"Brooklyn1" wrote in message
...

To me the
most offensive telephone manners are from the control freaks who are
right there but won't pick up until they hear me leaving a voicemail
so they can hear why I'm calling before deciding whether to pick up,
they make me leave a long message and then if I indicate I have
something to share that benefits them they pick up... those are the
creeps not worth knowing.

~~~~~~~
I may be one of those "control freaks" you dislike, but not nearly to the
extent you described. I get a great many spam messages (several each
day--some wanting to sell, some requesting donations, some that are blank
and don't say anything if I do pick up, etc.). Those are the calls that
annoy me. So, I screen my calls. If the person's name shows up or I
recognize the number, I always pick up. If not, I wait for the person on
the other end of the line to speak. It does not need to be a long message.
I will pick up immediately if it is someone I recognize, but I do not want
to pick up if I don't know the person (or get a message that show that it's
important). I *never* use call screening in the way you described where I
would only pick up after learning *why* someone I already know is calling.

MaryL