To get irritated when people ring me when they can't speak?

[Historygeek]

I know a couple of people that ring me for a chat or something and then constantly get distracted by whatever else is going on?

For example one rings me then keeps talking to her dh at the same time and I can't tell who she's talking to. Or saying "hang on I just want to see this bit of Coronation Street".

Or people on the landline but then answering their mobile to someone else and holding a conversation with them.

I can understand it when you've got small children but even then I try to ring people when their in bed or distracted.

Is this just me?

[Maybebabybee]

Before I was on mat leave my mum used to call me between 8 and 8.15, as I was getting ready to leave the house.

Now she calls me between 6 and 7 when I'm putting DS to bed.

I assume this is a mum thing and I'll do the same to DS one day.

[Pineappletastic]

Off topic, but my mum can't hang up properly, so overtime I miss a call I have a voicemail with about 4 minutes of background noise.

She also calls, tells me she has nothing to tell me, and then has to go before I can tell her anything I might have to tell her! Weird.

[MLGs]

I am a right misery because I hate being on the phone altogether.

What you are describing would drive me nuts.

I like talking to people in rl, and messaging or e-mailing them in between, often with a view to organise meeting in rl.

[TheProblemOfSusan]

My parents quite regularly phone, put me on speakerphone, then carry on bickering about whatever nonsense they were bickering about before they called, occasionally trying to drag me into it. Drives me MENTAL.

Also, they refuse to just talk on the phone normally so I can barely hear either of them on the speakerphone, and they will regularly not tell me that there are other people in the room, so I have to be really careful not to go spilling personal stuff in case there's a random auntie or builder or person from next door eagerly listening away.

(Super rude to those people too, I think)

[Queenbean]

Oh much worse for me is people who leave long rambling voicemails. My friend would do this:

"Hi darling, it's X. Just calling for a chat really - had a really nice weekend, Tom and I went to a wedding of his cousin - the bride looked lovely and the speech went like this..... And this...... Hang on one second, yep, can I take that in small - do you need change? Thanks, no that's fine, I have a bag, ok thank you, bye. Hi darling, sorry, I'm out shopping and the lady asked me what size I want and if I want a bag. Anyway, where was I.....? Oh yeah, this speech, so it was really great. Anyway, call me back when you get this message!"

Why leave me a message about people I don't know and then repeat a conversation I can hear???!

I asked her to stop leaving me vms because as soon as I saw a missed call from her I'd ring her back anyway.

I hate talking to people on the phone anyway. It's a huge inconvenience when you're playing a game on your phone and someone calls. Then you have to wait for them to stop calling before you can continue your game.

[KoalaDownUnder]

powershower do we have the same friend?! Drives me insane.

She also has a bad habit of calling me with the kids in the car, and putting me on speaker. Without telling me. Then getting snippy when (not being a mind reader) I drop the f-bomb.

[JenLindley]

My friend used to do this. She would ring and her rude children would just start having a chat with her about something or calling her to come look at something and if she said "I'm just on the phone with Jen" they would whine and whisper (that I could hear!) for her to hang up and come and be with them. I started saying "sure just call me back when you can talk". She calls me when they're not there now. Result.

[JudyCoolibar]

I never get why so many people wander round shops glued to their phones, to the point that they can't break off even when they're packing and paying. Obviously I get it that they may get the occasional emergency call (and I'm not talking about the occasional call to check if some item of shopping is needed), but that really can't account for the large number of people who do it. Plus, when forced to hear part of their conversation, IME they're always talking about something totally inane that could easily wait till later. Do people regard themselves as somehow duty bound to pick up the mobile whenever it rings? However did they cope before they were invented?

[MovingOnUpMovingOnOut]

I'm amazed people still phone for a chat.

The only people who ring my house for a chat are my parents and dh's dad. Nobody has anything to say and my parents have an irritating habit of putting the phone on speakerphone so I can't hear anything any way. I screen out their all calls.

[powershowerforanhour]

I have a friend who is often too busy to talk when I ring her. Which is fine- she has two young children, job with variable hours and reports to be written at home and other stuff to deal with.
She has decided that the best use of her time is to phone on the handsfree on her half hour drive back from work for a catchy uppy chats.
All fine.
BUT
She has totally crap patchy mobile reception most of the way home, so she chats away gaily while I catch half a sentence, then nothing, and have to keep saying "Go back to the bit where..."
I have started hanging up when her reception gets bad and not ringing back

[KingLooieCatz]

And DB's favourite was to ring and do the washing up at me. It seems impossible to ring DB late enough for him to have got his kids in bed. And it's mine that is known as a handful.

[KingLooieCatz]

My Dad often used to ring when he knew we'd been right in the throes of bed time and say "It's probably a bad time...". I did crack once and say "Yes, but you thought you'd ring anyway." DH thought i was very rude.

[treaclesoda]

I thought you were talking about work. Nothing but nothing pisses me off more than getting a phonecall where as soon as you answer they say 'hold for Sally Brown*' and then put you on hold. And you can't hang up because they rang you. Because obviously Sally Brown's precious time is more important than little old me...

• insert relevant name

[Historygeek]

I think it irritates me because often in busy too but have stopped doing something to take their call. It's like their times more important or something.

I do ignore but certain people ring and ring.

[44PumpLane]

YANBU! It's worse if they are the ones to have called originally as surely you don't call if you can't speak.

My Dad used to have this annoying habit of calling:
Me: Hey Dad
Dad: Hello
SILENCE
Me (after a few beats): Yes?!?!

I asked him why he always rings and then doesn't say anything, apparently he's "just gathering his thoughts"!!!

YOU RANG ME....GATHER YOUR THOUGHTS BEFORE YOU DIAL!!!!! phew I needed that!

[NannyR]

My mum does this and it drives me mad. You'll call her for a chat then you'll hear her mobile ring and she'll say "oh, I'll have to call you back in 10 min, so and so is calling me". I think its really rude, we were chatting first, why can't the mobile call wait till we're finished.

[milliemolliemou]

I'd just put the phone down. Either you're speaking to someone or you're not. Unless of course there's a murder occurring or a fire alarm goes off, in which case presumably they'd be the ones to put the phone down. You can see incoming on your mobile so if it's urgent apologize to the landline contact and answer the mobile. Ah well.

[thatsn0tmyname]

My mum does that. You can be having a rare moment of bearing your soul and she'll say "oh, hang on, the cat's just jumped up" or "John (my dad) that goldfinch is back" etc.

[SleepDeprivedAndCranky]

Yanbu but that's just the way some people are.

[Historygeek]

They're distracted.