Caller ID

Crazy Sister: I got your message and rang your mobile, but you didn't answer.

Givinya de Elba: Oh - that was YOU. I had just strapped a moaning kid and a not-moaning kid into car, and was driving and my mobile rang in my back pocket and I had to pull over and get the mobile out from under my giant backside, then you hung up and didn't leave a msg so I just gave up and drove on.

Crazy Sister: Mum's trained me to hang up when it goes to message bank, even though I don't agree with that philosophy. And the dumb thing is that when you called me at mum's place the other day, I ran past the nearest handset to the one with Caller ID so I could peer at the readout first.

Givinya de Elba: You didn't!

Crazy Sister: Yep - just like Mum does. It's learned behavior.

Givinya de Elba: That is very sad.

Crazy Sister: I know that.

Givinya de Elba: Whenever Mum and Dad get a call they peer at the caller ID, then get their glasses and peer at it again, then discuss at length who it could possibly be, and if they recognise the number etc., etc., all this time the poor schmuck is ringing and ringing! I think Mum and Dad could do without caller ID. One of these days it will ring out while they are reading the number out loud and asking if it's one they recognise.

Crazy Sister: But I can't imagine them deciding not to answer based on not knowing the number.

Givinya de Elba: So there's no point in using Caller ID to screen calls, is there?

Crazy Sister: No. I have caller ID and talked to a pervert for over a minute.

Givinya de Elba: Er-what?

Crazy Sister: I'm not too bright sometimes.



This is where the conversation got weird. I will let her tell you in her own words. For an account of how she managed to talk to a telephone pervert for over a minute, you'll have to head over to her post on

"Graze if you want to, but don't eat dirt."