# I just received a phone call from myself. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 4, 2007, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733 "2007-04-04T17:04:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2007, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733/21 "2007-04-05T08:23:49Z")
[QUOTE=davidm] Okay, okay… If I get another call from myself I’ll answer it! [/QUOTE] I’d do that, you may be giving yourself the winning lottery numbers ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2007, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733/22 "2007-04-05T13:05:55Z")
I started writing a short story based on this scenario last night, I’m thinking it might make a decent screenplay if I can flesh it out. **davidm** , please post any further oddities that arise. Also, who should play you in the movie? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2007, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733/23 "2007-04-05T14:40:26Z")
Okay, we could get my friend Behrouz to play **davidm** , becuase he’s smart and darkly-handsome and works as a laser-physics researcher and has enough wits not to be eaten by the Interdimensional Horror that Future You is calling to warn us about. We need a love interest, though. I vote for [Aishwarya Rai](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aishwarya_Rai). 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2007, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733/24 "2007-04-05T16:18:12Z")
[QUOTE=Sunspace] We need a love interest, though. I vote for [Aishwarya Rai](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aishwarya_Rai). 🙂 [/QUOTE] Mmmmm, RRRROWWWR! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2007, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733/25 "2007-04-05T16:27:39Z")
[QUOTE=TroubleAgain] “We’ve traced the call, and _it’s coming from inside the house!_” [/QUOTE] [penguin]“Doo-bee-doo-bee-_doo_”[/penguin] ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2007, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733/26 "2007-04-05T16:36:28Z")
Good point, it will never make Hollywood (or Bollywood) without a love interest ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2007, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733/27 "2007-04-05T16:49:33Z")
It’s possible that Caller ID data (the phone number that originated the call) got swapped with Dialed Number Identification String (DNIS) data (the phone number the other person dialed - your number). Happens to the voice response system I work on all the time. If you end up talking to a phone tech about this, they may refer to “ANI” - that’s “Automatic Number Identification”, a buzzword for Caller ID. Faking out Caller ID is not always a bad thing. For example, if I make a call from Very Big Company, it’s useful if the Caller ID shows the Very Big Company main number instead of my desk extension. In any case, take the call. If it’s my mundane explanation, you’ll find out whose Caller ID data is getting flipped. (It can happen on a phone number basis.) If it’s you calling from the future - get the lottery numbers! If it’s heavy breathing, GET OUT OF THE HOUSE! Or give 'em your credit card number - heavy breathing is $7.95 a minute 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2007, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733/28 "2007-04-05T17:06:43Z")
[QUOTE=Typo Knig] Or give 'em your credit card number - heavy breathing is $7.95 a minute 😃 [/QUOTE] No, no! That’s backwards! If it’s heavy breathing, get the _heavy breather_’s credit card number and _charge_ $7.95/minute. You are, after all, providing a valuable service to him/her/em/it. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2007, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733/29 "2007-04-05T19:39:00Z")
[QUOTE=Sunspace] Okay, we could get my friend Behrouz to play **davidm** , becuase he’s smart and darkly-handsome and works as a laser-physics researcher and has enough wits not to be eaten by the Interdimensional Horror that Future You is calling to warn us about. We need a love interest, though. I vote for [Aishwarya Rai](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aishwarya_Rai). 🙂 [/QUOTE] Definitely, and I’ll play myself. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2007, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733/30 "2007-04-05T19:40:46Z")
[QUOTE=davidm] Definitely, and I’ll play myself. [/QUOTE] What, you work as a laser-physics researcher? We need a laser-physics researcher. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2007, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733/31 "2007-04-05T19:41:11Z")
[QUOTE=August West] I started writing a short story based on this scenario last night, I’m thinking it might make a decent screenplay if I can flesh it out. **davidm** , please post any further oddities that arise. Also, who should play you in the movie? [/QUOTE] Hey, if you want material I want a cut! ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2007, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733/32 "2007-04-05T19:45:28Z")
[QUOTE=Sunspace] What, you work as a laser-physics researcher? We need a laser-physics researcher. [/QUOTE] Will you settle for a software engineer with a Comp-Sci degree? ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2007, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733/33 "2007-04-05T19:51:51Z")
[QUOTE=Typo Knig] … Faking out Caller ID is not always a bad thing. For example, if I make a call from Very Big Company, it’s useful if the Caller ID shows the Very Big Company main number instead of my desk extension… [/QUOTE] I’m not sure if that counts as faking out caller ID. In any case, in some instances it can be a VERY bad thing. If, for example, a bank relies on it to know that it is you that are calling. If it’s possible to fake it then it will be abused and it will be abused for criminal purposes. It shouldn’t be possible unless [ul] [li]You’re a company with a legitimate purpose[/li][li]You’ve arranged it through your phone company.[/li][li]You are not using it to mislead people.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2007, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733/34 "2007-04-05T21:30:33Z")
[QUOTE=davidm] Will you settle for a software engineer with a Comp-Sci degree? [/QUOTE] I don’t know. Can you assume a pose like [this](http://www.angryflower.com/laserp.gif)? Or [this](http://www.angryflower.com/shoppi.gif)? Also, do you speak Persian or Swahili? Um… no reason. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733/35 "2007-04-06T01:41:25Z")
[QUOTE=August West] I would definitely pick that call up. Obviously it was ‘future you’ calling to warn ‘present you’ of a horrible danger! […] And now you have **shattered** the chances of your future self warning you about it. [/QUOTE] Was this an oblique reference to the Harlan Ellison story [_Shatterday_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shatterday)? (The first thing the thread title made me think of.) ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733/36 "2007-04-06T15:29:49Z")
I’d love to say “yes” and have you be impressed with my erudition, but I’ve never read that story. So the idea has been done, but without the love interest, my story still has a chance. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733/37 "2007-04-06T15:43:53Z")
[QUOTE=Larry Mudd] Was this an oblique reference to the Harlan Ellison story [_Shatterday_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shatterday)? (The first thing the thread title made me think of.) [/QUOTE] I don’t know what story **August West** was thinking of, if any, but that could be a reference to any number of movies or stories. It could even be a reference to a recent South Park episode. ---
**Author:** ![Slypork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc29f/32.png) [@Slypork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slypork)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733/38 "2007-04-06T16:29:06Z")
Make sure you answer it! It could be a [warning from the future.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sorry,_Right_Number) ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733/39 "2007-04-06T21:28:41Z")
Reminds me of a passage from a favourite book where a man sitting in a cafe sees himself run past the window. He decides to go out and give chase only to end up running past the same window (and the cycle repeats) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-received-a-phone-call-from-myself/398733.md?page=1)