# I love love love love love caller ID! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 26, 2009, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-love-love-love-love-caller-id/487519 "2009-02-26T16:21:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-love-love-love-love-caller-id/487519/41 "2009-03-02T18:40:20Z")
Well, **Lynn,** I’ll say you are at least consistent, and I can see why you might not want to be bothered at hours that are unusual for your life-style. But many people who don’t keep their phones on in the car wouldn’t dream of turning them off at home. “Someone might be trying to reach me in an emergency!” ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-love-love-love-love-caller-id/487519/42 "2009-03-02T20:57:51Z")
If someone was trying to reach me in an emergency, and I had my bedroom phone on, and I answered it…chances are very good that I’d immediately go back to sleep and forget about the call. That’s just what I DO, and I’ve done it all my life. It’s not something that I can change. So, whoever called me in an emergency would hang up, thinking that I’d round up the cavalry and ride to the rescue, when in reality I’d be sound asleep. See mother in law story in previous post. BOY was she pissed. However, she never again tried to get me to relay a message. My husband was also pissed, but sort of relieved, too. His mother felt that she was entitled to taxi service from her kids and other relatives, even though she had a car. She didn’t want to pay money for gas (and she could afford it, she just didn’t want to) and she didn’t care who she inconvenienced. My husband is the only one who’d call me in an emergency, and he could also call his brother. My other relatives all live out of state, so there’s nothing, really, that I could do. I do have one friend in town, but she’s got her boyfriend to call. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-love-love-love-love-caller-id/487519/43 "2009-03-02T21:59:40Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Now this I don’t understand. Do you not take calls at home, too? Do you unplug your home phone until you want to make a call? Why is being not at home different from being at home? My landline is how I expect people to contact me. If I am not home then the call will go to voicemail. If I am expecting a voicemail message and I am out, I can check my voicemail messages remotely. So, obviously, I would not disconnect my landline since that defeats the purpose of letting people contact me. My cellphone is for **me** to call **out** , primarily for emergencies, when it is not convenient to get to a pay phone (yes, there are still a few of them up here). I got the cheapest plan I could (the plan does NOT provide call display and does NOT provide voice mail) because there is no reason anyone needs to be able to reach me this instant regardless of where I am. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-love-love-love-love-love-caller-id/487519.md?page=2)