# Before there were phones, was there any equivalent to drunk-dialing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 13, 2013, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-there-were-phones-was-there-any-equivalent-to-drunk-dialing/676233 "2013-12-13T08:21:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-there-were-phones-was-there-any-equivalent-to-drunk-dialing/676233/1 "2013-12-13T08:21:44Z")
Someone drunk-dialed me a few nights ago, and I got to wondering. What did people do when they were drinking and it was late, but there was no phone on which to call a friend in another time zone? Did they write letters, or leave the house and knock on a local friend’s door wanting to talk? Did they talk to empty air? Or do people only now have the compulsion to drunkenly reach out because it’s become possible to do so? ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-there-were-phones-was-there-any-equivalent-to-drunk-dialing/676233/2 "2013-12-13T08:30:09Z")
Men went outside some person’s domicile and bellowed drunkenly. ---
**Author:** ![longPath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@longPath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/longPath)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-there-were-phones-was-there-any-equivalent-to-drunk-dialing/676233/3 "2013-12-13T12:27:13Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![longPath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@longPath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/longPath)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-there-were-phones-was-there-any-equivalent-to-drunk-dialing/676233/4 "2013-12-13T12:30:08Z")
… .-. . .- .-… .-… -.-- .-. . .- .-… .-… -.-- .-… — …- . -.-- — …- – .- -. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-there-were-phones-was-there-any-equivalent-to-drunk-dialing/676233/5 "2013-12-13T12:43:14Z")
If the proprietors of Philadelphia’s historic City Tavern are to be believed, they wrote Declarations of Independence. ---
**Author:** ![SerafinaPekala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@SerafinaPekala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SerafinaPekala)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-there-were-phones-was-there-any-equivalent-to-drunk-dialing/676233/6 "2013-12-13T13:52:27Z")
my cavemen used to throw stones at the windows back in the day … ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-there-were-phones-was-there-any-equivalent-to-drunk-dialing/676233/7 "2013-12-13T14:01:10Z")
– drunk wigwag – just jerk a sheet around aimlessly over your head – drunk semaphore – similar but using two sheets or blankets – drunk smoke signals – similar but set the sheet or blanket on fiire – drunk gunplay – not much different from sober gunplay – drunk yodeling – how could you tell? ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-there-were-phones-was-there-any-equivalent-to-drunk-dialing/676233/8 "2013-12-13T14:27:08Z")
[Reply of the Cossacks](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Repin_Cossacks.jpg) [snip] \*O sultan, Turkish devil and damned devil’s kith and kin, secretary to Lucifer himself. What the devil kind of knight are you, that can’t slay a hedgehog with your naked arse? The devil excretes, and your army eats. You will not, you son of a bitch, make subjects of Christian sons; we’ve no fear of your army, by land and by sea we will battle with thee, fuck your mother.[/\*snip} Said to be Stalin’s favorite painting, although only a lunatic would emulate it by writing one to him. ---
**Author:** ![CT\_Damsel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CT\_Damsel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CT_Damsel)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-there-were-phones-was-there-any-equivalent-to-drunk-dialing/676233/9 "2013-12-13T14:43:06Z")
> [@longpath](#): > > … .-. . .- .-… .-… -.-- .-. . .- .-… .-… -.-- .-… — …- . -.-- — …- – .- -. -… .- -.-. -.- .- - -.-- — …- -… .- -… . ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-there-were-phones-was-there-any-equivalent-to-drunk-dialing/676233/10 "2013-12-13T15:44:50Z")
Apparently morse code translators are a thing on the internet! > [@longPath](#): > > … .-. . .- .-… .-… -.-- .-. . .- .-… .-… -.-- .-… — …- . -.-- — …- – .- -. =IREALLYREALLYLOVEYOUMAN > [@CT\_Damsel](#): > > -… .- -.-. -.- .- - -.-- — …- -… .- -… . =BACKATYOUBABE ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-there-were-phones-was-there-any-equivalent-to-drunk-dialing/676233/11 "2013-12-13T16:23:33Z")
> [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > [Reply of the Cossacks](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Repin_Cossacks.jpg) What’s [Frank Morgan](http://www.wearysloth.com/Gallery/ActorsM/12346.gif) doing there and why is he wearing red? ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-there-were-phones-was-there-any-equivalent-to-drunk-dialing/676233/12 "2013-12-13T17:00:19Z")
I would bet that there were many letters written drunk and posted that were later regretted or even briefly forgotten about. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-there-were-phones-was-there-any-equivalent-to-drunk-dialing/676233/13 "2013-12-13T17:58:21Z")
> [@Rachellelogram](#): > > Apparently morse code translators are a thing on the internet! > =IREALLYREALLYLOVEYOUMAN > > =BACKATYOUBABE Do you have a dormant talent, hidden away for decades, waiting for the perfect opportunity to shine? Well, those many evenings I spent in 1980 with my dad and brother attending ham radio classes at the Red Cross finally paid off. I was able to read those two notes without resorting to online code translation. It somehow makes it all worth it now. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-there-were-phones-was-there-any-equivalent-to-drunk-dialing/676233/14 "2013-12-13T19:45:35Z")
You stagger off to your nearest Western Union & Telegraph office post haste, and dispatch a drunken telegram to a random party. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-there-were-phones-was-there-any-equivalent-to-drunk-dialing/676233/15 "2013-12-13T20:17:31Z")
Mead-pillaging? ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-there-were-phones-was-there-any-equivalent-to-drunk-dialing/676233/16 "2013-12-13T21:13:27Z")
> [@SerafinaPekala](#): > > my cavemen used to throw stones at the windows back in the day … Guilty. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-there-were-phones-was-there-any-equivalent-to-drunk-dialing/676233/17 "2013-12-13T22:56:22Z")
[“Oh, C. K. Dexter HAAAAAAVEEEEEEEEEEEEEN!”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1PEW45pOog) ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-there-were-phones-was-there-any-equivalent-to-drunk-dialing/676233/18 "2013-12-13T23:58:27Z")
Caves had windows? ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2013, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-there-were-phones-was-there-any-equivalent-to-drunk-dialing/676233/19 "2013-12-14T00:34:04Z")
When I read the title of this post, I had a visual of a man sending smoke signals…and stuttering in smoke. Very funny! ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2013, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-there-were-phones-was-there-any-equivalent-to-drunk-dialing/676233/20 "2013-12-14T02:41:37Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Mead-pillaging? No, no, the pillaging comes _before_ the mead. Otherwise you might end up pillaging the same place that you just pillaged and that’s embarrassing. You charge in screaming, “Give us your treasure and your women!” and they all say, “You took our treasure and women two days ago, we don’t have anymore.” Then you just have to slink off, drunk, alone, and treasureless. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/before-there-were-phones-was-there-any-equivalent-to-drunk-dialing/676233.md?page=2)