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Message
Could you tell who your mom was calling on phone?
Posted on 8/4/25 at 3:14 am
Posted on 8/4/25 at 3:14 am
When I was growing up we had all rotary dial phones.
It didn't take long as a kid to recognize the pattern of the "swipe...clak clak clak" of each digit to recognize mom was pissed and calling Dad at work
It was like Morse code or primitive caller ID and I knew if she was calling time and temp, Grandma or Dad just by the rhythm and timing between each digit.
I could be on the entire other side of the house in my room with the door shut waiting on my fate and could still tell.
It didn't take long as a kid to recognize the pattern of the "swipe...clak clak clak" of each digit to recognize mom was pissed and calling Dad at work
It was like Morse code or primitive caller ID and I knew if she was calling time and temp, Grandma or Dad just by the rhythm and timing between each digit.
I could be on the entire other side of the house in my room with the door shut waiting on my fate and could still tell.
This post was edited on 8/4/25 at 8:22 am
13
Posted on 8/4/25 at 3:25 am to RanchoLaPuerto
I knew I had pushed it too much if she was calling Dad instead of grandma.
Eta Grandma could talk her down. Dad's only question was "which one"
Eta Grandma could talk her down. Dad's only question was "which one"
This post was edited on 8/4/25 at 4:25 am
Posted on 8/4/25 at 5:09 am to CAD703X
Yeah, it was easy with rotary phones
Posted on 8/4/25 at 6:08 am to CAD703X
Don't screw up that last number
Posted on 8/4/25 at 6:17 am to CAD703X
quote:
rotary dial phones.
Cheeze n rice, in 15 years, 95% of this board will be dead.
Chicken needs to sell this aging racehorse asap
Posted on 8/4/25 at 6:23 am to CAD703X
Nope… but I knew the sound of my Mama and Grandma car a block away though
Posted on 8/4/25 at 6:29 am to RanchoLaPuerto
quote:
I could tell by her voice.
I couldn’t. My mother is a sweet lady and would only raise her voice at my brother and me (who undoubtedly deserved it). She would go from scolding one or both of us to answering the phone in that sweet, Southern voice. It was jarring. I never get that experience anymore and almost miss it, although it’s because she no longer has to scold my brother and me.
Posted on 8/4/25 at 8:21 am to Turnblad85
quote:just because you missed out on a core memory growing up...
Cheeze n rice, in 15 years, 95% of this board will be dead.
Chicken needs to sell this aging racehorse asap
Posted on 8/4/25 at 8:29 am to CAD703X
quote:
It was like Morse code
similar
did you know you could dial using the switch hook, if you knew the "code?"
Posted on 8/4/25 at 8:29 am to CAD703X
Subtle ‘I had a dad and he had a job’ brag
Posted on 8/4/25 at 10:00 am to CAD703X
yeah we had one with about a 50' cord. my mom could cover over half the house with that thing
Posted on 8/4/25 at 10:03 am to Joe_Dirte
50+ years later and i can still hear the 'zip..clak clak clak clak clak' sequence of my mom calling Time and Temp. 
i woke up most mornings to my mom getting the daily forecast from 325-9421
i woke up most mornings to my mom getting the daily forecast from 325-9421
Posted on 8/4/25 at 10:05 am to CAD703X
My Mom was a "vocal chameleon". She always takes on the accent and speech patterns of the person she's on the phone with. So we could tell if it was my MeMe, her friend Mrs. Pat, or Mrs. JoAnne.
We always teased her about it.
We always teased her about it.
Posted on 8/4/25 at 10:23 am to CAD703X
quote:Yes, easily.
Could you tell who your mom was calling on phone?
After Mom cranked the handle on the side of the phone she'd say into the microphone sticking out the front of the box on the wall, "Lil' Erleen, this is Imogene, would you please connect me to my husband at his shop? Okay, thank you. Give my best to your mom and 'em."
Posted on 8/4/25 at 10:29 am to CAD703X
Yes, and when I was in school and got sent to the principal's office I knew exactly who he was calling just by the numbers he dialed. I knew if the second number was 5 I was a dead man.
Posted on 8/4/25 at 10:30 am to CAD703X
We had a second rotary dial in an office separate from our house. I would carefully unscrew the microphone and pick up the receiver so I could listen in.
I got a lot of information by eavesdropping.
I got a lot of information by eavesdropping.
Posted on 8/4/25 at 10:45 am to Tr33fiddy
quote:
We had a second rotary dial in an office separate from our house. I would carefully unscrew the microphone and pick up the receiver so I could listen in.
my dad worked for South Central Bell his entire life. his ear was attuned to any slight audio discrepancy. i think i tried it once and he was on me like white on rice
after that i didnt dare try to pick up a second phone in the house.
i had forgotten that memory; a few times i would be on the phone with some girl i liked and my mom would pick up the one in her bedroom on the other side of the house and start dialing.
i was like mom..Mom...MOM STOP! and eventually she would put the receiver to her ear and say 'hello?' and realize someone else was already on the line. EMBARASSING
kids today...ya'll dont know how easy you have it
This post was edited on 8/4/25 at 10:48 am
Posted on 8/4/25 at 11:24 am to CAD703X
Back when life made us actually exercise our minds!
Posted on 8/4/25 at 11:55 am to CAD703X
quote:
woke up most mornings to my mom getting the daily forecast from 325-9421
Only a child of Ouachita Parish understands this
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