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Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Telephone Pet Peeves

This has absolutely nothing to do with writing, but I've come to realize that I hate phones. I spend most of my day job dealing with a phone, and by the time I get home, I can't stand to hear one ringing (which is why I usually make my husband get it). This is part of the reason I've adamantly resisted getting a cell phone, or even a pager, although I may soon be forced into it. Yeah, that's me, Dark Ages Girl. When I go out, I don't wanna be found. :)

The most annoying thing about phones, apart from busy signals, is voicemail. I can't stand it when you press a wrong button and the automated voice politely tells you, "We're sorry, but you've pressed an invalid extension." Or, when you're holding, the automated voice will pick up every so often to apologize for the wait. What? How is it that an automated message can apologize? It's not even sentient to be sorry! This false politeness really bugs me. It's meaningless.

I think our fast-food society is sapping the value out of human interaction. It's so much easier to keep a human being at arm's length when he or she is on the other end of a phone or a computer. That's part of the downfall of such incredible technology. People are slowly losing their social graces. Maybe that's why I've resisted getting a cell phone for so long. I'd rather unplug myself from the cyberverse and talk to a real person! Hey, who knew I was so deep? ;)

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