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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder why everyone insists on using your mobile rather than a landline?

169 replies

Dancergirl · 08/04/2014 22:18

Do we not use landlines any more??

Despite giving both landline and mobile numbers to various people, why is the mobile always the first port of call??

This is why I prefer my landline:

-I can actually hear it ring as we have 3 handsets around the house. My mobile is usually tucked away in my bag.

-When I'm out and about, I'm busy and therefore can't talk at length or make appointments/check my diary etc. I need to be at home to do this.

-I am not a slave to my mobile phone. I think it's rude to start chatting on the phone when I'm talking to someone/in a shop.

So please just use my frigging landline, if I'm not in leave a message and I will ring back at my convenience.

And I would also go so far as to say manners have gone downhill since the introduction of mobiles. The constant interruption, you can't have more than a 5 minute conversation with some people before their phone starts ringing.

OP posts:
treaclesoda · 08/04/2014 23:10

Oh, to clarify, I don't mind people ringing my mobile, it's just that it's frustrating if you have an interaction that goes like this.

Person : ok, so Ill call you in around an hour once I've sorted that out

Me : ok, but would you mind ringing the landline, I have no reception at home, you've got both numbers on the computer system

Person : yes, of course, I'll just make a note of that.

Then about four hours later a text comes through telling me I have a voice mail. The next time I'm in an area with reception I listen to the message and it goes 'hello, this is a message for treacle, this is Person, I'm just returning your call, at the time we had discussed would be convenient...'

That's the bit that's frustrating!

CoilRegret · 08/04/2014 23:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TheOriginalSteamingNit · 08/04/2014 23:10

And if you prefer silence, leave the mobile telephone at home!

Minnieisthedevilmouse · 08/04/2014 23:11

Threads like this also immediately out you age wise too.... Reread. New mn game...?

Original poster
Dancergirl · 08/04/2014 23:12

Does anyone else really not think 'I won't bother x if they're not at home unless it's an emergency, I'll wait till it's convenient for them to speak'? Cos I do.

I think as someone said up thread, it's about needing things to happen NOW, sadly.

OP posts:
StarGazeyPond · 08/04/2014 23:12

Well, they probably don't because I don't hand out my number Grin

WillieWaggledagger · 08/04/2014 23:12

But dancergirl if someone calls your landline, and you don't answer, if they have your mobile number the are very likely to try that next. I realise it's not at your convenience, but they have chosen that time to call you so are going to try all the options. If they didn't have your mobile they would presumably leave a message on the landline. Of course if it isn't convenient to you you don't have to answer the mobile but you can still see they've called and ring back when you're free

ilikeyourface · 08/04/2014 23:13

Because its not 2005

Minnieisthedevilmouse · 08/04/2014 23:13

Finally, if my landline is called either you are a bank in Mumbai or I'm afraid your death is being announced....

WillieWaggledagger · 08/04/2014 23:15

I have to admit though, the only people I ring on mobiles are my mum, dad and DP, and I know when they can talk and when they're busy Grin

storynanny · 08/04/2014 23:15

It is cheaper for us. We have a mobile each very low monthly cost and use a mobile broadband on a contract cheaply for the ipad. As we dont have anything other than freeview for the tv we didnt need the landline. We were paying a lot for line rental but hardly making or accepting any calls on it.
The only thing we occasionally miss is having wifi in the house.

bobot · 08/04/2014 23:17

YABU. I don't want people ringing my landline because

A. I never answer it

B. I can't see who's ringing.

C. I don't even know the number myself.

Only reason we have it is because PIL don't live in the UK and it's extortionate to ring on a mobile, or for them to ring us.

Original poster
Dancergirl · 08/04/2014 23:19

I also worry about disturbing others by taking calls in public places.

OP posts:
MrsGoslingWannabe · 08/04/2014 23:19

Having a mobile has made me a bit anti-social actually in that I'll only answer if I know who it is and want to speak. I don't have caller display on the landline so quite often don't answer. Also I hate it if I text someone and they then ring me as quite often I don't want to talk and be put on the spot. Sad really.

IneedAwittierNickname · 08/04/2014 23:21

Virgin do broadband without a landline.
I ring whatever number people have given me. I think I have 5 landlines saved in my phone, which leads me to assume most people ate happy to ne contacted by mobile.
2 of the landlines are my parents, both my mum and dad would prefer I called their mobiles.
The other landlines I have are my nanny and my grandad, I get unlimited free calls to Grandads mobile, but would have to pay to ring his landline. I rarely ring nanny as shes hard work Blush I should I know!
The 5th is a friend, who I rarely phone. Mainly text.
No one knows my landline number, I only plugged a handset in for emergencies!

FlyntCoal · 08/04/2014 23:22

I only have a landline for internet. Only people who know it are my parents, who are still on payg mobiles so call me from their landline after 7pm. I have no idea what the number is! A mobile is convenient and I have it with me, when I refer to my phone I mean my mobile not the phone sitting at home in one place! If I'm unsure whether someone has time to talk, I text them to ask when is a good time! Landlines are on their way out.

CoilRegret · 08/04/2014 23:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

IneedAwittierNickname · 08/04/2014 23:31

Coil I wouldn't use them either, just pointing out that you can get bb without a landline, as people were saying you can't.

MrsKoala · 08/04/2014 23:49

This exact thing is currently driving me insane. It's more about why don't people listen to fucking instructions and just continue to completely ignore what i say?

We are in the process of buying a house and the flat we live in at the moment has no mobile reception at all, in fact the entire area is shite. So all the people who need to get hold of me for important stuff get told - please don't call my mobile, call my house phone (i'm a SAHM and don't drive, so am almost always home/local). They agree. Then i hear nothing and call them and get 'we've been leaving messages on your mobile all week'. Or i get into an area with reception and my phone starts binging all over the place, and there are loads of messages. Estate agents, solicitors, the bank, surveyor, builder, plumber...WTF is wrong with people? Nothing to do with age or attitude to tech, just really crappy reception.

Something similarly annoying was when we were moving back from Vancouver. I registered with loads of estate agents which required a phone number. But i stressed very strongly that i wanted all contact to be via email because we were on pacific coast time. Of course we then were inundated with phone calls at 3/4/5am which would wake up the baby. I said furiously to one woman who called and left the phone to ring for ages 'i specifically asked not to be called as you have now woken me and the baby, we are in a different time zone it's 6am here!!' She answered really rudely 'Erm no it's not actually, i just googled the time in Canada and it's actually 9am! (i could even hear the smug look on her face down the phone)' Me 'no ACTUALLY, Canada has different time zones and you must have the time in Toronto, NOT vancouver, which is Pacific Coast time'.

Chattymummyhere · 08/04/2014 23:53

I don't answer my landline ever to be honest it's annoying and only have it for the Internet and 0800 numbers.

VeryStressedMum · 08/04/2014 23:54

I only have a LL for broadband, I've got free minutes on my mobile and only free evening and weekend calls on LL to other LL and as no one I know uses their LL it's a bit useless. I give people my mobile number in case they call me when I'm out. I only give out the LL number to insurance companies and such like.

ParkingFred · 08/04/2014 23:59

I can't remember the last time we used our landline. The handsets are permanently flat, and lost, probably.

We use our mobiles for everything.

BethCalavicci · 09/04/2014 00:18

I'm completely the opposite. I cannot be doing with our landline, and we even switch the ringer off most of the time so we're oblivious to it ringing!
I have my mobile on 24/7, and am always contactable. The school, if they need me, always ring my mobile and not the landline first. So why does anyone else need the landline too?
We'll still find half of the family (mums, dad, grandparents, great-grandparents) insist on ringing the landline them huffing when we don't answer.
Then the second we DO plug back in to appease them, we're inundated with cold calls so immediately unplug again.
Yes, we're registered with TPS, but fat lot of good that's doing lately
Anyway, short answer - ring the feckin' mobile! Lot less hassle. Plus I can walk around and not be confined to one room like we are on our landline...

expatinscotland · 09/04/2014 00:21

We don't have a landline. Could only get BT out here. They were too fucking expensive.

Caitlin17 · 09/04/2014 00:23

Another we only have for the broadband. If you don't have a cable package, which we don't have nor want, there's no other way of getting broadband. No one uses it apart from his mother, occasionally my brother as they have rubbish mobile reception at home and my son when he's mislaid his mobile as the landline number easier to remember.

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