# Okaaaayyyy...so that happened. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 30, 2015, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okaaaayyyy-so-that-happened/711364 "2015-01-30T19:24:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Marion\_Wormer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@Marion\_Wormer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marion_Wormer)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okaaaayyyy-so-that-happened/711364/21 "2015-02-01T23:52:45Z")
I had a phone number that had once belonged to a woman who… Had stolen a car by not returning it to the dealer when the lease was up Had a son with a serious neurological illness and his doctors were really, really trying to find him (I’d get calls 2-3 times a week from different neurologists) Had lots of credit debt with different companies. and in the end a repo guy called me to find her and ended up asking me out to dinner (I assume to do some repo man stuff to get me to turn over the woman’s address that I didn’t know anyway). I turned him down and got rid of the number the next day. ---
**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:** [February 2, 2015, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okaaaayyyy-so-that-happened/711364/22 "2015-02-02T00:03:00Z")
When I’m just about to unlock my front door I like to speed dial my land line. “Hold on, I’m coming!”, I say. A sign on a store said pet supplies and fish. So I did–both of them. ---
**Author:** ![HelenGawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@HelenGawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelenGawn)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2015, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okaaaayyyy-so-that-happened/711364/23 "2015-02-02T00:15:38Z")
> [@DummyGladHands](#): > > I would like to know why my late husband, dead for 12 years, gets mail at the home I live in now with my new boyfriend, where he, the late husband, never lived. And why sometimes the mail is addressed to “New BF” first name and “My” first name as Mr. and Mrs. Late Husband surname. After I moved twice, I still got mail for my late father and the woman who had lived in his house twenty years before. One for Dad was from Sports Illustrated saying, “We miss you!” on the envelope. I wrote, “Me too - He’s dead!” on it and stuck it back in the box. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2015, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okaaaayyyy-so-that-happened/711364/24 "2015-02-02T11:12:50Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > I have only had my cell phone number for a month or two, and I keep getting calls that seem to be for the previous owner of the number. I’m getting tired of it, so rather than letting unfamiliar numbers go to voice mail as I had been, I have been starting to try to bat them down, get off lists. > > Today it was from this woman’s credit card company. After answering, I actually had to wait on hold, but at least they kept updating my place in line and it was going down fast, so I put it on speaker and went about my business. All I was doing was reading online articles–no music or TV or talking or anything. Then someone (a man) came on the line with an aggrieved-sounding voice, who said–I swear, this is verbatim–“Sir, you sound like a terrorist. Are you part of a sleeper cell?” I was nonplussed (in the classic sense) and sputtered “What?!?” Then he hung up on me. > Just so bizarre. I guess he thought he was still talking to his previous customer? Huh… Are you me? I’ve had a cell phone for about 4 months now. First ever. I don’t really need it, and I really didn’t want it in the beginning. I could still live without it. That said, I get such entertaining wrong numbers and texts. Yesterday, it was a small voice, sounded maybe 8 with a touch of terror/panic in it. “Cooper, can you come over right now!!???” Sometimes I can just be a mean old lady. I responded with “I’m not Cooper, and I’m not coming over!” I think I made him cry. I have recurring calls for two previous owners. One was a low-life who didn’t pay her bills and the other is/was as far different as the moon and sun. I’ve gotten invitations to “Share a jet to Japan for the rollout.” My (nonexistant) air miles just rolled over to a superzillion and I should think about consolidating them. I didn’t know that was a thing. I get at least one call a week from a collection agency asking for Sarah something, many of whom are sure I’m lying to them. That I either AM Sarah or know her whereabouts. Those have slowed down, since, I guess, they figured out they aren’t getting any money from me. The corporate lady, on the otherhand, seems to still be giving this number out. I’m guessing she gives it to people she doesn’t want to hear from, which makes her a wee bit of an a\*\*hole. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2015, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okaaaayyyy-so-that-happened/711364/25 "2015-02-02T12:33:55Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > So. You evaded the question. Very suspicious. > Hmmmm. No email notification (until a more recent post way down the page) for some reason. :smack: Nope, not in a sleeper cell. 😛 🆒 This thread makes me think there should be some rule that numbers have to be put in a six month long stasis, during which there is a clear message that the number has been disconnected, before recycling them. > [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > Is there a reason you don’t block the numbers right from the phone? I just select the number from the call log and “add to reject list.” Huh, I am completely unaware of this option, if I have it. > [@kopek](#): > > Maybe you should stop answering the phone by saying “death to America”? Good point, I’ll try that, thanks. 😉 > [@picunurse](#): > > Yesterday, it was a small voice, sounded maybe 8 with a touch of terror/panic in it. > “Cooper, can you come over right now!!???” > > Sometimes I can just be a mean old lady. I responded with “I’m not Cooper, and I’m not coming over!” I think I made him cry. Awwww…poor little guy! ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okaaaayyyy-so-that-happened/711364/26 "2015-02-03T19:30:57Z")
Ahh, used phone numbers. Such a joy. I’d had a number that was the appointment line (Spanish language, no less) of a college dental program. Friends of mine had the former number of a real credit deadbeat. Etc. etc. ad nauseum. But the capper was happened with my older son a couple of months ago. His cell phone (prepaid) had been getting constant calls from bill collectors, so much that he would eat through his minutes faster than he could replenish. He finally goes to a storefront of the cell carrier to get a new number. Mission accomplished…or so we thought. Then his cell phone would be inactive for no good reason. Just woudn’t be on the network. We had to call the carrier to reactivate it. A week later, same thing. This perplexed us until he took a trip up north to house-sit for some friends of his. I called his number to check on him. A woman answered. No, it wasn’t a friend of his, it was a complete stranger. It seems that number was for her cell phone. **The carrier switched my son’s cell phone to a number that was _currently in use._** :smack: ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okaaaayyyy-so-that-happened/711364/27 "2015-02-03T19:36:46Z")
Wow. I would not have thought that even possible. Almost like a party line! ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okaaaayyyy-so-that-happened/711364/28 "2015-02-03T21:41:45Z")
I had bounty hunters show up at my front door. Looking for somebody who never lived here. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=727511&highlight=bounty+hunters](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=727511&highlight=bounty+hunters) ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okaaaayyyy-so-that-happened/711364/29 "2015-02-04T03:02:43Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > Yesterday, it was a small voice, sounded maybe 8 with a touch of terror/panic in it. > “Cooper, can you come over right now!!???” > > Sometimes I can just be a mean old lady. I responded with “I’m not Cooper, and I’m not coming over!” I think I made him cry. So, instead of saying to a panicked child, “Sorry dear, I think you called the wrong number; why don’t you hang up and dial again, slowly so you don’t make a mistake?” … you snapped at the kid and seem pleased by the fact that you might have made him cry? Yeah, that is pretty mean. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okaaaayyyy-so-that-happened/711364/30 "2015-02-04T03:18:45Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > So, instead of saying to a panicked child, “Sorry dear, I think you called the wrong number; why don’t you hang up and dial again, slowly so you don’t make a mistake?” … you snapped at the kid and seem pleased by the fact that you might have made him cry? > > Yeah, that is pretty mean. I’ve gotten grumpy in my old age. That happens. I failed to mention, that the child had texted three times before on the same day, and the first time I texted back that he had the wrong number. I shouldn’t have to phone sit someone else’s child. When I texted “wrong number” it should have been enough. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okaaaayyyy-so-that-happened/711364/31 "2015-02-04T03:56:39Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > I’ve gotten grumpy in my old age. That happens. I failed to mention, that the child had texted three times before on the same day, and the first time I texted back that he had the wrong number. I shouldn’t have to phone sit someone else’s child. > When I texted “wrong number” it should have been enough. I had a weird text conversation with some dumb girl many many years ago in the early days of texting. She seemed to think I was the dude she was trying to text, playing her. It took three times for me to convince her to stop texting me, she had the wrong damn number. I’ve had the same cell number since 1995. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okaaaayyyy-so-that-happened/711364/32 "2015-02-04T09:00:36Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > I’ve gotten grumpy in my old age. That happens. I failed to mention, that the child had texted three times before on the same day, and the first time I texted back that he had the wrong number. I shouldn’t have to phone sit someone else’s child. > When I texted “wrong number” it should have been enough. That changes it a little. If the kid is smart enough/literate enough to send text messages, he should have the resources to sort it out without bothering you. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okaaaayyyy-so-that-happened/711364/33 "2015-02-04T11:25:57Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > The usual scenario is like this: Most folks who run up debts are lowlifes who have roommates or ex’s. Which roommate / ex often still has the same residence and phone number long after the deadbeat has moved on. And who often know at least roughly where the deadbeat went. > > So asking the person at what was once a good phone number is very often going to give a good lead towards the deadbeat. Sometimes not, but often yes. The hassle for you is when they don’t believe you when you say the number was first assigned to you on date X and all their lead info was from before then. So they keep hassling you in hopes you’ll quit covering for the deadbeat ex. > > LSLGuy > Former owner of a skip tracing outfit. My experience may not be universal, but I have also had situations where previous tenants have passed new tenants forwarding information (for any mail that might turn up), new tenants may often also have some form of contact (such as landlord) who might have leads ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okaaaayyyy-so-that-happened/711364/34 "2015-02-04T19:26:05Z")
> [@DummyGladHands](#): > > I would like to know why my late husband, dead for 12 years, gets mail at the home I live in now with my new boyfriend, where he, the late husband, never lived. And why sometimes the mail is addressed to “New BF” first name and “My” first name as Mr. and Mrs. Late Husband surname. It’s probably from the same people who send mail addressed to my husband’s deceased father to the house we have lived in for 14 years that his father never ever saw or knew about or visited. See, my husband’s father died when my husband was in his 20’s - he’s now 56. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okaaaayyyy-so-that-happened/711364/35 "2015-02-04T20:06:45Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > This thread makes me think there should be some rule that numbers have to be put in a six month long stasis, during which there is a clear message that the number has been disconnected, before recycling them. Phone numbers are aged before being reassigned, but I’m not sure how long - and it might depend on the demand for numbers in the exchange/area code as to how long they can actually let them sit (and/or the rules of the local state public utilities commission). As to part 2 - there is already a message that says something like “the number you are calling is no longer in service” - so that should serve the same purpose. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okaaaayyyy-so-that-happened/711364/36 "2015-02-04T20:11:42Z")
> [@HelenGawn](#): > > After I moved twice, I still got mail for my late father and the woman who had lived in his house twenty years before. One for Dad was from Sports Illustrated saying, “We miss you!” on the envelope. I wrote, “Me too - He’s dead!” on it and stuck it back in the box. My wife died over 10 years ago. I live in a completely different town now. I still receive mail addressed to her. What kind of shitty mailing lists are you buying that are over 10 years old; and updated to an address that person never lived? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![DrForrester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8edcca/32.png) [@DrForrester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrForrester)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okaaaayyyy-so-that-happened/711364/37 "2015-02-04T20:18:22Z")
A folk singer named Ellis did a song about a woman whom she’s never met, but feels like she knows, as she (Ellis) has been fielding all of this other woman’s phone calls - including those from the woman’s boss & mother. (there are 2 songs at this link. the other is about yoga.) ---
**Author:** ![Nikki\_Tikki\_Tavi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3da27b/32.png) [@Nikki\_Tikki\_Tavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nikki_Tikki_Tavi)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okaaaayyyy-so-that-happened/711364/38 "2015-02-04T20:26:51Z")
> [@DummyGladHands](#): > > I would like to know why my late husband, dead for 12 years, gets mail at the home I live in now with my new boyfriend, where he, the late husband, never lived. And why sometimes the mail is addressed to “New BF” first name and “My” first name as Mr. and Mrs. Late Husband surname. I get mail for my ex husband at my current address, which he has never lived at. It is annoying at best, painful (if I’m already having a Big Sad) at worst. I wish I knew how to make it stop, but it’s mostly junk mail and I doubt there’s anything to be done about it. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okaaaayyyy-so-that-happened/711364/39 "2015-02-04T20:28:02Z")
I few months back, I got several calls from people who left messages asking about what they had to do to get a boot removed from their car. This wasn’t just a case of one person hitting a wrong digit, it happened a few times and was from different people. The calls stopped as suddenly as they started. Maybe the wrong number was published online and was then fixed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okaaaayyyy-so-that-happened/711364.md?page=1)