Friday, September 11, 2020

The Unknown SMSer

When I started working for the Census Bureau in late June they gave me an official phone. I wonder who had the number before me, because ever since I brought the phone home I've gotten several junk calls per week. If I answer in a professional manner ("20202 Census. This is Kathy [Last Name]") most of the time the person doesn't say anything and after a couple of seconds hangs up.

In addition to the hang ups, there's also been automated calls offering a way to reduce my credit card debt or consolidate my student loans. For a couple of weeks someone would call and leave a voice mail about increasing my Google PageRank. One day I answered and said the number had been recycled and they stopped calling. 

 Now when the phone rings I look at the number, and if it's not one I recognize I just hit the mute button and deal with it later.

For the past two weeks I've been in between Census assignments, so the only noises the phone makes are for spam. The other day when I heard the sound telling me a text had come in it took me a minute to figure out where the sound was coming from. I opened up the app, and then had this lovely text conversation with a stranger:

 Five years ago today: Heat Begone!

10 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. I know that if I had been the one sending out the text I would want to know that it didn't go to the original recipient.

      Delete
  2. Haha! That's pretty cool they gave a nice reply. My new phone has the new "potential spam" notice when a strange number rings. I don't answer numbers I don't know anyway... most times they get blocked lol. I've also had those odd texts from someone looking for "Josh" and I reply "wrong number" but I've had to block a few of those. I think Josh must have been the life of the party, but at one person's house he apparently left his RayBans behind lol.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's funny that you're developing a picture of "Josh". Hubby's phone has got that potential spam notice.

      Delete
  3. If you have to get dinged with a message that's not for you, best to get one from someone with a sense of humor.

    ReplyDelete
  4. My phone number used to belong to a body paint artist. My phone was blowing up last Halloween with people for this dude.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow. It's a shame you didn't have a forwarding number...he might have thrown you a tip.

      Delete
  5. Strange ... very strange.

    God bless, Kathy.

    ReplyDelete