A few weeks ago, very early on a saturday morning I thought it would be funny to abuse a drugs and alcohol helpline (Talk to Frank).
After making a few stupid drunk calls to them they stopped answering the phones- i know this cos i used different phones- so fair enough. I decided to conferance call them on each phone blocking their lines with 18 incoming calls over three lines- none of which got picked up. I kept it up for a few minutes and then something amazing happened...
I noticed that a few of my incoming calls to them were being put on hold- a very silent and lonely place to be. When then I heard ringing tones, and a number of people started talking to me at once!
Turns out these random people were also calling the helpline and we'd all been routed into the 'community bin', so I had fun with them for nearly half an hour;
(the conferance call, most of them i just couldn't hear them, but...)
DRUNK "Is this talk to Frank?"
ME ALSO DRUNK "Aye that's right fella, whaddya want?"
DRUNK *silence*
ME "Well whaddya want ya feckin junkie?"
DRUNK *silence...* Uh... i was using cannabis and i was drinking i dont feel that clever"
ME "Well no you ain't too clever if you're a junkie now are ya?"
DRUNK LADY "Iz dis talk to Frank?"
ME "No this is sex addicts annoymous"
DRUNK LADY "Wh- *she checks her phone* No no this is talk to Frank ain't it?"
ME "We cater for drunks and junkies and crack hoes, do ya fit any of those categories?"
DRUNK LADY "...um, i dunno"
Sadly i myself was drunk and miles away from recording equipment, otherwise this would've been wonderful.
ANYHOW, after about half an hour or so my call got disconnected suddenly, and I called back, but again no one answered.
I'd guesstimate that this mass and unscheduled conferance call couldve been the result of Skype, most new mobiles are skype compatible, mine is- but its not been activated. It sounds about right that if one caller had skype activated, it could've temporaily activated the other users handsets?
I dunno. But the story ends here.
