Do you rush to the phone when it rings?

Do you rush to the phone when it rings? - Picture of 3 phones. Photo source: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/72/168108824_8022e0b076.jpg?v=0 .
Singapore
June 2, 2008 10:07am CST
Ring-ring. Your phone just rang. It may be your house phone, it may be your mobile phone, all the same - do you rush to answer it when it rings? I know of people who would literally RUN to their phones as soon as they start to ring. Some dash to them for even "less-urgent" smses. For me, I like to take my own sweet time. For ringing, I will just w-a-l-k there. If the caller can't wait, just too bad. For smses, I either do the same or look at them "later" when I feel like it. What's the rush since if something is so urgent, the sender would more likely call than message? What about you? When the phone rings, do you rush to it? Or do you take your own sweet time? Or do you let it ring forever to amuse yourself? Or... ?
56 people like this
239 responses
@ratyz5 (7808)
• Philippines
3 Jun 08
For our house phone, I usually wait for somebody else to answer the phone, even when I am expecting a call. If I'm the only one at home, I'll just walk to the phone when its ringing. No rush needed since I'm going to answer it anyway. ka When it comes to my mobile phone, I don't usually keep it close to me. I even keep it in my bag when I'm out somewhere. I often miss some important calls or even get to read urgent messages after a couple of hours. My bad for that ^_^;
• Singapore
3 Jun 08
I don't usually answer calls over here too since they are usually not for me.
3 people like this
@ratyz5 (7808)
• Philippines
3 Jun 08
Me too, I don't expect calls that much. And when there are people at home that don't want to talk to anyone when someone calls, I would ask them first if they "aren't here" before answering the phone
1 person likes this
@gemini1960 (1161)
• Philippines
3 Jun 08
depending on where the phone is located if im near it then i will immediately answer it or if im busy or im at work then,it takes time.
• Singapore
3 Jun 08
Yup
1 person likes this
@lingli_78 (12822)
• Australia
3 Jun 08
no, i don't... i always take my time to answer the phone or sms.. for sms, i can even respond it the next day or whenever i feel like it... if the phone is urgent, then the caller can wait for me to pick it up or he/she will call again... if not, then bad luck... and you are right about sms... if it is important, the person shouldn't sms... he/she should call instead... take care and have a nice day...
3 people like this
• Singapore
3 Jun 08
Lol... next day.
2 people like this
• United States
3 Jun 08
I don't rush to my phone unless I feel like I can't get to it and I am expecting a phone call. Other than that, if it's important they will leave a message. Not to mention the fact I have caller ID so I can look to see if I need to return the call.
3 people like this
• Singapore
3 Jun 08
Maybe if the phone has been ringing for quite some time and you just dashed out from the shower.
2 people like this
@estherlou (5015)
• United States
3 Jun 08
We let the answering machine answer the phone for us. If it is family, or we recognize the phone #, we'll answer it. Otherwise, we don't answer the phone.
3 people like this
• Singapore
3 Jun 08
Quite selective, eh?
2 people like this
• United States
3 Jun 08
I don't rush to the phone. I take my time. Usually, if I wait long enough, whoever is calling our home phone will eventually hang up. I know the telemarketers don't call long and the people that realize halfway through that they have dialed the wrong number give up too. So I just take my time getting there. I usually rush to my mobile phone because I'm not near it often and the phone stops ringing quicker the the regular house phone.
3 people like this
• Singapore
3 Jun 08
Lol... that's like hinting for the caller to stop calling.
2 people like this
@balasri (26537)
• India
3 Jun 08
That is a very good discussion.I have been wondering for a ling time why people rush to the phones as if their life is on peril while there are many letters lying there unopened and emails unanswered.May they don't shout like the damn phone.
3 people like this
• Singapore
3 Jun 08
Some people are just more... enthusiastic?
1 person likes this
@Ohara_1983 (4117)
• Kuwait
2 Jun 08
if it is my cellphone who would ring then for sure I would run to answered it because it is important due to the reason that I am not giving my number to whom I do not knew bt for my regular home phone it is a big NO....
2 people like this
• Kuwait
3 Jun 08
yup
• Singapore
3 Jun 08
Ah... only to people you want to give attention to.
• United States
2 Jun 08
I wear hearing aids. Many times I do not wear them...just to relax my ears. Thus, I rarely hear the phone. Even if I where them, I may not hear the phone...past that...I never liked the phone...Never been a chatter.
2 people like this
• Singapore
2 Jun 08
Then you can put it on vibration mode (for your cellphone) and put it in a pocket.
1 person likes this
• United States
2 Jun 08
I don't have a cell phone. I cannot hear on one.
1 person likes this
• Singapore
3 Jun 08
Then perhaps you can look for the phones with LED lights that blink when the phone rings. But the drawback is that you have to keep looking at the phone...
@whywiki (6066)
• Canada
2 Jun 08
I have a love hate relationship with phones. My day job is answering phones so I tend to rush all day to answer the lines as quick as possible. When not working the day job I tend to take my sweet time. When I finally find my cell to answer it the caller has usually given up on me. On the rare occasions I answer the cell I always check call display first. If I know the number and like the person I answer. If it is work looking for me to do overtime I smirk then decide if I feel like it or not then answer or ignore. I sometimes think it was nicer in the olden days when people would walk over and visit instead of a cold phone call...
• Singapore
3 Jun 08
Sounds like an occupational hazard you got stuck with!
• India
2 Jun 08
I don't like talking in phone, as a matter of fact, for no reasons i could point out clearly, i have an aversion to speak in telephone. Might sound silly.. but still it is true. But there are occasions, as you said, when a phone rings, when at home I usually dodge.. so that some one else in my house will take. This often makes my father to curse me.. What the hell are you doing there?When in office I pretend to be so busy, with my system, but will look stealthily as who is going to attend the call. When my mobile ringsIf it a new number, other than those stored in my mobile memory.. i rarely attend. If it is from a known person.. i curse my star and attend. P.S: I rarely use my mobile, and for the past one week i have not made any calls.
• Singapore
2 Jun 08
tsk tsk - You are in the running for best response!
Sounds like me, lol!
1 person likes this
@GreenMoo (11834)
3 Jun 08
I'm one of those who races. If I don't grab it quick, the answerphone will kick in. And if I don't grab my mobile quick, the signal is liable to die. Either way, it leaves me needing to ring the caller back.
2 people like this
• Singapore
3 Jun 08
Maybe you can set the machine to pick it up after a longer delay?
@GreenMoo (11834)
3 Jun 08
No, that would deprive me of the only exercise I get
1 person likes this
@saundyl (9783)
• Canada
3 Jun 08
I rush for the phone WHEN I'm expecting a call or if one of my family members are expecting one and i want to hassle them. Otherwise I usually let my phone ring at least twice so i can see who is calling and if its a relative calling long distance they hang up and i return the call. There are also times I'll let the machine answer it because i just don't feel like talking to anyone.
2 people like this
• Singapore
3 Jun 08
If the call is that important, I normally keep my cell nearby or try to stay near the phone if possible (or just use the cordless set).
1 person likes this
@saundyl (9783)
• Canada
3 Jun 08
I spend more time searching for my cordless phone than i spend actually using it!
1 person likes this
• United States
3 Jun 08
I just have to get in on this discussion because my husband and I have opposite views on this. He simply cannot stand it when the phone is not answered immediately and I like to screen my calls. It drives me nuts because if he is not near the phone, he'll freak out if I don't answer it. Who cares? Any comments on this (lol)
2 people like this
• Singapore
4 Jun 08
Hehe, I don't really like the phone ringing and no one picking up too - but I don't pick up the phone when no one else is home since the calls are almost never for me and everyone outside has a cell.
@flowerchilde (12529)
• United States
2 Jun 08
Actually I would be just as happy with no phone! If the phone rings, you can bet that I am grumbling under my breath on the way to answer it! I hate spending time on the phone!
2 people like this
• United States
3 Jun 08
...I have answered the phone in a grumpy gravelly voice before.. only to find out it was my mother..! Poor mom.. (I wonder why people don't call me more..?)
• Singapore
3 Jun 08
Lol, sometimes it happens to me too... like, why are you ringing again?!
1 person likes this
@nannacroc (4049)
2 Jun 08
I usually get someone else to answer it. Although there are only two of us lving here most of the phone calls are for one of my younger daughters. I have threatened to get rid of the landline unless they pay the bill. I can never find my mobile in time and if the call is urgent they can leave a meesage.
2 people like this
@nannacroc (4049)
3 Jun 08
I can be as nasty as I want, they're mine, but no-one else had better try.
• Singapore
3 Jun 08
Lol, don't be nasty to the popular girls.
• China
4 Jun 08
sometimes i would if i was waitting for a important phone,such as a job calling
2 people like this
@olivemai (4738)
• United States
4 Jun 08
That is the only time we will run for the telephone,when we are waiting for an important call or a call from friends or family!
1 person likes this
@biggerb (2024)
• India
7 Jun 08
I am one of those who runs to get the phone when it rings.My house is very big.So I cant even get the cordless in some places.Especially when I am out in the garden.Sometimes I feel so stupid running and coming all the way and then to find it would have stopped.I keep telling myself I should take it easy but then out of habit I continue running to get it.When my phone is out of order I feel quite at ease.I can freely roam outside without any botheration of the phone.Then if my phone is not set right by 3 days I get really frantic coz you cant do a thing without the phone.By the way cell phones dont work in my place.
2 people like this
• Singapore
14 Jun 08
Wow...
@gokoool (65)
• India
3 Jun 08
i have been irritated by this ring sound lot of times n also usually i don't pick the phone,i don't use a mobile so no worry...i have reduced the ring volume drastically so if somebody stands near the phone n keenly watches only will be able to figure out whether its ringing or not,this arrangement makes me happy n my family members getting little ...worried.
2 people like this
• Singapore
3 Jun 08
If that works for you.
• United States
4 Jun 08
I never rush to the phone. Either I don't bother to answer or I take my sweet time and most of the time, the phone shops ringing before I get there. Oh well. If it's that important, they'll call back or leave a message.
2 people like this
• Singapore
4 Jun 08
Yep.
1 person likes this