» Pure Ignorance

Wrong Numbers
Shortly after getting a phone line in my flat I quickly found out that the number was listed somewhere as the number of a Chinese takeaway. Cue lots of wrong number phonecalls. I did have 5 or 6 calls from the ignorant who didn't believe me: (Why do ignorant people always assume they are correct and you are in the wrong?)

Me: Hello.
Caller: Hi, is this so-and-so's takeaway?
Me: No, sorry, this is a private residence, you must have a wrong number.
Caller: Are you sure?

I quickly started getting sarcastic with the callers, but even that didn't deter one lady:

Caller: Are you sure?
Me: Oh, no, now you mention it, you're quite right. This is indeed a takeaway; I just never noticed it before.
Caller: Great. I'd like sweet and sour chicken, two bags of prawn crackers...

I no longer answer the phone in my flat. Partly for the above and partly because one of my friends (Who is a firm member of the mobile generation) had a habit of calling me and immediately asking "Where are you?"

I stopped apologising for length two girlfriends ago.
(Mon 10th Jan 2005, 2:34, More)

» Pure Ignorance

Cheap PCs
Working for a PC chain a few years back I was told a story from one of the outlets. They were selling PC cases for £20. A woman bought one and left happily. She came back the next day and complained that her PC didn't work. Oblivious to the fact that it was just a case and not a full PC. She demanded her working PC and said she wouldn't leave the shop 'till they'd replaced it. (They managed to get her out after a couple of hours)

This was made even worse by the fact that the manager anticipated the possibility of ignorant customers and had put a big sign in front of the cases explaining in big red letters that these were in fact just cases and not fully working PCs...
(Mon 10th Jan 2005, 2:50, More)