Mark Conley
Active member
Over the years, i have picked up a world of hate for phones...
One day in 1994, while i was trying to get out some very serious back log of reports... the phone at a subordinate’s desk rang. And rang. And rang some more.
Those in the military know it. That phone with an actual bell...the one that unless you physically turn it down it sounds with a harsh ring every two seconds with a tone that really gets irritating. Well, that’s what was going off behind me, at a desk my subordinate had left 15 minutes earlier. And no one else was in the immediate vicinity to answer it.
It rang for at least 30 seconds. it was so powerful a force, I had to answer it. So, I dropped what I was doing, swivel my chair so I could get to it, put my hand on the receiver...
And it stopped ringing.
Well, I thought that was a fine how-you-do. Just as I was about to answer, the SOB on the other end gave up. So, I swiveled back to my computer, put my hands on the key board and started typing....just as that phone started ringing again.
Again, I stopped what I was doing; swiveled about, put my hand on the receiver....
And it stopped ringing.
This went on for about 10 minutes (there were witnesses that said they saw me actually doing this for about 10 minutes: of course, being subordinates, they didn’t laugh or make a sound but just watched the show...as it was.)
Finally I got in the subordinates seat...and waited. Patiently for five minutes. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I waited for five more minutes in that seat and got nothing. Not a ring. Not a sound. I even picked up the receiver to see if there was a dial tone. Yep, it was working. But nothing.
So I got back in my seat, put my hands on the key board and started typing....just as that damned phone started ringing again.
This time, I totally lost it. Springing out of the seat I grabbed the receiver...and there was no one on the other end. Nothing but a dial tone.
I sat there and looked at that stupid phone for another 5 minutes...scratching my head. This was impossible...the damned phone was haunted. I was mad...no mad didn’t quite seem to describe it. The subordinates kind of described it as "lit up and ready to explode” mode.
That when I looked across the hall...and saw the SSgt with the phone in his ear...looking at me with a Cheshire cat look on his face. Putting the phone down in it cradle he said to me "Conley, I thought you would never look over here. You know, you spent about 30 minutes chasing that call"
After the urge to tear off his arm and beat him over the head with it had passed...:shoothea:
One day in 1994, while i was trying to get out some very serious back log of reports... the phone at a subordinate’s desk rang. And rang. And rang some more.
Those in the military know it. That phone with an actual bell...the one that unless you physically turn it down it sounds with a harsh ring every two seconds with a tone that really gets irritating. Well, that’s what was going off behind me, at a desk my subordinate had left 15 minutes earlier. And no one else was in the immediate vicinity to answer it.
It rang for at least 30 seconds. it was so powerful a force, I had to answer it. So, I dropped what I was doing, swivel my chair so I could get to it, put my hand on the receiver...
And it stopped ringing.
Well, I thought that was a fine how-you-do. Just as I was about to answer, the SOB on the other end gave up. So, I swiveled back to my computer, put my hands on the key board and started typing....just as that phone started ringing again.
Again, I stopped what I was doing; swiveled about, put my hand on the receiver....
And it stopped ringing.
This went on for about 10 minutes (there were witnesses that said they saw me actually doing this for about 10 minutes: of course, being subordinates, they didn’t laugh or make a sound but just watched the show...as it was.)
Finally I got in the subordinates seat...and waited. Patiently for five minutes. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I waited for five more minutes in that seat and got nothing. Not a ring. Not a sound. I even picked up the receiver to see if there was a dial tone. Yep, it was working. But nothing.
So I got back in my seat, put my hands on the key board and started typing....just as that damned phone started ringing again.
This time, I totally lost it. Springing out of the seat I grabbed the receiver...and there was no one on the other end. Nothing but a dial tone.
I sat there and looked at that stupid phone for another 5 minutes...scratching my head. This was impossible...the damned phone was haunted. I was mad...no mad didn’t quite seem to describe it. The subordinates kind of described it as "lit up and ready to explode” mode.
That when I looked across the hall...and saw the SSgt with the phone in his ear...looking at me with a Cheshire cat look on his face. Putting the phone down in it cradle he said to me "Conley, I thought you would never look over here. You know, you spent about 30 minutes chasing that call"
After the urge to tear off his arm and beat him over the head with it had passed...:shoothea:
