Quote Originally Posted by smokey the elder View Post
For about the last year instead of leaving a message, the caller can somehow open my phone line. What's on my machine is "If you want to make a call, please hang up and try again";
I've had that, it is something to do w/ the answering machine, and the "system" not recognizing that the call has been terminated. It happens when my Dad picks up the phone, turns it on and sets it down, as well. * ( 3 ding tones going up the scale) "If you want to make a call, please hang up and try again"* Of course, Dad has no clue what he is doing . . . . After the second time of that sentence, the line usually shuts off; but once, it went through to 911 and next thing I knew, I had police, ambulance and fire at my front door!

I have call blocking and have 3 numbers in there. I also have a screening thing (no clue what it is called) for calls from an "unknown" number - the caller has to leave a recording of their name, then I get a funny ring. When I pick up, I am told I have a call from *recording here.* I can take it or hang up.

Problem: lots of medical offices have unpublished #'s the docs use to call OUT, but they don't want you calling in on that line. Two of Dad's doc's and one of mine actually YELLED AT ME for having this feature turned on, lol. Oops, sorry! It is not aimed at you folks!