Wrong number = kidnapping

[Limescale]

Overheard this during my lunch run a few days ago. Stopped off as a teriyaki place, put in my to go order and sat down to wait for it to be ready. The guy at a nearby table answers his phone and the following conversation happens:

Guy: Hello?...Hello?...This is *Guy's Name*...No, not *Female Name*, *Guy's Name*. No, ma'am I'm sorry you have the wrong number.....I'm pretty sure you do, this has been my number for the last two years. Ma'am, again this is *Guy's Name*, there is no one here named *Female's Name* and I don't know anyone by that moniker either...Ma'am....Ma'am please don't scream...No, Ma'am I do not have your daughter.... you have called the wrong num....Ma'am...Ma'am, please calm down!


The guy looks around and notices I and a few others are staring at him. Awkwardly he gets up and makes for the door. I hear this last part just before he exits.

Guy: Ma'am, again this has been my phone number for the last two years. If you're only now going to call the police to report your daughter has been kidnapped, based solely on this as evidence, I'd say you have bigger problems.

Sadly he then walked out of hearing range and my food was ready soon after so I have no idea how such a bizarre conversation got resolved.

[Tee]

Oh god, that's a good one XD

[sstabeler]

Well, I suppose if she did report it to the police, thsi would be good for a laugh down at the police station. ( or rather, it will be good for a laugh when it turns out it is a simple wrong number.)

[DGoddessChardonnay]

Well, I suppose if she did report it to the police, thsi would be good for a laugh down at the police station. ( or rather, it will be good for a laugh when it turns out it is a simple wrong number.)

Or if she really panicks and calls them via 911 . . . then once the police got it figured out, she just may end up facing charges of misusing 911.

Perhaps that might be what it takes to drive that lesson home to her about "assuming" but we all know the truth can be stranger than fiction.

[WishfulSpirit]

Probably wouldn't have any legal problems. 911 abusers are generally those who KNOW they're abusing the system. Most often if someone panics and calls in something that isn't actually an emergency, they just get told not to do that again and that's the end of it.

[notalwaysright]

He engaged her a lot longer than I would have. I will explain nicely *once* "I'm sorry you have the wrong number." That's all. A long time ago some guy called my phone and I made the mistake of trying to explain that I had didn't know the person he was asking for, what number did you call, etc. He got bitchy and I hung up. He called back screaming at me, I hung up again. The next time he called back I let my guy friend answer the phone. Angry guy didn't call back. Lesson learned on my part.

[Monterey Jack]

How can ANYONE dial a wrong number these days, when they program important numbers into their phone?

[Gilhelmi]

New phone, where a number got transposed when transferring into a new address book. Mainly problematic if this is the first time you got a cell phone. (yes there are still some people without cells)

My parents still use a land line for 90% of their phone use. They have cell phones, but only use them when out of the house. If you are confused as to what a "land line" is, I will shake my fist at you and demand "you children need to get off my lawn"

I could also see a couple more obscure things, like a person getting a new 'area code' but keeping the old number (like when they readjust the area code coverage areas).

[PastryGal]

If you are confused as to what a "land line" is, I will shake my fist at you and demand "you children need to get off my lawn"

How's this one for you, a party line. I can just barely remember them, I was quite young.

[gerund]

If you are confused as to what a "land line" is

That depends on your definition of "is"

Operator connected phone line in town. (Crank the handle) "Exchange What number?"

"Longreach 126 please"

"Connecting"

One operator got the sack. A local lad had a hot conversion with his girlfriend over the phone, hung up and went to the local milk bar for a malted milk. He then listened to a girl repeat his entire conversation to the girl behind the counter. He complained.

[Soulstealer]

I really hope she reached her daughter, she sounds like she was exhibiting dementia.

[ComputerNecromancer]

How's this one for you, a party line. I can just barely remember them, I was quite young.

We still have party lines. Only they "rebranded" them.

Now it's called "distinctive ring" and they sell you 2-4 phone numbers for the same line, with different ring patterns for the numbers.

There are even boxes that will decode the ring pattern and connect the call to the right one of the several phone jacks on the box.

This lets you have one number that is your voice line and another that's your fax. Or you can get really fancy and have one jack be voice, one been an answering machine and another be the fax.

But at the phone exchange, it's the exact same tech they used for 2-4 party party lines.

[minkysmom]

He should've told her he was calling the police and giving them her number, since she thinks somebody has her ddaughter

[Lovecats]

How's this one for you, a party line. I can just barely remember them, I was quite young.

I remember party lines but like you I was also quite young.

[Monterey Jack]

He should've told her he was calling the police and giving them her number, since she thinks somebody has her ddaughter

He should have started growling about having a "particular set of skills...a set of skills that make me a nightmare for wrong-dialers like you. I will hunt you down, I will find you...and I will kill you", and then hang up.