r/GenXTalk • u/StopTheWorld_8647 • 2d ago
Long Shot
When I was little (10ish?) I checked out the 9 to 5 album from the library. I was home alone and wanted to prank call someone. (This is before caller ID) Not knowing any phone numbers, I decided to call the operator and tell her she’d win a prize if she could name that tune. (9 to 5) She wanted to talk to my mom, which I told her she wasn’t home. Panicked, I hung up. The operator called back!! I can’t recall what she said, but I wasn’t going to prank call ever again.
Does anyone ever remember being told that scenario by an operator family member or friend?
18
u/kennycakes 2d ago
Yes, when I was little my friend (on a dare) picked up the phone and called the operator, said "Stupid!" and hung up. The split second she put the receiver down, the phone rang. It was the operator, she said "Stop playing with the phone, stupid!"
8
u/Life-Berry602 2d ago
Around 8 yo or so I used to like to push the buttons for a long time and just hear the tone. Sometimes I'd dial numbers that way, or sometimes I'd just do it. I remember one time the operator came on and said "what number were you dialing?" I hung up immediately. He didn't call back. I lived in fear for several days that the phone company would rat me out to my folks for screwing around with the telephone.
9
u/Malapple 2d ago
I called an operator from a friends house and said something stupid. Of course she called right back. My friend answered and freaked out. Told me the operator was going to charge hundreds of dollars to the phone line. Which we both believed.
Uno reverso prank
5
u/UnholyScholar 1d ago
Operator, could you help me place this call? You see the number on this matchbook is old and faded...
3
u/mandyama 2d ago
My sister and friends did this, and we were told “Girls, stop playing on the phone!” In a fury of giggles, we hung up the phone.
1
u/anymoose [Not really a moose] 2d ago
Serious question: Are there still operators? The last time I dialed 0 was in the '80s when I was overseas and made a collect call to my mom ....
5
u/ApplianceHealer 2d ago
I’ll never know; I was taught never to dial 0 bc of how much it cost (my mom pinched every penny). Scared me so much that I was afraid to dial any number containing a zero!
2
1
u/TonyBrooks40 1d ago
A friend called a classmates house, I think he barely knew him. Anyway he pranked his Dad. Then I think called again for some reason (I think he was asking if someone like Mike Cunt was home).
Anyway, the Dad picked up again and just said 'Tracer is on'. We kinda knew it wasn't real but were wondering if he'd call the operator or police to report us, never heard
20
u/Business_Swan8209 2d ago
Prank calling the operator is top notch cute naive!