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Phone rings just before 3am. It's on my side of the bed. I pick it up, "Hello?". Long pause, a few clicks, then what sounds like an automated voice, so I put the phone down. 30 seconds later it rings again.
"Hello?" "Hi there, my name's John and I'm calling about XXX holiday property..." "It's 3am, what the hell are you playing at?" ...
"Oh, sorry, I'm a bit clueless about transatlantic time differences, can I call you some other time?" "No, don't call me. Goodbye".
Only afterwards did I wonder... and yes, dh has been researching holiday houses on the West Coast of America. Yes, he's sent off a query to someone, including a phone number.
He had a plaintive little email this morning:
"Dear Guest: I just called and a lady picked up very angry about my apparent early morning call at 3:00 PM [sic] telling me to not bother to ever bother again. Anyway, we are open for your stay if you are interested. Sorry to bother your sleep. Thought you'd like the personal touch of a real phone call to answer any questions. Guess not!"
So, dear reader:
AIBU to have expected that someone in the USA, on the West Coast, at 7pm their time, might have considered that phoning someone in the UK, 8hoursahead, at 3am their time, might have been a touch stupid? Or should I have realised immediately, woken up sufficiently to have had a lucid middle-of-the-night conversation and been sweetness and light?
And should I call him back rightnow to discuss our possible booking ?
I had a call like this when in the US. My sister was staying with us, and she is a supply teacher. Her school in the UK called to see whether she would be available for work the following week. It was 4am our time, and I was not best pleased.
GOHW, that's more acceptable though. Presumably it was a UK school calling a UK person - they're probably not to know she's in the US on a massive time difference...
If they did know she was there, then yes, it's just as bad!
Agree, I don't think I'd want to stay there as a result...
Oh, just to add, dh's email response was pathetic:
"Sorry about the response to your call - I shouldn't have put my phone number on the form really, as it was likely to cause problems with the time difference!"
Not
"Sorry about the response to your call, but what did you expect, you fuckwit?"
Should have said "I put my phone number on expecting that you'd have more than one brain cell and could work out the time difference.........I GUESS NOT"
What a sarky and pathetic email. If I was him I would have emailed apologising profusely for forgetting to check on the time difference. Don't go stay with them. You mist be able to find somewhere else where the owner is more accomodating!
? 
. Verging on sarcastic, I'd venture.. 
