Page 3 | Rude to answer the phone

Goldielocks2p22 · 2025-06-06T16:22:09+00:00

Went for a catch up with a friend to get drinks. Another friend rings her and she answers then continues to spend 45 minutes on the phone to this person. Surely I’m not the only person who wouldn’t answer the phone if I’d agreed to meet someone for drinks or food?

Gwenhwyfar · 08/06/2025 08:58

tigger1001 · 07/06/2025 20:47

Really? Do you have children?

the school calling to say they aren't well
whoever is watching them calling to say they aren't well.
and if 999 was needed should the next call not be to the parent to let them know?
or if a family member, to let them know?

calls I've had in the last few months:

relative passed away.
relatives wanting info for funeral
jury duty (did know I might get a call, but was only a maybe)
other relative took unwell and required hospitalisation.
updates on her condition as the doctors said she was now end of life.
her being moved hospital and back into care home for end of life care.
the phone call to say they thought she only had hours left.
solicitors as am the executor

in the past had a call to say youngest had knocked himself out and was on his way to hospital.

various calls from the school requiring immediate attention (needing either picked up as poorly or at the hospital as injured)

it isn't rude to say "I need to get this, only be a minute" but it is absolutely rude to have a non urgent conversation with someone on the phone and certainly 45 minutes is taking the piss.

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I put the world adult in my post. I understand why parents may need to check.

Amelie2025 · 08/06/2025 09:10

FoodAppropriation · 07/06/2025 15:52

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.

How many you get isn't relevant, it only takes one to be life changing.

Yes, we managed before smart phones, but lots of things were different then & so what? We have smart phones now & they're not going anywhere.

nk problem with answering the call, but 45minutes is beyond rude!

pictoosh · 08/06/2025 09:17

Yes...rude and dismissive of her. She's either completely oblivious or doesn't have much respect for you.

Glad you left. I like to think that's what I'd do too.

KimberleyClark · 08/06/2025 09:30

I’d have just left after 15 minutes at the most. I wouldn’t have answered the phone, I’d have waited for a text or voicemail.

smartphones have enabled everyone to be rude arseholes.

Amelie2025 · 08/06/2025 09:46

Gwenhwyfar · 07/06/2025 15:54

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!

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Yes, I do have friends that might have an 'emergency' that is serious enough to need immediate help, but not a 2 hour ambulance wait. Lucky you if you can't imagine being in that situation.

Amelie2025 · 08/06/2025 09:54

FoodAppropriation · 07/06/2025 16:22

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.

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Whatever. The children I'm am responsible for & the friends/family that might need urgent help are far more important to me than 'putting to phone away for coffee or dinner' & likely the person I'm with is just as likely to be the one ringing at another time.

answering the phone isn't rude. Staying in if fir 45 minutes is.

it's not self important, 🙄🙄 it's having a different life to you! I'm glad you find it funny, welcome to my life where people aren't 100% heathy. Have needs or need help. Laugh away.

Amelie2025 · 08/06/2025 10:00

FoodAppropriation · 07/06/2025 16:56

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.

Then maybe just accept you have fewer & less important phone calls than some of us?! Try reading the replies explaining this instead of just behaving so rudely.

Amelie2025 · 08/06/2025 10:11

Gwenhwyfar · 07/06/2025 19:18

I just couldn't imagine what emergency an adult may have that couldn't be fixed by 999. I don't drive so that request wouldn't happen to me.
The most I can imagine is someone locked out of their home and needs to stay with me before calling the locksmith the next day, but that person would try calling again or texting.

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It doesn't take much imagination to honestly. Maybe as a non driver it takes a wee but more, but come on.

friend needs kids picking up from school/ activity (as their train is late or another child home very sick & can't take/leave them to collect the other one. Loads of different reasons)
a friend or their husband has fallen in the home & needs help to get back up.
an elderly relative has gone 'walk about' in her nightie. No road sense. No sense of direction.
taxi/other service hasn't turned up to take them to a long waited & much needed hospital appointment or they're too ill to manage the public transport they'd planned to use.

honestly, some family/friends just need help that you cannot possibly call 999 for.

FoodAppropriation · 08/06/2025 10:14

tigger1001 · 07/06/2025 20:47

Really? Do you have children?

the school calling to say they aren't well
whoever is watching them calling to say they aren't well.
and if 999 was needed should the next call not be to the parent to let them know?
or if a family member, to let them know?

calls I've had in the last few months:

relative passed away.
relatives wanting info for funeral
jury duty (did know I might get a call, but was only a maybe)
other relative took unwell and required hospitalisation.
updates on her condition as the doctors said she was now end of life.
her being moved hospital and back into care home for end of life care.
the phone call to say they thought she only had hours left.
solicitors as am the executor

in the past had a call to say youngest had knocked himself out and was on his way to hospital.

various calls from the school requiring immediate attention (needing either picked up as poorly or at the hospital as injured)

it isn't rude to say "I need to get this, only be a minute" but it is absolutely rude to have a non urgent conversation with someone on the phone and certainly 45 minutes is taking the piss.

Show quote history

most of your calls are not "emergencies", they're just phone calls...

FoodAppropriation · 08/06/2025 10:17

Amelie2025 · 08/06/2025 10:00

Then maybe just accept you have fewer & less important phone calls than some of us?! Try reading the replies explaining this instead of just behaving so rudely.

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reading the replies, It's more than I am not pretending to be more important than I am, and can actually see the difference between an actual "emergency" and a ..phone call that can wait.

Maybe being busy with work and dealing with actual emergencies means some of us know how to prioritise more than others, and don't need to boost our ego pretending that every phone call and message is important, to make themselves feel important 😂

Amelie2025 · 08/06/2025 10:24

FoodAppropriation · 08/06/2025 10:17

reading the replies, It's more than I am not pretending to be more important than I am, and can actually see the difference between an actual "emergency" and a ..phone call that can wait.

Maybe being busy with work and dealing with actual emergencies means some of us know how to prioritise more than others, and don't need to boost our ego pretending that every phone call and message is important, to make themselves feel important 😂

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😂😂. You're the one that's 'self important'.

no im not going to leave my friend lying in the floor unable to get up just because she's not having a heart attack, just do I can finish my coffee in peace.

nor am I going to ignore my friend who needs her 6 yo collected from school because she can't get to her.

They may not be important things to you, but they are to me, and frankly, that's all that matters.

your ego doesn't need boosting, that we can agree on.

Gwenhwyfar · 08/06/2025 10:30

Amelie2025 · 08/06/2025 10:11

It doesn't take much imagination to honestly. Maybe as a non driver it takes a wee but more, but come on.

friend needs kids picking up from school/ activity (as their train is late or another child home very sick & can't take/leave them to collect the other one. Loads of different reasons)
a friend or their husband has fallen in the home & needs help to get back up.
an elderly relative has gone 'walk about' in her nightie. No road sense. No sense of direction.
taxi/other service hasn't turned up to take them to a long waited & much needed hospital appointment or they're too ill to manage the public transport they'd planned to use.

honestly, some family/friends just need help that you cannot possibly call 999 for.

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For number 2 and 3 you could call 999. If a fall is serious enough that the person can't get up, I can see an ambulance being justified and the police can help with lost senile people.
In any case, this call was from a friend so most likely someone same age as OP rather than very elderly.

FoodAppropriation · 08/06/2025 10:34

Amelie2025 · 08/06/2025 10:24

😂😂. You're the one that's 'self important'.

no im not going to leave my friend lying in the floor unable to get up just because she's not having a heart attack, just do I can finish my coffee in peace.

nor am I going to ignore my friend who needs her 6 yo collected from school because she can't get to her.

They may not be important things to you, but they are to me, and frankly, that's all that matters.

your ego doesn't need boosting, that we can agree on.

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nice little goady post, you are the one trying to justify why you MUST take every phone call and deal with IMPORTANT issues while the friends you are with have to patiently wait for you to finish your phone calls.

Obviously if you are an annex of 999 for your friends, and a first responder, it seems your life is full of emergencies trained medical staff could not possibly help with and wouldn't be the best person to call first. Fair enough.

tigger1001 · 08/06/2025 17:10

FoodAppropriation · 08/06/2025 10:14

most of your calls are not "emergencies", they're just phone calls...

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Nope. Tells me a lot about you you dont see them as emergencies.

all required immediate action.

if I was with a friend when I got any of these calls and they were pissed off I took the call, once I explained what they were, they would no longer be friends. And equally if I was the friend in question, I would have empathy and tell them to go deal with what ever it was.

as I said , the issue is a 45 minute chat. That's rude. But answering the phone isn't in itself.