# "If you would like to make a call, please hang up and try again" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 20, 2007, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-would-like-to-make-a-call-please-hang-up-and-try-again/416304 "2007-08-20T22:17:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ChrisBooth12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2007, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-would-like-to-make-a-call-please-hang-up-and-try-again/416304/1 "2007-08-20T22:17:21Z")
Who recorded the US operator voice? And why has it not been changed since? It sounds old and staticy. Also who does the “popcorn” voice to tell you the time. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2007, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-would-like-to-make-a-call-please-hang-up-and-try-again/416304/2 "2007-08-20T22:53:36Z")
It was probably [Jane Barbe.](http://www.etcia.com/jane_barbe.html) She [retired in 2003,](http://www.etcia.com/pressrels/2003/barbe_retires.html) after a 40-year career of providing a friendly voice to time, temperature, voice mail and various other announcements. She died in [July of 2003,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Barbe) shortly after retiring. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2007, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-would-like-to-make-a-call-please-hang-up-and-try-again/416304/3 "2007-08-20T22:57:40Z")
What a great piece of trivia to know! ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2007, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-would-like-to-make-a-call-please-hang-up-and-try-again/416304/4 "2007-08-21T03:25:16Z")
…If you need help hang up and then dial your ooooooooperator. In Albuquerque! I couldn’t help it and the question was already answered. The song started going through my head as soon as I read the title. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2007, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-would-like-to-make-a-call-please-hang-up-and-try-again/416304/5 "2007-08-21T03:44:37Z")
Anyone know who Julie (?) is, the Amtrack (and since, other) voice? I’m pretty sure NPR or the NYT did a story on her a long time ago, when voice-activated menus were fairly new. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2007, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-would-like-to-make-a-call-please-hang-up-and-try-again/416304/6 "2007-08-21T03:47:14Z")
Holy cow, I can’t BELIEVE I found her!!! [Your Train Will be Late, She Says Cherrily](http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/24/nyregion/24voice.html?ex=1187755200&en=594c1b0772a2664f&ei=5070) ---
**Author:** ![ChrisBooth12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2007, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-would-like-to-make-a-call-please-hang-up-and-try-again/416304/7 "2007-08-21T05:14:48Z")
I read someone that the AOL voice was found…but it was a tabloid lol ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2007, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-would-like-to-make-a-call-please-hang-up-and-try-again/416304/8 "2007-08-21T12:17:06Z")
[QUOTE=ChrisBooth12] I read someone that the AOL voice was found..but it was a tabloid lol [/QUOTE] I saw Kim Cattrall on an episode of the Graham Norton show claiming to have been the “you’ve got mail” voice for British AOL. Which, until I typed that out, it didn’t strike me how odd the concept of “British AOL” is. ---
**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:** [August 21, 2007, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-would-like-to-make-a-call-please-hang-up-and-try-again/416304/9 "2007-08-21T12:50:19Z")
[QUOTE=gotpasswords] It was probably [Jane Barbe.](http://www.etcia.com/jane_barbe.html) She [retired in 2003,](http://www.etcia.com/pressrels/2003/barbe_retires.html) after a 40-year career of providing a friendly voice to time, temperature, voice mail and various other announcements. She died in [July of 2003,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Barbe) shortly after retiring. [/QUOTE] Little-known fact: she was also the slalom-skier who wipes out during the old intro to ABC’s Wide World of Sports. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2007, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-would-like-to-make-a-call-please-hang-up-and-try-again/416304/10 "2007-08-21T13:00:21Z")
[QUOTE=Slithy Tove] Little-known fact: she was also the slalom-skier who wipes out during the old intro to ABC’s Wide World of Sports. [/QUOTE] You know; I’d like to believe you; so can you provide some credible evidence for this? Is there a link to the video somewhere, so I can refresh my memory…I barely remember the slalom-skier clip; but I vividly remember the hapless ski jumper..and I know that isn’t the right one your talking about. ---
**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:** [August 21, 2007, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-would-like-to-make-a-call-please-hang-up-and-try-again/416304/11 "2007-08-21T13:58:08Z")
Sorry, I guess my enjoyment silly words like “slalom” overrides my sense of responsibility for nit-pickery in posts which are patently absurd, anyway. But, for the sake of thoroughness, the link may explain why “If you’d like to make a call, please hang up and try again” is tinged with a [Slovenian accent](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinko_Bogataj) Also, you’ll be glad to know that she made a full recovery and was able to appear as the nurse running to the helicopter in the opening credits of M_A_S\*H ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2007, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-would-like-to-make-a-call-please-hang-up-and-try-again/416304/12 "2007-08-21T14:24:54Z")
Um, **Slithy** , you’re making an absurd amount of absolutely fascinating senselessness. (You do your moniker proud) ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2007, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-would-like-to-make-a-call-please-hang-up-and-try-again/416304/13 "2007-08-21T15:08:43Z")
[QUOTE=Slithy Tove] Also, you’ll be glad to know that she made a full recovery and was able to appear as the nurse running to the helicopter in the opening credits of M_A_S\*H [/QUOTE] In addition, the word **gullible** is not in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. You can look it up. ---
**Author:** ![CJJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@CJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CJJ)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2007, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-would-like-to-make-a-call-please-hang-up-and-try-again/416304/14 "2007-08-21T15:14:02Z")
[QUOTE=Slithy Tove] Also, you’ll be glad to know that she made a full recovery and was able to appear as the nurse running to the helicopter in the opening credits of M_A_S\*H [/QUOTE] Really? I thought she was the lady with the glasses starting at the camera when Mary Richards tossed her cap into the air 🙂