Rant alert - re Lockdown!

Apart from not being able to meet up with people - the most irritating thing for me is the telephone!

People that I would normally only hear from once a month or so have suddenly started 'phoning every day! Not only that - but they want to chat about next to nothing for an hour or more at a time.

One that called me today even started going into detail about what her cats had had for breakfast and how often they had used their litter trays! Why do I need to know this?

Saying 'I am busy - may I call you back?' falls on deaf ears.

Yes - it is lovely that people care and want to make sure I am OK - but, please, not every day and not for an hour of trivia - I don't have the time!

I need a cup of tea now!!

Re: Rant alert - re Lockdown!

I have to disagree about the phone calls. Not that I am in lockdown but I found more people calling by phone was quite enjoyable though I rarely got people talking for more than 5, or at the most 10, minutes. I have never had any patience with small talk so perhaps that is why.

There are only two people that I chat to for an hour or more and they both live overseas and don't call every day.

I think the phone has been a highlight of time spent in lockdown, being so close to the fridge and too much TV are the lowpoints.

Re: Rant alert - re Lockdown!

I suspect that those folks who are calling every day are emotionally in need of human contact due to the lockdown. Not everyone is able to sustain month upon month of self-isolation. In my opinion, it takes a special kind of emotional strength to go without human contact for so long.

Re: Rant alert - re Lockdown!

I understand and know how you feel Silver, that’s one of the new fads with the neighbours over here too, the wife can’t get a minute to herself lately with the phone ringing all day, I know they mean good but it’s annoying when it goes on day after day.

We must have been thinking on similar lines, I had this typed earlier but decided not to post it as there is enough depression around, but I may as well stick in my grump with yours now.

They are seriously thinking of extending the lockdown here until Easter (4th April).

To my mind this is a very big ask, nay demand, on an already corvid exhausted population, I can foresee many people having serious mental health problems after this thing is all over, if it ever will be, they keep moving the goalposts dashing everyones hopes of a better Summer than last year, so far after all the bugles and bells announcing the new vaccine only 220,000 have had the jab.

This latest lockdown started in late December so folks are well and truly pissed off with it by now, the number of infections and deaths don’t seem to lowering as much as they were expected to, begs the question of what’s the point of it all if it’s causing so much misery without getting anywhere, all pain and bugger all gain makes Jack a very irked boy, and irked is more dangerous than dull.


Full marks to hospital staff, but to be honest I’m disgusted with the way the politicians and health ‘experts’ have handled this whole thing.

That’s my bit said and off me mind.

Re: Rant alert - re Lockdown!

I forgot to add that you can always turn the phone off or redirect to an answering machine when you need peace and quiet.

Re: Rant alert - re Lockdown!

Hi, St. I understand how you feel.

The way I solved the problem is to use earbuds with my iPhone, which allows me to get things done around the house while I chat with someone. If they are calling on your house phone, you could call them back on your mobile phone, perhaps?

I also confess to not answering the phone when I am busy and recognize the number as someone with whom the calls end up taking forever. Great calls and people I care about require the long attention they deserve.

Re: Rant alert - re Lockdown!

I still have a landline. These days I don't really know why I keep it. It's only used as an answering machine. It is NEVER turned on to ring. Avoids scammers and other nuisance calls.

Re: Rant alert - re Lockdown!

You could re-direct all your calls to our house.The BH can talk about nothing on the phone for hours.And if she's not available her mother would readily assume control.

Re: Rant alert - re Lockdown!

The scammers, spammers, and thieves - in other words, the phone company - with their outrageous fees and marketing inspired me to drop the landline ten years ago.

Those other scam and political calls are not missed either.

Re: Rant alert - re Lockdown!

I don't actually have a landline but I do have my old landline number as a VOIP line. It too is permanently connected to an answering machine which filters out all the charity and scam calls because they never leave a message.

The message is something like, "I never answer this phone but if you leave a message after the beep I will call you back... Or you can call my mobile phone" Naturally it doesn't give my mobile phone number on the assumption and anybody I want to hear from already know my mobile phone number.

I do get the occasional (but very rare) spam or charity call on my mobile but as soon as I answer I hang up and block the number. Businesses I deal with and charities I donate to only get my VOIP number.