Lainey

We all get wrong numbers, messages that are not meant for us, on our phones, answering machines.

Sometimes if it sounds important, and the caller leaves a number, I will call back and let them know they dialed wrong.

Yesterday at work I had a weird message on the answering machine. The caller said something like "Mike (we have an employee named Mike), then "Norm" (not sure who Norm would be), "I hoped you would answer. This is Sandy, your mother passed away."

One might think Sandy would have just asked Mike to call her and said that it was important. A very weird message indeed.

Got any weird messages lately?

CTMechE

I don't get much for wrong phone calls/messages. The few wrong numbers I get seem to figure it out and not leave a message, although a few months ago I got a few phone calls from the state regarding a worker's comp claim for someone named Derek. After the second message, I let them know they had the wrong number.

But more interestingly, I get a TON of wrong emails. I was an early adopter to GMail when it came out (friend had an early invitation) and I registered my first initial/last name @ gmail.com My last name isn't as common as some, but it's fairly popular in Germany, so I get a lot of emails in German. I run them through Google translate. I got some vacation photos once from some people who toured the Dalmatian coast. Looks nice. No idea who they are.

I've met two people named Michelle, with the same last name as me. No known relation, but they sent emails incorrectly. One of the Michelles emailed a file from her work address, thinking she'd have it for the weekend. I emailed her back saying she had the wrong address, and she responded by asking if I could re-send it because she'd already deleted it. I did. We chat occasionally.

Just two weeks ago, though, I got invited to a football party via group email in San Francisco by some people who are big 49ers fans. I had to let them know that they had the wrong address, and that I was a NY Giants fan, and would not be attending. They all thought it was amusing.

I try to be friendly and funny when I can, but I mostly just make sure that if it sounds like an important message, the intended person didn't get it.

Lainey

Mike.

Thanks for entertaining me. I'm chained to the desk today, and it's really quiet in the office.