silly fear

[sglazier]

ever too scared to answer the phone because you don't know who it is?

[Peri]

I know the feeling but I wouldn't call it scared just a wish to be left alone with no interruptions for a short while. 

[OBonio]

Yup. Not too bad at the moment, but sometimes I get really nervous about it. Not sure why. Once it's over and done with, I'm fine.

[Louise82]

Yep definately, I never answer my mobile unless I recognise the number. Then I worry about who it was!

[landie]

Yes, when I took early retirement four years ago I was so distrustful of telephones that my wife had to answer all incoming calls. I'm still not keen to answer the damn thing.

[Robinia]

Yes sometimes & sometimes I'm apprehensive because I know only too well who it is!!

[cre]

Yes, can relate. Don't get like that all the time, but the old 'phone anxiety' does creep up on me every now and then. Bit like when the doorbell rings and you're not expecting anyone - kinda creepy.

[RogK]

Robinia - you took the words out of my mouth!

[jno]

no... but then I'm Billy no mates, so it's always nice to have a Jehovah's Witness or a timeshare seller to chat to.

[sunflower68]

I know what you mean sglazier.  I just don't like people bugging me after about 6pm. I solved my problem many years ago: I refuse to answer the phone if I don't  (or sometimes do) recognise the number.  I feel incredibly smug and decadent in doing so too, listening to that phone ring on and on!

[acw]

I tend to answer calls from an "unknown number" only because my Mum doesn't have a mobile and so she once called me in a panic from a call box cos the car had broken down and she was alone and it was going dark.  I'd have felt SO guilty if I'd ignored the call.  Also even if she DID have a mobile but it had gone flat/out of network she would have had to use a payphone. 

Moreover my work call me from different lines so that comes up as "private call".  If I don't answer, I don't get work, and then I end up skint!!!

I don't LIKE answering unknown calls however, but I do it just in case.  I personally hate answering my door though, especially if I'm in my PJs.  At home it's ok as the door has glass in it and I can guess who it is.  Here at uni my door is all wood and I have NO idea who's calling to see me!  I prefer a warning by phone first!

Rant over!

x

[Chillum]

I'm really surprised at the amount of people who relate to this. I thought it was a strange question, because it's never ever occured to me not to pick up the phone, or to be in the slightest worried about who's on the other end - is there something I don't know?

[acw]

Perhaps it's usually (but of course not always) a girl thing.  I've had the odd guy (really not many) who wouldn't leave me alone.  Once you refuse to take their calls, they call you from private numbers - it is very scary.

Mind you, I suppose a guy having to dodge calls from an obsessive woman is also not nice. 

[judypark]

sglazier, have you ever recieved bad or shocking news over the phone? This could account for your reluctance to answer it, a common phobia in elderly people is a dread of postmen, this originates from WW2 when the arrival of bad news was heralded by the telegram boy. Have you ever felt threatened over the phone? I detest hard sell tactics, which usually begin " Hi my name is Damien, how are you today?" Even though I subscribe to the telephone preference service, they still filter through. However, if you tell them this, usually they apologise immediatlely and hang up, their company can be fined 2000 quid for this. Hope this helps   Judy

[B00]

Tried getting a caller display phone? might be a help.

[acw]

BOO - that only works for the callers you know!  My mobile still displays either just a number, or "private call" if I don't have that number stored in my phone.  So then you still don't know who it is!  Same applies for phone boxes - as my point above said!

[newtron]

I really don't understand this fear.  It is very easy to hang up the phone if it is someone you don't want to talk to.

[landie]

Previous to my earlier answer newtron, the company I managed ( an Aerospace sub-contractor) was sold about two years before I retired to a venture capitalist company. They syphoned monies away to bolster their loss-making American Companies and neglected to pay their invoices for parts and raw materials at our location. The air was blue with customers and suppliers bending my ear about payments and deliveries respectively. After twenty odd unblemmished years the final two wore me out so much that I just can't answer a phone.

[SarahRachael]

hi everyone I'm a student journalist from City University and I'm writing a short piece on 'phone anxiety' for InnerCity magazine. If you wouldn't mind answering a few short questions on this topic, and giving a comment I could use in the piece please email me: [email protected]