# Job hunting, and my brother who turns off the ringer on the phone. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 2, 2004, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-and-my-brother-who-turns-off-the-ringer-on-the-phone/248234 "2004-06-02T10:53:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-and-my-brother-who-turns-off-the-ringer-on-the-phone/248234/1 "2004-06-02T10:53:47Z")
I’m a student at uni, and am now back at my parents for the summer. And have been reminded of one of the joys of living here - my brother who sometimes switches off the ringer on the phone. Now, while missing out on last minuite parties because no one could get hold of me was annoying. (An occasional occurance before I left to go to uni) Now it is even worse. As I am looking for a job to earn some money over the summer. My brother knows this, yet has STILL switched off the ringer on the phone so no one could contact me. Why the hell does he do this?! The only reason I found out he had done it today was because my mum picked up the phone as she was about to make a phone call, and found my dad on the other end of the line. I am soooooo going to kick his ass. That, or get dad to shout at him. 😃 Seriously though, what the hell was he thinking?! ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-and-my-brother-who-turns-off-the-ringer-on-the-phone/248234/2 "2004-06-02T10:55:42Z")
He probably wasn’t. Can you get a cell phone so you’ve got a direct number to give potential employers? This way, you don’t have to worry about your brother’s pranks. Robin ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-and-my-brother-who-turns-off-the-ringer-on-the-phone/248234/3 "2004-06-02T10:56:38Z")
Oops. Airman forgot to log out last night. Robin ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-and-my-brother-who-turns-off-the-ringer-on-the-phone/248234/4 "2004-06-02T10:57:36Z")
I’ve got a mobile. It’s just the reception in my house is pretty bad. I just phoned his mobile to yell at him. I heard a click then I got this message “The other person has hung up.” ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-and-my-brother-who-turns-off-the-ringer-on-the-phone/248234/5 "2004-06-02T10:57:53Z")
They might not have cell phones in England. But just to help the OP, even if the ringer is off, you can place your hand on the phone and feel a slight vibration when it “rings”. ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-and-my-brother-who-turns-off-the-ringer-on-the-phone/248234/6 "2004-06-02T11:00:46Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > They might not have cell phones in England. But just to help the OP, even if the ringer is off, you can place your hand on the phone and feel a slight vibration when it “rings”. We have cell phones, we just call them mobiles. And placing my hand won’t do me any good unless I’m prepared to keep my hand on the phone all day. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![paulberserker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@paulberserker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paulberserker)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-and-my-brother-who-turns-off-the-ringer-on-the-phone/248234/7 "2004-06-02T12:58:48Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > They might not have cell phones in England. But just to help the OP, even if the ringer is off, you can place your hand on the phone and feel a slight vibration when it “rings”. No we don’t. In fact we don’t use technology of any kind other than plows and ‘wire-less radios’. For fucks sake. So what help is that Mr Liberal/tarian? Gemmas supposed to sit by the housephone with her hand on it, feeling for a slight vibration. Fighting ignorance indeed. Get your parents on to him, or openly confront him Gemma. You can’t be doing with that. If it were arkid then my Mum and Dad would have kicked his arse about it the first time around. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-and-my-brother-who-turns-off-the-ringer-on-the-phone/248234/8 "2004-06-02T13:36:36Z")
Does the call at least go to an answering machine so it isn’t lost? And I think Lib made a grade-A whoosh… Nice one man. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-and-my-brother-who-turns-off-the-ringer-on-the-phone/248234/9 "2004-06-02T13:46:36Z")
Thank you, sir. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![paulberserker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@paulberserker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paulberserker)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-and-my-brother-who-turns-off-the-ringer-on-the-phone/248234/10 "2004-06-02T14:22:07Z")
Well, who’s to tell with all the other bullshit you post? (Yaaawwwnnnn) ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-and-my-brother-who-turns-off-the-ringer-on-the-phone/248234/11 "2004-06-02T14:38:59Z")
I think you yawned so wide that your brain fell out. ---
**Author:** ![NutMagnet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea5d25/32.png) [@NutMagnet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NutMagnet)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-and-my-brother-who-turns-off-the-ringer-on-the-phone/248234/12 "2004-06-02T14:56:43Z")
**Gemma** Do you have another phone jack in the house? You could get an incredibly cheap phone like [this one](http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F008%5F003%5F001%5F000&product%5Fid=43%2D3224) and disable the ringer switch. ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-and-my-brother-who-turns-off-the-ringer-on-the-phone/248234/13 "2004-06-02T15:21:29Z")
We never bothered to replace the answering machine after the last one broke a few years ago. We have another phone, but it can only be heard when you’re in the kitchen. The only other phone point in the house is in my brothers room. ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-and-my-brother-who-turns-off-the-ringer-on-the-phone/248234/14 "2004-06-02T16:04:03Z")
Paul, I think this is a perfect example of what is called Altarian logic. Say something vauge, and then base your followup on what the responses to your original yammering is. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-and-my-brother-who-turns-off-the-ringer-on-the-phone/248234/15 "2004-06-02T16:14:41Z")
> [@AngelicGemma](#): > > We have another phone, but _it can only be heard when you’re in the kitchen._ The only other phone point in the house is in my brothers room. Is that because of the layout of the house, or the quietness of the phone? If it’s the phone, would it help to switch them? ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-and-my-brother-who-turns-off-the-ringer-on-the-phone/248234/16 "2004-06-02T19:17:40Z")
Just remember, you’ve never exhausted your options to solving a problem until you’ve tried and failed with a good old fashioned whuppin’. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-and-my-brother-who-turns-off-the-ringer-on-the-phone/248234/17 "2004-06-02T21:47:46Z")
Oh that would so seriously piss me off!!! That’s really selfish. I vote you kick his ass. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2004, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-and-my-brother-who-turns-off-the-ringer-on-the-phone/248234/18 "2004-06-02T23:31:39Z")
What I’d like to know is why he did it in the first place. Who’s he afraid of getting a call from? ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2004, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-and-my-brother-who-turns-off-the-ringer-on-the-phone/248234/19 "2004-06-03T09:39:10Z")
When he got home from work yesterday evening I asked him why he had done it. He’s actually DENYING it! I pointed out that no one else ever does it, but he still denies it. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2004, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-and-my-brother-who-turns-off-the-ringer-on-the-phone/248234/20 "2004-06-03T10:53:34Z")
Do you have a cat? Not joking this time. Cats can be smart. Ours can turn off a light switch. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-hunting-and-my-brother-who-turns-off-the-ringer-on-the-phone/248234.md?page=2)