I have a cellphone that I bought here in Seoul, second-hand. It was previously owned by someone (foreigners can buy cellphones that were previously owned and pre-pay for calling time here…).
So, I’ve had this phone for about 4 months, and I keep getting weird calls.
The typical call goes like this:
Me: “Yoboseyo?” (Korean for “Hello” when answering the phone.)
Weird guy: “Hello?” (English when answering the pho… oh, you probably already know that… nevermind.)
Me: “Hello?”
WG: “some wierd language that sounds Arabic to me, or maybe Hindu, or something else…”
Me: “Hello? What?”
WG: “Hello! weird language, weird language…”
Me: “Sorry, you have the wrong number, or maybe you have the right number and the person you are calling has left Korea, and I bought his phone… in either case I have no freaking idea what you are saying!! Stop calling me!! Get a clue! You are seriously weirding me out!”
WG: “weird language” CLICK! (hanging up)
This same guy (I can tell by the voice that it’s the same guy) keeps calling me… and doesn’t seem to get the idea that he either has the wrong number or the person he’s trying to call is gone and someone else has his phone now.
Is this guy stupid?
Today he called again, and I said, “Osama? That you?” He hung up…
Get a clue, dude!! Whoever you are trying to call has a different number now! How many times do you have to call to make that deduction? (today’s call was maybe the 40th in the last few months… no joke!)
Seriously, this guy is weirding me out in a big way! How many times do YOU call a number and get the wrong person before you realize that calling that same number will continue to get you the wrong person?
Y’all are looking at this wrong… The orginal owner of the phone annoyed someone in the mid-east, and got his/her phone number written on a bathroom wall somewhere… You know: “For a good-time, call…” Or maybe Astroboy irritated an Arab recently…?
So, what about it Astroboy? Peed in anyone’s hummus recently?
Just write down the incoming number and pass it on to the “authorities” as a suspicious lead. Print what you just posted (1st post) on this thread. Becuz you never know!
When I first moved to my apartment, I kept getting wrong numbers for someone named Tiffany. After the fourth or fifth one, I kindly told the person: “Listen. This is not Tiffany’s number. I don’t know what her number is, but if you do get a hold of her, can you tell her to stop giving my number out to people?” They stopped for a while, then I got a really obnoxious call.
Me: Hello?
Male: Is Tiffany there?
Me: I’m sorry, you have the wrong number.
Male: Who is this?
Me: You called me. I’m not telling you my name.
Male: What number is this?
Me: YOU DIALED IT.
Male: So Tiffany isn’t there?
Me: NO.
Male: Well, this her father, and she gave me 555-3434 as her number.
Me: That’s MY number, it’s NOT her number, and PLEASE tell her that if she keeps giving out my number, I’m gonna start a harrassment case with the police.
Then I hung up. It’s amazing how assholeish people wll be when THEY are ones making the mistake.
I’m in the same boat here. New cell phone a month ago, keep getting calls from young Arab-ish sounding guys asking for “Samid.” Usually on very poor connections. Some really good ideas here about what I can do!
Even worse, I’ve had my home number for over a year, and I still get calls from people (usually businesses) looking for “Clifford Jones”! The best one, a voice mail message they left, went something like this:
“Hi, this is Cindylou Hoo from Pine Forest Knolls Highland View Quail Hollow Homeowners Association, regarding the outstanding balance for Mr. Clifford Jones. We received the mail you sent with the … regarding the … death certificate. <!!!> You have our sympathies, … but unfortunately … well, the debt doesn’t … association dues are still owed. It – attaches to the estate, you see. The fact that a person … mentioned on the terms of the agreement is … isn’t … is no longer with us doesn’t override the responsibility. You see. Please call us at ###-####. Thank you.”
So, essentially, I’m getting calls for a dead guy! Spectacular!
Dave
(who hopes he never ends up owing a Homeowner’s Association anything)
