Faking a mobile call?

[paradigm_shift]

CBS News - "Faking It"

This is kind of an interesting article\opinion piece, and I am sure it is from a valid source. The article discusses research done by Rutgers University that claims people tend to "fake" a mobile call just to impress people or to avoid certain situations.

Here's a snippet:

A number of people make fake phone calls on their cell phones just for the benefit of those around them. Someone who's late for work may enter the office talking to "an important client" to cover her tardiness. Others pretend they get a call when they don't want to talk to someone who's standing right in front of them.

I never knew people would actually do that on their cell phones. But then again, I've never really been a fan of people talking on their phones in plain view of the public...

[Mr. SmartyPants]

.......

I sort of do that sometimes. When I'm walking somewhere and there are people around, I flip open my cellphone and pretend like im doing something (I usually just press buttons and scroll down my phonebook)

I do that because I don't like making eyecontact with people >_>

[Locke]

It's only bad if you get caught with a phone thats turned off >_<

[Nate]

Reminds me of that joke where a company has a new office building put up, and the CEO hears a knock on his door, and before he lets the guy in he pretends to be on the phone yelling at someone to impress the guy...

Then the guy tells the CEO, "I'm here to install your phone line."

[Scribs]

Yeah, I have heard of people doing that, but never have myself.

I dont have any reason to. I have however pretended to be listening to music on my headphones in order to overhear people who think I cant hear them.

[Warrior4Christ]

It's only bad if you get caught with a phone thats turned off >_<

Not as bad as being caught with in incoming call when you're pretending to have a call....

[ssj2gohan61]

never thought about doing that.... its a good idea i guess lol i might have to use it sometimes now

[CreatureArt]

.......

I sort of do that sometimes. When I'm walking somewhere and there are people around, I flip open my cellphone and pretend like im doing something (I usually just press buttons and scroll down my phonebook)

There's another person who does that? I usually pretend to be texting in uncomfortable situations so that I can avoid that useless, awkward silence that eventually develops. Plus, if you're doing something on the cellphone it often (strangely enough) works for me like Scribs headphones work for him. People somehow seem to think I'm not paying attention and you can hear some interesting things people might not say otherwise. It feels a lot like eavesdropping....

It's amazing how people forget the ability of a large number of persons to multi-task. At school all last year I would sketch on a piece of paper while the teacher was talking. I find that if I have something brainless to do with my hands (they weren't particularly good pictures, lol) I can sit still and listen for quite a while longer than otherwise. Eventually my teachers clicked on. They used the age-old method of asking me questions about what they were talking about until they were satisfied.

....its late. I'm rambling.

Otherwise, I don't remember any time when I've faked a call on my mobile phone. I will speak a little louder if I want the people around me to know who I'm talking to (e.g. my Father to know my Mother's on the phone) but that's usually as far as I go. Has anyone else actually tried faking a call?

[Mithrandir]

Yeah. I also got out of class sometimes that way. I had a pager and a cell phone in college (I don't think any other students at my school did at that time) and I was telecommuting about 450-500 miles. I used to get calls on friday that would "put me on a plane in hour" ever few weeks. I faked that a few times to get out of boring classes, but most of the time it was legit. I was a total nerd in college, but I guess people respected me somewhat since I was working at Apple, etc, too.

[Boink!]

.......

I sort of do that sometimes. When I'm walking somewhere and there are people around, I flip open my cellphone and pretend like im doing something (I usually just press buttons and scroll down my phonebook)

I do that because I don't like making eyecontact with people >_>

Boink! just stares at people when they walk by. Boink! doesn't smile or say anything. Just stares...

[dragonshimmer]

Yup. I do that sometimes. I don't do it to avoid people, but I do do it if I'm walking around somewhere so that I don't have to make eye contact xD;; I've only done it to get myself away from people I'm with maybe once or twice.

[Arnobius]

Sorry, I can't answer that right now. I'm um, er, on my Cell with an important client right now... I'll get back to you on this...

[Lady Macbeth]

I have never faked a call, but I have actually text-messaged people for no reason - sitting in the DMV with 40 other bored people staring at you because they've been there longer is a pain in the butt. So I flipped open my phone and started texting people I know, and they started staring at other people instead.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

There's another person who does that? I usually pretend to be texting in uncomfortable situations so that I can avoid that useless, awkward silence that eventually develops. Plus, if you're doing something on the cellphone it often (strangely enough) works for me like Scribs headphones work for him. People somehow seem to think I'm not paying attention and you can hear some interesting things people might not say otherwise. It feels a lot like eavesdropping....

lol! rock on!

Boink! just stares at people when they walk by. Boink! doesn't smile or say anything. Just stares...

Mr. SmartyPants is scared of boink now

[Mangafanatic]

Not as bad as being caught with in incoming call when you're pretending to have a call....

That's when you act all frustrated and say "Look, you! You're just gonna have to keep your head on straight while I take this call from the President on my other line."

[chibiphonebooth]

gahah. you know what i really hate? that new.. bluetooth or whatever. you put it on your ear, and its wireless, and you talk to the person over it..

and hwere i work is in this town that is full of rich people.. so alot of them have it. and so they come in and are talking, and i think they are talking to me first, but then i realize they arnt.. and then i think they are talking to THEMSELVES... XD

and i give them wierd looks until i realize they are actually on a cell. :p


but about that whole headphones listening thing.. i get in troouble from my parents becuase i turn up the volume so they hafta yell to get my attention. XDD

[Nate]

Mr. SmartyPants is scared of boink now

kaemmerite kinda likes Boink! now... <.< >.>

[chibiphonebooth]

why does Boink! refer to herself in the 3rd person? O.o

[Kaligraphic]

You can always just wear one of those headsets without connecting it to your phone. Then if your phone rings, "Just a moment, lemme see who's calling my other number..."

If your headset isn't bluetooth, just leave the end of the wire in your pocket. Maybe tie it to something to keep it there.


Note: a bluetooth headset is also very useful for watching anime on a laptop on the go, when you don't want to carry a regular set of headphones, and don't want to broadcast exactly what you're watching to everyone around. Or if you want to keep the noise level down.

[CreatureArt]

If your headset isn't bluetooth, just leave the end of the wire in your pocket. Maybe tie it to something to keep it there.

LOL! That could work for my old headphones. The CD walkman is broken but if I salvage the headphones I could have a nice for-when-I-need-to-ignore-people device. I find the guitar works wonders for that, too, if I can find an excuse to get it out and play. Because of the noise people either stop and listen or look at the guitar. Which leaves me free to look at the fingerboard or take revenge on them by giving them odd stares of my own... even talking to them over the noise so that they nod because they can't hear a word I'm saying.

That sounds like another good method, Lady McB.

[quote="AnimeHeretic"]Sorry, I can't answer that right now. I'm um, er, on my Cell with an important client right now... I'll get back to you on this...
*rings AH's phone in a bid to embarass him in front of all the other CAAers on the thread...

[Jasdero]

I've never done this before... o.o Sounds kind of fun, though.

Boink! just stares at people when they walk by. Boink! doesn't smile or say anything. Just stares...

Boink! is adorable.

[Bobtheduck]

"Mmm... Hmm... Multi-tasking... Yeah... Yeah..."

[Bunny]

Okay, I confess. I faked a call once.

I had been giving a friend of mine a ride home from school everyday but it just so happened that certain circumstances arose that made it more convenient for me to drive to my "romantic interest's" house and ride with him to and from school and from his house, I would take my friend home. Well, one day this friend decided that he didn't want to go home when my "romantic interest" and I had planned a date and no amount of coaxing from me, my date, and my date's mom could make him want to leave. So while he was in the kitchen, rummaging for a snack, I had my date run upstairs and call my cell. I made my way into the kitchen, just to be within hearing range and pretended to be having a heated dicussion with my mother during which she ordered me to come home.

It worked out nicely for me but now that I think about it, I feel a little guilty. It was a little like lying.