HW R U?

My husband received this sms last evening from a client who has recently moved abroad – HI (NAME SPELT WRONG) HW R U?

Nice ‘thinking of you’ message – except

1. this was not written by a 13 year old, as you may have immediately thought (as I did – what with the all caps and the spelling and the awful HW R Us – but let me not get started on that one)

2. it was sent at 7.45 on a sunday evening.

My issue is with the latter.

What is it with people who assume that having a call phone automatically puts you in the market for unwanted communication at any time of the day – and night?

Another of my husband’s colleagues (ya, he does make friends with some strange people) called him last week at 11.30 in the night to discuss an issue that even he did not think was that important… (I know this because he cheerfully signed off when it was suggested to him that this discussion could happen at a more decent hour)…

I also know that people carelessly pass around my mobile number to anyone who cares to ask them – it does not occur to them to ask me or suggest that the third person asks me directly…

I understand that in India, concepts like privacy are not such a big deal – but it seems to me that with the cell phone, people have lost all perspective.

It is not ok to send me sms forwards (sometimes just as a way of ‘keeping in touch’). Or call at any odd hour because something has gone wrong at work – surely it can wait till the next morning…

How did people cope before the mobile phone became so popular? How did we live without this need to be communicado all the time?

And please, do not even suggest to me that if you want a mobile phone, then you must be prepared for this. NO. This argument has a very shiv senaesque logic about it – if you wear a mini skirt, then you must be prepared to be molested.

I have a mobile phone for my convenience. So that I can keep in touch with people I know – friends, family, colleagues, acquaintances to whom I have given the number – and they with me. Within reasonable boundaries of time and space…

And not so that Atal Bihari Vajpayee can call me and request me in his gruff voice to vote for the BJP this time… (ok, I am sure he did not personally dial the number, but what the heck)

Or for HW R U messages… I am fine, thank you. And you?

16 comments

  1. Aptly written. I mostly don’t pick up the phone unless it is from family or friends. In fact for my wife I have a different ring tone (though we are never away from each other during the weekends) and for my parents and sisters I have a different ring tone. For the rest, I first see who it is and then answer back.

    You’re right. Having cell phone doesn’t mean you can be called at any time.

  2. I use my mobile when it is really really urgent…thank god i don’t have such friend who would disturb me at such crazy hours. As you rightly said, in the Indian context, we don’t give much importance to things like privacy.

  4. seriously..cellphones can be a nuisance.. and most ppl forget we had a perfectly ‘normal’ and ‘fully functional’ life before them too..

    i also got ABV calling me and i also blogged abt it 🙂

  5. That was some rant. You just got some cell phone spam although sadly from people you know. I guess, that makes it worse.

  10. being anti-social rocks for sure! it is a lot more fun and a lot less effort!

    and as for those who are lucky enough to use their cell phone sparingly and for only family and friends, all I can say is – good for you!

    TF, interesting about ABV – wonder if more people in Delhi were called? will check out your post

    Lakshmikanth – any time is good – so long as you dont text me immediately to tlel me that you have dropped a comment here!

    ya, v did hv a flly nrml ‘n fnctl life b4 clphones – so y not nw?

  11. so true. i have had calls at 3.30 in the morning from assorted production crew on the cell.
    poor intern:madam, the tape is stuck in the recorder.
    me: grrr. who are you
    poor intern: mam, i work in your unit
    me: me. grrr. i know. but what do u expect me to do about a stuck tape in a recorder at 4 in the morning
    poor intern: but it is 3.30 mam.
    me: grr. i will see u in the mornin

    this has happened so frequently that its not funny. i got a client callin me at midnight on a budgetary issue. just last week.
    client: are you asleep
    me: no i was busy painting the building from the outside
    i give up.

  13. harini, grr is right – exactly my sentiments – what do you expect me to do at this hour?
    as for blogito, yes, you *would* love it – I like it too 🙂

  14. Hi,
    I’m living in France and don’t want to have a cellphone;in public places like libraries it is utter nuisance.I have not any idea of how it works there.Don’t you have a kind of message box to record your calls

  15. Pardeshi, I know, mobile phones ringing loudly in public places is the worst – esp places where you expect some silence and respect for others’ preference for silence, like a library or movie hall – and esp with the new film-song ringtones. ARGGGH!

  16. get over it, get a new number and dont give it to people who are social (which is normal) and then you can go off too you little isolated life and have fun with the little demons in your head. Cell phones are for communication. oh no thats right some people just get them so they look pretty…

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