# I'm either an idiot or a true innocent.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-either-an-idiot-or-a-true-innocent/96101
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [November 30, 2001, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-either-an-idiot-or-a-true-innocent/96101 "2001-11-30T10:37:32Z")
**Posts on this page:** 15
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2001, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-either-an-idiot-or-a-true-innocent/96101/1 "2001-11-30T10:37:32Z")
So I was out having dinner with **Astrogirl** , and I related the following odd anecdote her:
> [@](#):
>
> Yesterday I was wrapping up class, and I gave my students my cell phone number so they could call me if they had questions while studying for the final exam (it was the last time I’d see the entire class together, as next week is only 1 to 1 interviews)… Now, I do not have my cell phone number memorized, as I never call myself! So I had to pull my phone out of my pocket and look at it so I could get the number (taped on the inside for my convenience) and write it up on the whiteboard. Finished, I dropped my phone back into my pocket, and turned around to speak to the class. As I did, my phone rang! _Crap!_ I thought, _I forgot to turn off my phone!_ My students begin to laugh, because all semester long I have been scolding them about turning their “handphones” off before class… and now I have forgotten to do it! OK, a point for them.😉 So I reach into my pocket, pull out my phone to turn it off, and it stops ringing! OK, I drop it back into my pocket (I was ending class, so I didn’t bother to turn it off), laugh, and begin to apologize to my students for doing the same thing I’ve been yelling at THEM for doing for the past few months… and my phone began ringing again! As I reached for it, it stopped ringing. Huh. Whatever… “OK, everyone,” I say, “Study hard and good luck on your final tes…” My phone rings **AGAIN**! I pull it out and _turn it off_! By now my students are in tears laughing at me. Whatever… I set my students free, and they leave, a few still chuckling…
>
> So what the hell is wrong with my phone, I wonder?😕 All of the menus and settings are in Korean, and many of them I have never bothered to figure out… maybe I set an alarm without knowing it, or did something else wrong… I’ll ask **Astrogirl** , she’s cell phone savvy… I am not.
As I said, I tell this story to **Astrogirl** over dinner, and did not get the reaction that I expected from her: midway through the story she had a strange expression on her face… as I neared the end, she looked pained… and when I asked her what might be wrong with my phone, she exploded! “_ **BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!** _”
She spent several moments laughing, gasping for breath, slapping the table, and snorting up snot before she regained control and gasped, “I have to marry… **Snort, gasp!** YOU??”
“What? Why? What’s so funny?” I said.
“It was your STUDENTS, bonehead!!” At this point she lapsed into Korean, “You’re the mature, **Gasp, snort** intelligent university teacher! And you got _FACED_ by a room full of 18-year-old freshmen!! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!”
A lightbulb came on (judging from the perception I have displayed during this incident, I am forced to conclude that it is a 30 watt bulb…). My students! Those little bastids!:mad:
\*I will have my revenge…\*I think, _and it will be sweet! I’m gonna… wait! I have no way to know which of my 30 or so students did it! NOOOOOOOOO!_
So much for my dignity, I can’t even have vengence!☹
---
### Author:  [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2001, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-either-an-idiot-or-a-true-innocent/96101/2 "2001-11-30T10:56:33Z")
A simple solution presents itself.
**PUNISH THEM ALL!!!**
---
### Author:  [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2001, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-either-an-idiot-or-a-true-innocent/96101/3 "2001-11-30T11:01:31Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by galen ubal \*
> **PUNISH THEM ALL!!!** \*\*
This does have a certain visceral appeal… but I can’t. I won’t see the whole group together again. Only individually…
Whoever did it picked a REALLY good time to screw with me!
To you, oh unknown student prankster: Well done!😉
---
### Author:  [@Rue\_DeDay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rue_DeDay)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2001, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-either-an-idiot-or-a-true-innocent/96101/4 "2001-11-30T11:23:15Z")
When I read the title I thought “A”, but there is a possibility “B” will creep in a little. As I read on, no, it’s definitely “A”.
**Astrogirl** is a gem, **Astroboy**. Go buy her something pretty.
-Rue.
---
### Author:  [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2001, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-either-an-idiot-or-a-true-innocent/96101/5 "2001-11-30T14:02:54Z")
I’m sorry but…
BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
That was the funniest trick I’ve heard of in a long time.
C’mon. Give your students a break. They got you. Let them sit on their laurals and enjoy it. They just took advantage of a situation. There are probably many Dopers around here that would have done the same thing.
We had something similar happen when I was in High School. We were taking 2nd year Spanish and our teacher, Mrs. Hoika, decided to have the class play this game where we all had to speak **ONLY** Spanish… No English was allowed. She would play too. If somone spoke English, they recieved the hall pass. If somone else spoke English, they then got the hall pass. So whoever ended up with the hall pass at the end of the hour would get an extra homework assignment.
Ok. Half the class period goes by and there are people who forgot and spoke English. My friend speaks up and says (in English) “I have to use the bathroom”. So now he has the pass and leaves to use the bathroom. When he comes back, he has this big grin on his face, so I know he’s up to something. Then over the loud speaker in the room we hear, “Mrs. Hoika…” and Mrs. Hoika responds, “Yes…Oops!”. Then the voice on the loudspeaker says, “ **Gotcha!** ”. Everyone in the class went silent and said nothing for the rest of class. Afterwards, we laughed ourselves silly. We had gotten her, big time.
---
### Author:  [@Abe\_Babe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abe_Babe)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2001, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-either-an-idiot-or-a-true-innocent/96101/6 "2001-11-30T14:15:34Z")
I take it that your cell phone doesn’t have caller ID, then.
If you really wanted to, you could try to get your cell phone records and find out who was calling you. I don’t know if you ever actually answered any of the calls or allowed them to be completed.
I think it would be funny as hell to find out who did it, wait till after the test and, assuming the person got a decent grade, let them know that you know, and have a laugh with them.
We had a 3rd grade teacher who wore a hearing aid. Especially near the end of class, we would start talking very quietly so that she would turn the volume up higher and higher. When the bell rang at the end of the hour she would nearly hit the roof.
I know, I know, but we were only eight years old at the time. I hope that trick isn’t what made her need the hearing aid in the first place.
---
### Author:  [@thinksnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thinksnow)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2001, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-either-an-idiot-or-a-true-innocent/96101/7 "2001-11-30T14:15:58Z")
Couldn’t you just check the “incoming” calls menu and see who it was?
Just post the number on the chalkboard during th final with a note saying you’d like to speak with them after the exam.
If they have the cajones to come up, congratulate them on their quick thinking and wit. If they don’t, give the number to a telemarketer. 😃
---
### Author:  [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)
#### Post date: [November 30, 2001, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-either-an-idiot-or-a-true-innocent/96101/8 "2001-11-30T15:24:57Z")
As one who has been on both sides of the pranking, this one was quite well done.
Not quite as good where we hid nine wind-up alarm clocks in the French teacher’s room, set to go off once through out the day (one at 8:40, next one at 9;35, etc) though out diferent classes. After the third one, she tore apart the room but only found three more, leaving three more to detonate later, and we, the first period class, had already left. We heard about it the next day, but she appreciated the joke.
Give 'em credit for this one: it was a good one.
And I bet you’ll never leave the phone on during class again, eh?
---
### Author:  [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2001, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-either-an-idiot-or-a-true-innocent/96101/9 "2001-12-01T01:27:06Z")
I have a really old, out-of-date cell phone… so no caller ID, etc.☹
They got me… and there’s nothing I can do about it!
> [@](#):
>
> When I read the title I thought “A”, but there is a possibility “B” will creep in a little. As I read on, no, it’s definitely “A”.
>
> Astrogirl is a gem, Astroboy. Go buy her something pretty.
> -Rue.
I knew I could count on your support, **Rue**!😉
She is a gem, and I will buy her something pretty… or smack her upside the head! Whichever is easiest…😃
---
### Author:  [@Daowajan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daowajan)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2001, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-either-an-idiot-or-a-true-innocent/96101/10 "2001-12-01T01:45:14Z")
Okay, okay - - (writes in notebook) “Call professor’s cell phone continuously.”
Thanks, **Astroboy**!!!
---
### Author:  [@Netbrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Netbrian)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2001, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-either-an-idiot-or-a-true-innocent/96101/11 "2001-12-01T03:08:06Z")
_laughs_
Oh god, they got the better of you… THAT is classic. Selling videos?
---
### Author:  [@Ross](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ross)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2001, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-either-an-idiot-or-a-true-innocent/96101/12 "2001-12-01T18:02:36Z")
An elder in our church, who has dedicated his life to wiping out anyone whose phone rings in a service, finally caved last year and bought one himself. I’m been trying to make it go off in church for almost a year now. No luck.
---
### Author:  [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2001, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-either-an-idiot-or-a-true-innocent/96101/13 "2001-12-01T20:40:22Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by screech-owl \*
> **Not quite as good where we hid nine wind-up alarm clocks in the French teacher’s room, set to go off once through out the day (one at 8:40, next one at 9;35, etc) though out diferent classes. After the third one, she tore apart the room but only found three more, leaving three more to detonate later, and we, the first period class, had already left. We heard about it the next day, but she appreciated the joke.**
Reminds me of another one we pulled in Spanish class. My friend had a little electontic beeper made that would beep at a very high pitch for only half a second. It would do this every 3 minutes. We hid it in our Spanish teacher’s classroom and let the hilarity ensue. By the end of class, she was tearing the room apart looking for it. We finally revealed the location and she swiped it from us… but we begged her to give it back because we wanted to pull it on our English teacher. **She gave it back!** and made us promise not to tell that she did give it back.
What fun!
---
### Author:  [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2001, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-either-an-idiot-or-a-true-innocent/96101/14 "2001-12-01T20:48:44Z")
Wait, I’ve been whooshed, I think- how could they have been calling you if your phone was turned off?
---
### Author:  [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2001, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-either-an-idiot-or-a-true-innocent/96101/15 "2001-12-01T20:55:50Z")
Because it wasn’t turned off.
> [@](#):
>
> As I did, my phone rang! Crap! I thought, I forgot to turn off my phone! My students begin to laugh, because all semester long I have been scolding them about turning their “handphones” off before class… and now I have forgotten to do it!