28 - Wednesday, January 27, 1999 - Norn Snore News a ” § ve THE way we communi- cate sure has changed in the last 10 vears, hasn’t it? Now that we have e-mail and tax machines we hardly need the post office. And with today’s advanced telephone syatenis, We can be in touch with cach other no matter where we are, Unfortunarely, my adjust- ment to today’s madern tele phone systems hasi'r been smooth. [can't seem to han- dle all the options. | think it’s home because Pin toe insecure Ir all started with a tele phone anwertng machine | bought several years age to handie important messazes trom coaches, teachers, and bg ge north shore news ARENTAL GUIDANCE work associates. The answer ing machine was a territic see: retary for our family fora while, So good, in fact, thar | gor really cheeky and stopped answering the phone altogeth- er. T would stand beside the Anwering machine as the call came in and listen te the caller leave his message. WE wanted to take the call, F would pick up the phone Tb didn’t want to take the call, Plett it. But people clase to me soon realized what was hap- pening. My kids were especial: Baby steps MAUREEN Chute and 10-month-old Delaney led a number of mother-daughter duos on a recent Tiny Trekkers hike along Seaview Walk. The West Vancouver community centre program runs through March, and features a number of North Shore hikes. For more information caii 925-7270. LAST CHANCE! We're Offering you This Final Opportunity to Saye! This Sale Runs from January 27th to January 32st. then it will be overt! Save up to 0% off! Many items priced from + additional 10% OFF $1 Q%_$) Q” 2 or more items MATERNAL INSTINCT Urban Maternity Wear Store Hours (Pacific Time} Monday - Friday: 10am - 7pm, Saturday: 10am - 6pm, Sunday: 12pm - 6pm way this machi Iyomistrustfid when FE dadn’t answer the phone, “Mother,” [would hear over the answering machine speaker. “TP know you're there, aad it’s pouring rain and I need a ride home trom schol. Pick up the phone, Mother.” Of course the tone got more demanding as P stood beside the phone, smiling wickedly to myself. *Mauh-thur!” Pwould hear again and ageta, and then an angry click. Pm sorry, Fgrew up in Prince Rupert where the NEWS photo Paut McGrath mother’s credo is voure nor sugar, vou won't melt, and there's no way Pm picking up the phone anytime around 3 pn. on schoul days. Or, Td hear something hike. “T know you're there, Shannon. It's vour mother, and vour Auntic Wihna is here having tea and we're coming ever in about TO minutes so tidy up the place.” This in a lovely sing-song voice obviously designed to Jure me to tne telephone. OF course Pd Rave to grab the receiver and cell her not ro. come beeatise [was on my wav out and then Pd be caught red-handed avoiding the call. Tt wasn’t long before f began to feel rapped by the answering machine. Like when someone called me and left a message and } didte’r tecl like returning the call. “Didn't vou get my mes: sage?” the Grade 3 class mom would ask when she tinally gor ine a couple of days atter feav- ing 2 message to see TT would contribute something to the bake sale. “No, f didn’t,” Pwould he. “TL haven't reerieved my mies: sages na few days because Pve been so busy,” would seramble tor a good excuse or, “Our answermg machine has been on the fritz.” Bur it’s rough to talk your way out of blatantly ignoring a recorded telephone message. Phere are just very few believ- able s vou can usc, and everyone, including the Grade 3 class mony, can spot a lame excuse a mile away, I'm telling you, when vou have a telephone answering machine, youre a prisoner. It vot so ridiculous that Thad te put the telephone answering machine away. ne works Then T witched to the BC Tel anwwering system with the call waiting feature, where, if you're already on the phone and there is an incoming cat, vou hear a little beep. You then have the option to put the first caller on hoid while vou take the second call, or vou can switch back and fords berween callers. Ifthere way ¢ tele- phone feature designed to Strike panic in the tiser, this is it, | have to contess, T could: n't handle the beeps. In fact, the sound of them sent me into a tatal flap. [always fel awkward putting the first caller on hold while T took the second call. And most of the people { know are really pushy so they would continue to call until T would tinally lose my resolve and take their call any- wan. Pm now using Call Answer, where messages are recorded at BC Tel if vou are not around to answer the phone or vou're already on the line. This option works for me fora couple of reasons. First of all, incoming messages cannot be heard as they come in, so callers do not get the opportunity to try to shame you into picking up the phone. And second, there's no beeping. Incoming callers are immediately prompted to Icave 3 message if you are on the line. Pye even found a way to excuse myself from respond: ing toa caller’s message. | simply explain, that my aged son retrieved the message and didn’t pass ix along to me. Fotally believable of course, because most of the time it’s absolutely true. —