The Scourge of Accidental Dialing
Chances are it's happened to you: you've either received a call from someone who didn't mean to call you, or your phone went ahead and decided to call someone on its own, right from the inside of your pocket.An article in the Wall Street Journal investigates this new epidemic of the cell phone age, which can have implications far more severe than an annoying dead air voice mail.
For example, in the past the FCC has had to warn the public about accidental phone calls tying up 911 operators who must sit there trying to determine if the caller is an old woman in need of medical assistance, or some guy in his car doing his best to sing along with 'Roxanne.'
But it's our personal relationships with others that can truly take a beating at the hands of accidental dialing, and the WSJ article has a few good yarns about folks talking about people behind their backs, and mistakenly leaving their conversations on the voice mails of the very people they're talking about.
You know the feeling: You get a voice mail from a friend or colleague that they clearly didn't intend to make. You hear them talking in the background, but can only make out a few words or phrases here and there. Suddenly, it's like you're an FBI agent listening to mafia wiretaps. You sit there listening, hoping to hear something juicy or incriminating ... something you can use later. Or worse, you look at your call history and realize your phone made a 10-minute call to a contact last night. Now you're like someone who just committed murder. You mentally retrace all of your conversations from the night before wondering if you said something that's going to get you into trouble. Panic sets in. What the hell did I say? Should I call this person now and just pretend like everything is normal?
What's the solution -- stop talking about people behind their backs? Don't be ridiculous. Learn to use your phone's keyguard. Though different from phone to phone, the keyguard is simply a combination of keys that must be pressed before your phone can dial phone numbers. Learn it. Use it.
Got a funny/mortifying tale of accidental dialing? Share it with us in the comments section below.
From The Wall Street Journal
Related Links:





Disney World Scammers Scored Four Years of Free Vacations
Rookie Cop Reportedly Berated, Called 'A Rat' For Arresting Off-Duty Officer
Walmart Ending Membership in Conservative Group
Stranger's Kiss Keeps 16-Year-Old From Committing Suicide
Apple CEO Tim Cook interview at D10: the liveblog
Rodents Run Amok at Upstate New York Walmart
How I Went Bankrupt at 23
Can a New Guy Save Best Buy?
Woman Claims Kangaroo Stalked Her for 2 Days, Then Attacked
Beyonce 60-Pound Weight Loss: Queen B Flaunts New Figure During Comeback Concert Series















Comments
92
Subscribe to commentsDEEJun 15th 2007 12:22AM
I had a flip phone that had fallen and cracked so it was a real pain. I was out with the girls laughing when one of the guys that I was dating called so we all got quiet so i could answer the phone, once i hung up we were laughing and I decided to start raving and describing my ex's penis in detail and how huge it was etc etc etc. And how it was perfect and that I shouldve kept him for his perfect penis. Then I realize my phone never hung up. LOL. My heart dropped. He said he heard me talking but that he didnt want to be nosy so he hung up. I swear he heard every word I said. Oh man
robinJun 15th 2007 12:53AM
A few years ago, before I had a flip phone, I was at the park with my son. We had been running around and swinging and just having fun when I heard someone in my pocket yelling "Lady are you ok...Hey lady do you need help!" Somehow I had hit the emergency number on my phone and dialed 911. I appologized like crazy to the dispatcher on the other end but she was not very happy with me. My phone had dialed 911 3 times in 10 minutes. Being an EMT I understood her frusteration. She warned me and threatened to fine me if it happened again. I love my flip phone.
KrisJun 15th 2007 1:09AM
I've had this happen 3 times. The first time, I was walking through Walgreen's and all of a sudden, I heard my Dad going "Hello, hello, Kris? Hello?!?" I looked around and finally figured out it was coming from my purse. The second time really freaked me out. I got a 22 minute long voicemail on my phone from my 14 year old niece. Her phone had somehow dialed me while she was at school, and she was in a class that was watching a video clip that included someone screaming. So I get this message that I saw was from her phone number, and all I could hear was screaming and tons of background noise, especially when the class was over. I thought she was being kidnapped or attacked and dialed me for help but couldn't talk. I ended up calling my sister (her mother) at work, and getting her to call the school and check on her. So my niece is sitting in class and gets called to the principal's office to assure them and her mother that she was alive and well. This happened shortly after I was robbed in a parking lot, and I did try to call my husband for help while it was happening without the assailant knowing (but he caught me and stole my phone too), so I guess that was on my mind when I got the message. The third time happened last week. I got this long 5 minute message on my voicemail that was mostly just a bunch of noise, and then I finally made out my sister's voice. Her phone just dialed me from inside her purse. Fortunately she didn't say anything bad though!
JoeJun 15th 2007 1:15AM
Well, I am gay college student who hadn't come out to his parents at the time of this phone call. I was walking to my car, leaving a store late one evening. I ran into a guy that I had once fooled around, and proceeded to tell my friend all the juicy details of our fling (ranging from size of his.. cell phone to the time he lasted.) Unfortunately, my mother had called, and my leg rubbed against my phone and accepted the call. My mom listened to the entire phone call, and called me back. When I answered the phone I said "Hey ma".. (silence).. she then said "son, I can't believe you are gay!)
BizJun 15th 2007 1:18AM
mine probably won't even be close to some of the other stories here, but whatever, here it is:
One night is was storming here and I called my grandma to see if it was bad at her house. I dialed and a lady who sounded like her picked up. I started casually talking and asking her about the storm and suddenly the lady interrupts and says "who is this?" I thought my grandma was playing a joke. turns out i dialed the right number but the wrong area code. I called my grandma back at the right number afterwards.
TomJun 15th 2007 2:46AM
I've always had flip phones so I've never accidentally called someone, but I've received many accidental calls. Some boring, for instance; just 3 days ago I got a call from my dad's cell phone, which was unusual because I had just heard from him the day before and I don't talk to my dad more than a few times a month.......if that. Anyway, I heard him taking his little, yippin', "kick" dog out, hacking up a lung due to smokers cough, and talking to his dogs. BUT I've had some that weren't quite so boring. A few years ago I got a call from my girlfriend, who was out with a guy "friend" of hers. I had become kind of suspicious that they were more than friends and that accidental phone call confirmed my suspicions. There were in his car and I'll just say that, by what I heard, I could safely assume that, whatever they were doing, probably didn't require them to be clothed. She was immediately added to my long list of "ex's"!!!
they8it2Jun 15th 2007 1:35AM
In fact, 3 days ago my fiancee's phone accidentally called me. it was 5 in the morning and he was supposed to be at work. Instead his cheating behind was at McDonalds ordering breakfast for a female and himself. The conversation went on to say how much he enjoyed her and that he wanted to do it again. I ended up leaving him. Not before breaking my phone (MDA) over his head. I thank god for that call. Now I cant make a big mistake marrying that loser...but it still hurt bad.
To all the cheaters, please learn to use the phone lock as not to hurt the ones that love you.
CorrineJun 15th 2007 5:22PM
I took a trip to Menphis without my husband and there was no cell signal from my room, so I could only call him from the hotel phone in my room. I went out one evening and got really buzzed and met a hot guy. We went back to my room and I thought it would be a good idea to call my husband to let him know I was in my room for the night. I pcked up my cell phone and started to dial and remembered there was no signal, it was too much of a pain to go through the process of using my calling card. I tossed the cell phone on the bed and started making out with Mr. Hot. My phone rang several times but I didn't bother to answer, I was busy. About 15 minutes later there was a knock on the door and someone calling out "Security!" I answered through the door and he told me that someone was trying to call my room and he knew I was there but I wasn't answering. It could only be my husband, no one else knew I was there. So I put on my sleepy voice and called him. He said you sound sleepy now but I can hear everything goin on in your room from your cell phone. Great time to get a signal!! I was busted, disgusted and not to be trusted. I have never done that again and am very careful with that damn cell phone.
MunchkinChefJun 15th 2007 2:00AM
I answered the phone one afternoon and could hear my father-in-law walking (the sound of his pant legs rubbing together. I could hear him talk to people as he passed by. Then, I heard him enter another room and the next thing I know, I am listening to him take a leak! He had no idea his phone had called me and we all had a good laugh as I told him. After that, he learned to use the key guard...thank goodness!
crosscountrypimpJun 15th 2007 9:07AM
I'm a crosscountry truckdriver and my ex brother law and I use to team together from North Carolina to california.We ran the same route every week so we use to stop at a truckstop about an hour away from our drop for the night.So we go into the restaurant to eat and i start flirting with the waitress.Mind you I always lock my keys on my phone but in this instance i forgot to.I had my phone in my left front pocket and just talkin' it up with the waitress when i asked her what time it was.They had a clock on the wall but it was blocked where i couldn't see it.So I pull out my phone to check the time when it said WIFE.I thought phone was just messing up till I put it to my ear and heard the WIFE on the other end.It took me awhile but I talked my way out of it.We are no longer together but it wasn't from that phone call.So my advice to everyone is to make sure you lock your phone or feel the wrath of the WIFE!
DugaJun 15th 2007 4:11AM
I'm a Probation Officer and one of my clients dialed my office number late in the evening on a weekend when I wasn't in. My voice mail kicked in and he thought he hung up but he did not. Apparently he was at a party, drunk and high as a kite, bragging to his friends that he could "get one over his dumb*ss P.O., who didn't know jack."
Well I did know jack and he was not happy. After playing the message several times with co-workers and our supervisor, it was decided to call this moron in and collect a urine sample on Monday morning. Knowing he would test dirty for several illicit substances, he decided to try to "get one over his dumb*ss P.O." and utilize a whizzinator (a strap on device with a rubber penis that can hold clean urine). Well smarty didn't compare the color of the fake penis which didn't quite match the tone of his skin. This being the kicker, he was asked to "drop trou" and low and behold there he was with nothing but a blank look on his face.
After he was arrested on violations, he just hung his head as his message was played for him to listen. At the violation hearing, the judge, prosecutor and his own attorney, who did not have much of a defense, got a kick out of how things transpired.
This is one of those moments you never forget in your career!
riley50Jun 15th 2007 7:25AM
Similar to the first post, a couple of years after I split up with my ex, he started telling me all about a new woman in his life. He still called me a lot, so I guess my phone number was ready to dial when he must of accidentally hit the send button. So I got a lengthy message beginning with their conversation about what kinds of food each of them liked (and this was not his style at all to talk so polite and interested in the domestic stuff - what a fake!)and then they eventually got around to flirting and she was definitely "acting" like she modest and demure. I'd heard differently from him about her! I felt like gagging through the whole thing, but at the same time I did feel like a spy and thought it was so funny that I the ex-wife might as well have been right in the same room hearing all this fakey nonsense. lol