Rude to answer the phone

I'd maybe say "sorry is it OK if I get this" then quickly check what she needed and hang up, followed by an apology. Especially if it's just the 2 of you, were you just sat there waiting!? Madness.

I like how people obsessed with their phone find plenty of excuse to justify how important they are, and how a phone call could not possibly wait.

Many of us manage with a phone left at the bottom of your bag just fine.

People managed without electricity for centuries, should we cut that off too?

It doesn’t matter how many emergencies you get, there only needs to be one.

For me it’s less about emergencies and more about urgencies. If my daughter’s school phones (which happens a lot) I need to be able to speak to them. If I get a call from an unknown number, 99% of the time it is from one of my daughter’s NHS contacts. They aren’t allowed to leave a message and it wan be weeks before I can get hold of them. The issue might not be life threatening, but it is necessary. My husband missed an appointment for a review after a CT scan which had shown a returning cancer. They had called, it was an unknown number and dad privilege means he never answered it. He only discovered because he later called weeks later to see where his results were.

Wherever I am, my phone is on. If I can answer it, I will. If I’m in a job interview, I will explain and if they don’t like it, I won’t work for them because that is my life and if they don’t like it, I won’t like the job. If I’m in the cinema, I will leave. It isn’t difficult.

It isn’t rude to answer, but it is rude to chat with someone else for 45 minutes whether they are on the phone or there in person. It’s also idiotic to wait around for 45 minutes for them to finish.

Me too. Absolutely no way would I have stayed there.

Ageism is pretty rude.

45 mins?! I’d have left at 20…

No. Your MIL is rude. Not all old people are.

She was rude to answer the phone but no need for you to spout ageist bile.

Very rude indeed.

A friend calling usually is something urgent or we'd just text.

A friend calling me to get her kid from school is urgent as she needed confirmation I could do it, a text wouldn't have been seen if my phone was in my bag, but don't fret, I wasn't the person on the phone for 45 minutes whilst another friend sat and watched me, that would have been rude.

So I'm not forgiving the friend in the op's situation for being on the phone for 45 minutes, I'm just saying that I don't think answering the phone was that bad, it was staying on the phone that was very rude.

It's so self-important, to answer your phone "in case of emergencies"😂

You do not need to answer your phone at every minute of everyday. I am sure you manage to put it away when you go to the cinema, have a doctor's appointment or a job interview? And most of us put it away when invited for diner, or just meeting a friend for coffee

This need to feel immediately contactable is funny but strange.

Whose rattled your kennel?

Friends have rang me asking to pick up their kids from school before, should they have dialled 999 for that?

Was it a mutual friend that you both talked to? Bad manners, regardless.

Do you friends have emergencies that you need to answer, as opposed to the emergency services?
If it's important they'll call again or send a message.

However, it's not a problem to answer just to say I'm busy now and I'll call you back later. Staying on the call for so long was very rude.

I had a friend who used to do this, but it was 20 years ago!

I would have called her myself after about 5 min 😁

But yes it’s rude and yes you should have said something.

Answering the phone wasn't rude, it could have been an emergency

How many "emergencies" do you actually get a phone call about every day, really? I am sure all your phone calls can wait! People managed without smart phones for decades.

Unless you are on call at work possibly.

No way would I have sat there for 45 minutes!

If my phone rang while I was out with a friend and there was a chance the person calling needed to speak to me urgently, I’d excuse myself to briefly answer, check nothing was wrong and then tell the caller I would speak to them later, then apologise to my friend after taking the call. 10 seconds, maximum!

Incredibly rude

I would answer the phone for my kids or someone who was in charge of my kids at that time, but anything else would wait.

if it's important, people add a text or whatsapp. Phone calls can wait.
STAYING on the phone means she doesnt' want to see you, that's horrible.

Incredibly rude, but there's no way I'd have sat there for 45 minutes!

Answering the phone wasn't rude, it could have been an emergency but spending the next 44 minutes on the phone definitely was.

What did you say to her?

I would have got up and left!

Once a friend did this to me in a pub, let me buy the first round then disappeared. 40 minutes later I found her outside talking to another group of people on her second drink which she’d no doubt got someone else to buy (she was famous for never buying a round). I said I’m going home and she said “oh don’t you know anyone here?” Never again!!!

I had a friend do this to me......I don't bother with her now. I would never be so rude. I had to sit there as she had picked me up and I was miles from home!

Of course it’s rude - but why the hell did you sit there for 45 minutes?? 🤦‍♀️