ANSWER MACHINES

Man Mountain (9256405@mull.sms.ed.ac.uk)
Wed, 31 Jan 1996 13:01:51 +0000

A token forward!!
[Every now and then we are all pestered by these high-tech
telemarketing companies where the sales pitch is usually
disguised as a survey of some kind. The despicable thing about
these things is that they won't leave you alone. If you hang
up, they will just call back again. One day my wife got a call
from one of these computer systems, and her answering machine
answered. The conversation that followed was hilarious, as it
consisted of two machines talking to each other without having
the slightest idea about what each other was saying. The
conversation wound up in an endless loop.]

ANSWERING MACHINE: "...At the tone, please give your message.
BEEEEEEEEEP."

PHONE: "Hello. This is [Company Name], and we are taking a
telephone survey ... when I ask a question, wait for
the BEEP, then please speak plainly. I will repeat your
answer back to you, and verify it. First, what is your
phone number? BEEEEEEEEEP."

[The answering machine, upon hearing the BEEP, got confused
and thought it was a play-back command, and generated another
BEEP in response.]

ANSWERING MACHINE: "BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP."

PHONE: "Thank you! Your phone number was
443-28347-47756-377764-22222. Is that correct?
BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP."

ANSWERING MACHINE: "BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP."

PHONE: "Thank you! Do you have any children? BEEEEEEEEEEEEEP."

ANSWERING MACHINE: "BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP."

PHONE: Thank you! What is the age of your first child? BEEEP."

ANSWERING MACHINE: "BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP."

PHONE: "Your first child is 1,222 years old. Is that correct?
BEEEEEP."

ANSWERING MACHINE: "BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP."

[--------------- BEGIN ENDLESS LOOP ----------------]

PHONE: "Thank you! Do you have any more children? BEEEEEEP."

ANSWERING MACHINE: "BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP."

PHONE: "Thank you! What is this child's age? BEEEP."

ANSWERING MACHINE: "BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP."

PHONE: "This child is 4,233 years old. Is that correct? BEEEEP."

ANSWERING MACHINE: "BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP."

[---------------------END LOOP -----------------------]

[My wife, upon noticing that the answering machine had been
going for over half an hour, turned up the volume to find out
what was going on. When she discovered this endless loop (by
now she had over 200 children, all over 1,000 years old), she
switched off the answering machine. The computer never called
again.]

See ya , love Dusch
..................................................................
"G.G.R. is the way forward"
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