Many many years ago
When people used to use the speaking clock, one of my brother's mates had a falling out with his current squeeze. When they couldn't stand each other any more he told her to move out of his flat. To make it easier he went away for the weekend to get out from under her feet while she packed, on the understanding that she would be gone by the time he returned.
When he did return he noticed (after a fair while) that the telephone was off the hook. He picked it up and listened, as you would, and she'd left it on the speaking clock, (from about 5 minutes after he left on the Friday evening it turned out). There was however one small additional complication, the speaking clock had an American accent...
Cost him hundreds, and this was in the late seventies when that was proper money.
( A Lurker jacked up on B3ta on, Fri 14 May 2004, 1:58, Reply)