A Moment To Bitch

[Guest Dids]

I'm at the mall, sometime around 1:30, I get a call "Hey David, there's a Poker game at Scooters house at 10". So I plan to be there.

 

Sometime around 7ish, I'm told that this one dude will be driving, and that I should call him.

 

So I do, I call his cell (you know, that phone that you know he's got with him, you know if it rings 4 times it's on, and you know that he's got caller ID). Well he doesn't answer. Doesn't return voice mails (he never returns voice mails, weird, because he's a nice guy generally, but he's fucking horrible about returning calls and/or call screening. Little things that make you not trust people as much as you'd like to). So maybe he's not coming, maybe whatever drama he's created for himself this week has popped up and he's busy. Fine.

 

So the other friend's out to dinner with his boyfriend. I give him a call at around 9:15, just wanting to leave a message. His phone goes straight to voice mail "Cool, he said he'd be eating dinner till 9:30" so I leave a message. 'Bout 9:45 he hasn't called back. Now I'm pissed, because I've spend my fucking evening waiting for phone calls. I HATE WAITING FOR PHONE CALLS. I call him again, 4 rings, the phone is on- but he doesn't answer.

 

10:20 I get a call, 2nd guy's on the way to the game, having already been picked up, and says that he just checked his messages and at that point it's pointless to drive back south and get me. But shit, why the hell didn't you pick up when I called you earlier, especially since you told me you'd be unable to get ahold of the guy you said who was going to be my ride. Maybe you had a clue that I was wondering what was up.

 

The really cool thing about cell phones is that they make it easy to get in touch with people. The thing that sucks is that A- it become painfully obvious when people are avoiding you and B- it creates expectations that can be annoying when people don't use them with any sense of respect.

 

I didn't want to go the game that bad, but Christ I'm annoyed that I spent my evening waiting for phone calls from people too inconsiderate to properly communicate with their friends. The 2nd guy is just something of a flake, I don't really mind him. The first guy drives me nuts, 'cause in a lot of ways he's a very close friend. Which is why I find his inability to retturn a phone call very strange. It's like he's either unaware or chooses not to participate in the social contract wherein "if you leave a message for somebody, they'll call you back" that exists between friends..

 

Somebody owes me 4 hours of my life, and I'm getting my revenge my making you fuckers read this post. I figure that it'll take what, 5 minutes. So I need 48 people do sit through this, and I'll have my revenge.

[Murmuring Beast 0]

I'm a bit like your friends. I rarely have my mobile phone on, nevermind with me, and as for checking voicemail *stiffles laughter*, once in a lifetime wouldn't do it justice.

 

I hate mobile phones.

[Use Your Illusion 0]

Bastard.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

So do I. I'm loath to talk over a telephone in the first place, let alone to some fuckers who are trying to call me when I'm doin' some shit, or don't feel like doing any at all. The only reason I've got a damn cell is if my truck goes off a cliff or something and I live.

[Guest Dids]

But see, if I knew that about you, I probably wouldn't count on calling you. This guy has his phone with him at all times. He's just selective about answering, which is shitty, given that as A- I mentioned, he's a pretty close friend and B- he knew I was looking for a ride from him.

 

As for voice mail, I can accept that. I just means that I'm going to call you 4 times because I know that you won't return my call.

[Murmuring Beast 0]

The last time I used my mobile was on Friday night, when I had to because some guy needed to know where I was to meet up with him. Other than that, I'm amazed people bother phoning me. I'm on msn almost always and I'll check my email so I'd rather do that, than have to dial three hundred numbers to either hear background noise followed by awkward laughter, a token line and 'call me back', etc. I used it when I was going out with a girl, but generally that was text message stuff.

 

Plus I work on telephones, so I'm more of a face-to-face man now than ever before.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

That's why I'm glad I have no friends.

 

And of course if you would have just decided to do something different after giving up on the first few calls you placed, your friends would have had the game and would have pissed and moaned that you ditched them...

[Guest KJ Brackish]

I'm kind of like your friends, but my fault is that I don't hear my phone often enough. Even the vibe feature on my phone is very pathetic so I can't feel my phone ringing and can't hear it. Often, it has caused me problems (missing important phone calls), so try to think of other perspectives (such as them not being able to hear the phone). Don't try to get in the defensive mode and think that they are avoiding you. Benefit of the doubt man...... benefit of the doubt.

 

KJ

[Guest Dids]

You're nothing like my friends, except I guess for my gay friend, you both love the cock and what not.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

The only thing I have to offer, and its off topic sort of, is that it seems that everyone expects everyone else to have a cell phone. Whenever I give out my phone number I make sure to point out that its my home phone number and then they go "so what about your cell phone?" and I go " I don't have one" and they give me the "what year do you think it is?" look or something like that.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

I guess I'll be the first to step up and agree with Dids. I hate people like this. It's not even so much that you want to go wherever; it's the principle of the matter. The whole point of cell phones is to communicate easily whether you're at home or not. I know that wasn't the original point of them, but in this day and age, let's not fool ourselves into thinking they're not for that.

 

I'm like your friends once in a great while, but most of the time, I feel a great sense of guilt if I can't call someone if I said I was going to or if I'm delayed in calling them from when they expected the call. No one's clear of the matter, but so many people make it the rule rather than the exception. It's just annoying to be asked to do something and then have to rely on other people to call you, only to have them not come through. It's like, why say you're going to call or whatever if you're not? Don't do it for my sake. I'd rather know one way or the other. Sometimes I think people are just too afraid to say that don't want to do anything or for you to be involved. I'd prefer someone tell me straight up instead of leading me on. It's all good; I can handle the truth.

 

People just aren't considerate of others. Simple as that. Some are, but most don't feel bad if they leave you hanging in whatever situation if it doesn't affect them.

[DerangedHermit 0]

Maybe they don't like you anymore?

 

I am "B. Diddy", "B. Dids", "B-Dids", "B. Diddy Shuffle", "Drew", "The Shuffle", "Shuffle", "King of Extension", "The Spiller", "Speed Poker", "The Hawk" and "Harrybutt"

 

I sure as hell wouldn't want to hang out with "Harrybutt."

[Guest Temet]

I had a friend who didn't fit in at all with the people I was out with call five times on Saturday night to see what I was up to.

 

Luckily I couldn't hear it over the sound of us playing pool. What's that? Pool doesn't make much noise? I'm well aware.

[Guest Dynamite Kido]

Here could be the problem Dids. You said that you hate waiting for phone calls, and me personally I HATE when people repeatedly call my phone to get me to try and answer. Usually, people call when I am busy or driving or some shit like that and I don't answer. I usually call them back, but if they call repeatedly without leaving a voicemail I purposely don't answer. Simply put.....it gets on my fucking nerves. Not to say that's what you do.......but if you do.......maybe that's why they don't answer.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

I just turn mine off.

[Dr. Tom 0]

I'm just surprised Dids knows someone named "Scooter."

[Guest Dids]

I know TWO people named Scooter.

 

To what Kido said, I'll call you only once if you've proven you'll return a message. If you won't, and I need to get ahold of you, I'm calling till you answer.

[Guest Dynamite Kido]

To what Kido said, I'll call you only once if you've proven you'll return a message. If you won't, and I need to get ahold of you, I'm calling till you answer.

Dids, I see no problem with that.......so basically I'm siding with you on this one.

[Art Sandusky 0]

Unless it's someone I REALLY REALLY don't want to talk to (or told someone to call me to hear my new voicemail greeting when I made cool ones), I'll always answer my phone. And if I missed a call by being in another part of the house or was in a loud atmosphere, I'll call the person back as soon as I see I missed them. I'm someone who never turns my phone off either. It's always at least on vibrate.

[Guest The Winter Of My Discontent]

Dids, someone needs to break it to you. These guys obviously aren't your friends. They blantently ditched you. And the way your phrased your entire post, this isn't the first time it has happened.

 

People do this to others all of the time. Its maybe time to kinda move on.

 

Personally I don't own a cell phone because its a waste of money, plus for this reason, people will call and make you feel obligated to hang out or invite them where you are. If I wanted to hang out with people, I'd call them. I'm not afraid to do that.