Mansplaining
Back story: I answer my phone with my name because my phone number once belonged to Jim Schwartz, a guy who does some kind of financial thingy. For the first year I had the phone number, I got at least a dozen calls per week for Jim.
After blocking hundreds of numbers and explaining the finer points of the Telecommunications Privacy Act to a bunch of people (“It doesn’t matter if you are a vendor. You STILL need to comply!”), I’m down to about one call per week for Jim, but I still answer the phone that way for unknown numbers just in case.
Today the phone rang.
Suebob: Hi, this is Sue Davis.
Unknown dude: Nuh uh
Suebob: Pardon? THIS IS SUE DAVIS.
Dude: Silence.
Suebob: Silence.
Dude: HELLO?
Suebob: Yes?
Dude: Davis???? Where’s Michelle?
Suebob: You have the wrong number.
This is the part I love.
Dude: No, I doubt it.
Suebob: Yes, goodbye.
Reader, he waited about 15 minutes and called BACK.
To give the callers for Jim Schwartz credit, once I explained that I was not Jim Schwartz, none of them ever said “No, I doubt it.”
Comments are closed.
Suebob's Red Stapler 
Recent call I received:
Me: Hello?
Caller: [something in Mandarin] [more stuff in Mandarin] [epic long story in Mandarin]
Me: You have the wrong number.
Caller [talking to someone he’s with, still Mandarin]
Caller’s friend: Sir? Sir?
Me: Why not.
Caller’s friend: [something in Mandarin]
Me: You have the wrong number.
Caller’s friend [British accent]: Oh, I’m terribly sorry, sir.
Yes, sir, terribly sorry.
I am so glad to see you are still out there and commenting. Are you writing anywhere?
I’m not writing. I sometimes think I’ll take it up in a more disciplined way one day but then I get distracted by a ball of yarn or the like.
[muffled sobs]
I just now realized I should have started that comment by titling it “Mandarinsplaining.” BECAUSE I’M MY DAD NOW AND TELL ALL HIS JOKES CALL ME SIR.
Missed opportunities!
The person who had my mobile number before me still uses it to give to collection agencies. And, he gives it to (I believe) past friends that he doesn’t want to be able to reach him. A few weeks ago, one woman broke down crying when she realized he gave her the wrong number.
Ugh. I think Jim abandoned his simply because he was getting too many damned sales calls. And he was right about that.