On the phone: how many rings with no answer?

I lived a long time in rural North Dakota. Some folks have no answering machine, and are often out of doors. It can take a while to get to the phone.

I do have an answering machine, and if I don't want to be disturbed (nighttime, nap time) I shut the ringer off. If I have a visitor I'll generally shut the ringer off. For a couple of years I didn't even have a phone. I think we were all better off before there were computers or phones.

It pisses me off if I am visiting someone, and the phone rings, and they leave me sitting there while they talk for 15 or 20 minutes about obviously unimportant things.

 

if you put the phone in the fridge you can't hear it ringing. And it's always available to call out which is why I got it in the first place.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Frank Hudon @ Aug 9 2006, 08:08 PM) [snapback]300595[/snapback]</div>

And that way if you get an ear ache you can ice your ear just by making a phone call. ... Guess I'll just use the ringer-off switch.