I have two of them."

THEM: (puzzled) "I need to talk to (blank)."

ME: "Which one?"

THEM: (even more puzzled) "Is this ### - ####?"

ME: "Yes."

THEM: "Can I talk to (blank)?"

ME: "Which one?"

If the caller just told me who the hell they were, I might be able to figure out which one and not have to go through this routine. Of course I could ask and usually do not because I want to but because I have to.

But ya' know, there are times I really get fed up with it.