This is (or most likely is) what happens when you block a caller ‘locally’, IOW on the phone itself. However you can also go onto your carrier’s website (AT&T, Verizon etc.) and sign-on to your account and check and see if they have a ‘block number’ option there too. Sometimes you can enter a list of numbers with them. Again it varies depending on carrier/plan etc. but this may give you the more desired result of it not even ringing or going to VM, it may announce to the caller that they have been blocked or that your number is ‘currently unavailable’.
In no way is telling other people not to give out your phone number (cell or home) without your permission unusual. And if you maintain a land line or a business phone, it’s not remotely uncommon to keep a personal phone that is just for your friends and family.
We have a home phone due to having DSL. No one who isn’t a friend has my cell number. I give out only my home number, the same way I give out my spam email address to websites.
You’d have to be an asshole to give out a number you were explicitly told not to give out.
I don’t blame you for blocking him and hopefully he learns why. I’m not sure the caller deserved the same treatment though. She might not have known that he didn’t have permission to give out the number.
Yes, in retrospect I feel bad about how harsh I was with her. I was pissed and flew off the handle. On the bright side, I’m pretty sure she passed my bitterness on to the person she got my number from.