I stand alone in the world of the telephone. Or so it appears.

I find the idea of people calling me at their convenience a total imposition. I routinely ignore calls, regardless of who is calling, simply because it’s not convenient for me to answer. My sense of annoyance is multiplied ten-fold when it’s a telemarketer.

Don’t get me started on people who stay on a cell phone call when they’re having their groceries scanned by the clerk.

The huge hole in my argument, of course, is that I have a (sort of) landline, and a cell phone.

I don’t often make calls myself, though, and will usually communicate by text. Texts are the ultimate in convenience communication as they may be read, or not, by the recipient, but I never expect a reply, at least not until it’s a good time for them to reply, and that may be never.

I was trying to discover the source of my telephone antipathy, and traced it back to (perhaps) someone I once worked for. He would break off any conversation, without a word, to answer a ringing phone. I could not count the number of key conversations relating to work that were instantly lost because his phone took priority over everything. Then there was another boss, getting mad at me for not answering my cell phone to him when I’m instructing a new driver, on the road, while they’re new to a very large chunk of metal travelling at speed. I know who I would rather pay attention to in that situation.

I am, as you will have guessed, a cantankerous old fart, who is getting more contrary by the day. If you have any issue with that, drop me a text to let me know.

P.S. This diatribe isn’t to be taken too seriously.