my 'stepdad'
Would not let me be on the phone for more than three minutes. He would stand next to me and time it then pull chord out when my time was up. (funly enough he used to do this when someone was calling me, after he had carefully screened who it was on the other end of course).

I was not aloud to shower for more than 15 minutes. (To this day i am still a master of showering like lightening).

I was forbidden to watch Tv. Even tho we had the full Sky shebang, only he could use it.

Could only use the computer for max of an hour a day.

....
hang on a minute, that wasnt being thrifty, that was a bizare form of child abuse.... Fucksocks.
(Serbitar Has a furry shit canon called Whitey., Thu 23 Oct 2008, 20:29, 13 replies)

Shower for more than 15 minutes?
What in heaven's name were you doing in there?

Oh.

Never mind.
( Ghoti Fingers, Thu 23 Oct 2008, 20:39, closed)

Ummm.... Yeah
The telephone one especialy is a bit weird
(Fredz A graveyard of hopes, a dump of ambition, Thu 23 Oct 2008, 20:50, closed)

is it?
My dad used to do that too. We had an eggtimer by the phone - that's how long we could talk for before facing his wrath.
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Thu 23 Oct 2008, 20:52, closed)

my friend's mum
had a lock on the phone - the old type with a dial - but she was worried that they wouldn't be able to dial 999 in an emergency. So she put it on the 9. They could phone anyone who didn't have a zero in their number.
(TheWeeWitch hasn't been here much recently .., Thu 23 Oct 2008, 20:59, closed)

Oh, but you can tap.
Tap the hook down quickly for the numbers, pausing between each digit.

You soon get the knack (as my old landlord found out, when he used to take the dial off the phone).
( Ghoti Fingers, Thu 23 Oct 2008, 21:58, closed)

That's true
I used to do it.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Mon 27 Oct 2008, 13:09, closed)

A bit
Unless I'm reading it wrong, but apparently he even did it for incoming calls to their phone, when it doesn't cost anything. Yeah, my parents used to have a go at me if I was making long calls, but not if I was receiving em.
(Fredz A graveyard of hopes, a dump of ambition, Thu 23 Oct 2008, 21:14, closed)

He was right to be cautious.
When AOL charged by the minute, I foolishly allowed my kids free rein as long as they used it at off-peak times.

One £580 phone bill later, courtesy mainly of the young Master Quar, I saw the error of my ways.

No bollocking though - just a sharp intake of breath. 'Twas all my own fault.
(Juan Quar is clinging to her front teeth on, Thu 23 Oct 2008, 21:43, closed)

My stepdad
Was a complete cunt to me.

Moved in when I was 14, turned me from a bright normal boy into a bitter and twisted adult.

Tight? Mostly where I was concerned, wouldn't let me have the radiator on in my bedroom for example.

I try not to dwell on it.

Goes to open another bottle of wine...
( stopmeandslapme Cometh the hour, cometh your mum, Thu 23 Oct 2008, 23:25, closed)

Mean in both senses of the word
My heating hasn't been working lately, and the heating from the flats above and below is no substitute for the radiator in my room not working. It's pretty miserable, but at least I know its accidental and being dealt with. I can't imagine how it felt having it purposively withheld from you by the people that are supposed to care for you - you definitely deserved better.
(cherrynicola, Wed 29 Oct 2008, 11:19, closed)

Spending longer than five minutes in the shower...
would often cause my parents to burst angrily through the bathroom door (which didn't have a lock) and knock madly on the translucent shower cubicle until the water stopped running. Is that just them being "frugal" or a gross invasion of a teenager's privacy?!
(Ella Mentree, Fri 24 Oct 2008, 0:10, closed)

"chord" - you had a musical phone then?
or were you a minor key?
(Dangermouse., Fri 24 Oct 2008, 14:56, closed)

Don't be silly..
..he wouldn't have been 'aloud' a musical phone.
( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Mon 27 Oct 2008, 16:47, closed)