# How many rings?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rings/603503>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [November 20, 2011, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rings/603503 "2011-11-20T00:33:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\
**Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rings/603503/21 "2011-11-21T17:33:10Z")

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> [@BigT](#):
>
> Heck, now that I have as special ring for the people I usually talk to, I often won’t even look at the phone if it’s the normal ring, particularly when I’m in the middle of something.

Dude, why am I not doing this? This is such a better idea than fishing around in my purse just to find the person calling is someone I don’t feel like talking to. I actually used to do something like this for my parents. I swear I’m not the worst daughter in the world (really!) but I gave the folks their own ring tone. I love them dearly, but I have to be in a certain mood to want to talk to them on the phone.

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**Author:** ![Vihaga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Vihaga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vihaga)\
**Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rings/603503/22 "2011-11-21T17:49:22Z")

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I answered one, but the answer is immediately for my cell. Generally, only people I want to talk to ever call it anyway.

However, I never answer my land line. I’m not even sure why I have it anymore.

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**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\
**Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-rings/603503/23 "2011-11-21T20:09:56Z")

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At work, twice. About one in ten calls or more than that only ring once anyway, and then hang up. If I answer on the first ring, I often find myself saying “hello? hello?”

My cell phone plays a song depending on who it is. The default is the Muppet Show Theme. I’d say it’s probably 3 or 4 seconds before I can pick up the phone, look at who it is, and perform the necessary manipulation of the touch screen to connect the call.

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