# How to find telephone friends? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 7, 2015, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-telephone-friends/730286 "2015-09-07T20:52:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-telephone-friends/730286/1 "2015-09-07T20:52:06Z")
I tried posting to many forums – no success – one or two calls per person. I tried paying people on [Fiver](https://www.fiverr.com/) to talk to me – they took my money but did not help me. Now I am trying to [Rent a Friend](http://rentafriend.com/). Any advice? ---
**Author:** ![Fiveroptic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiveroptic/32/8257_2.png) [@Fiveroptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveroptic)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-telephone-friends/730286/2 "2015-09-07T21:36:34Z")
Wait. What’s a “telephone friend?” ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-telephone-friends/730286/3 "2015-09-07T21:39:06Z")
?? ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-telephone-friends/730286/4 "2015-09-07T21:40:42Z")
> [@Fiveroptic](#): > > Wait. What’s a “telephone friend?” Someone with whom I regularly talk on the phone on a topic of mutual interest. ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-telephone-friends/730286/5 "2015-09-07T21:47:08Z")
To talk privately to someone without my issues being the property of the whole Internet. ---
**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-telephone-friends/730286/6 "2015-09-07T21:52:17Z")
Why don’t you just call up a regular friend on the phone? Presto, friend is now a telephone friend. Or, you know, hang out with them over drinks / coffee / whatever and talk to them face-to-face. It’s a thing that friends do on occasion. ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-telephone-friends/730286/7 "2015-09-07T21:56:50Z")
> [@Kaio](#): > > Why don’t you just call up a regular friend on the phone? Presto, friend is now a telephone friend. > > Or, you know, hang out with them over drinks / coffee / whatever and talk to them face-to-face. It’s a thing that friends do on occasion. I do not have any friends. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-telephone-friends/730286/8 "2015-09-07T22:02:12Z")
> [@CCitizen](#): > > I do not have any friends. I’m Jenny. I’ll be your friend. Call me 867-5309. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-telephone-friends/730286/9 "2015-09-07T22:07:30Z")
I’m confused. You have no friends, but you want someone with whom to chat on the phone? Have you considered trying to make some friends? ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-telephone-friends/730286/10 "2015-09-07T22:07:59Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > I’m Jenny. I know you very well from the past interactions – from your uninvited aggression toward me. Why? ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-telephone-friends/730286/11 "2015-09-07T22:09:02Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Have you considered trying to make some friends? I do not drive – I can make friends only online. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-telephone-friends/730286/12 "2015-09-07T22:13:12Z")
Just get out the phone book and start dialing. It may take a while but you are bound to find someone eventually. There are also special friend ummm…services that you can call that will be happy to talk to you about anything you want. They are a little pricey and charge by the minute but I promise they will be thrilled to discuss whatever you want for as long as you desire. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-telephone-friends/730286/13 "2015-09-07T22:14:02Z")
Have you tried Chat Roulette? Yes you will end up seeing a couple cocks and maybe other things you don’t want to see, but otherwise it’s supposedly full of other lonely folks looking to chat. Maybe you can find a more-than-once chat partner there ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-telephone-friends/730286/14 "2015-09-07T22:15:05Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I’m confused. You have no friends, but you want someone with whom to chat on the phone? > > Have you considered trying to make some friends? Some tips: [Easy Ways to Make Friends - wikiHow](http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Friends) ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-telephone-friends/730286/15 "2015-09-07T22:18:33Z")
> [@CCitizen](#): > > I know you very well from the past interactions – from your uninvited aggression toward me. Why? My uninvited aggression? Whachu talkin’ bout, Willis? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-telephone-friends/730286/16 "2015-09-07T22:24:41Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > There are also special friend ummm…services that you can call that will be happy to talk to you about anything you want. They are a little pricey and charge by the minute but I promise they will be thrilled to discuss whatever you want for as long as you desire. I know – not for me. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-telephone-friends/730286/17 "2015-09-07T22:25:35Z")
> [@CCitizen](#): > > Someone with whom I regularly talk on the phone on a topic of mutual interest. I hadn’t heard the phrase “telephone friend” either, but I suspected it was somewhat analogous to a “pen pal.” If you have specific topics in mind, I’d suggest checking organizations or forums dedicated to those topics. If you just want someone to talk to on the phone, I would imagine that there are people out there who don’t get a chance to get out much (due to being disabled or elderly or something like that) and would welcome someone to talk to, but I’m not sure how you’d get matched up with them in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-telephone-friends/730286/18 "2015-09-07T22:26:55Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Have you tried Chat Roulette? Is it by Skype? ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-telephone-friends/730286/19 "2015-09-07T22:27:57Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I would imagine that there are people out there who don’t get a chance to get out much (due to being disabled or elderly or something like that) and would welcome someone to talk to, but I’m not sure how you’d get matched up with them in the first place. I know RentAFriend. Any other sites? ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-telephone-friends/730286/20 "2015-09-07T23:58:42Z")
> [@CCitizen](#): > > I do not drive – I can make friends only online. Then do that. Eventually someone may care to talk to you in a personal way. Which is what you seem to need: > [@CCitizen](#): > > To talk privately to someone without my issues being the property of the whole Internet. Whether you ‘meet’ them online or off, there’s little value in a private conversation with someone who doesn’t care about you–who is not your friend. But honestly, the best approach is probably still to figure out a way to get out of the house. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-telephone-friends/730286.md?page=2)