Interacting with other people’s friends is so awkward, especially when they feel they *have* to interact with you. Take instant messages for example – if you are on someone else’s computer, or you happen to walk by someone else’s computer and notice a message for them, why would you reply to the message?
This is so annoying to me, especially when the person tries to make conversation. And really the only people who would do that are psychotic boyfriends/girlfriends that just want to snoop around and get even. I hate this situation so bad I’ve gotten to where I just won’t type anymore if this happens, or if it’s a missed phone call I’ll just hang up.
I’ve encountered this problem with doing massage a few times. I called a client once to confirm a massage appointment. When the person answered it was an older guy and I said “Hi this is Justin with the massage school, I need to confirm Mary Jane’s appointment for a massage today.”
“A WHAT?” The man screamed into the phone. I explained who I worked for and that it was a professional massage and he yelled some more then canceled the appointment for her. I know she probably got knocked around a bit when he got to her and I felt insanely guilty. But really what was I supposed to do, I called the number she had given me, I didn’t know her husband was going to be some insane redneck asshole…
Another time I got a strange message from someone asking about a friend of mine. As I figured out after a few minutes it was his boyfriend and he had found my massage website on his boyfriend’s computer and all of a sudden me, who has spent the past 7 years practicing legitimate therapeudic massage was a hooker from Dallas.
Yee-haw.
I nicely explained to him that I did not have any kind of sexual relationship with his man before he went off the handle and I closed the connection. What nerve! I thought, but some people are just ignorant so I feel a duty to laugh at it then pass it on for others to do the same.
I think I’ll develope some code for my friends, like I say “Marco!” and they say “Homo!” in return if it’s really them. That’ll work for a while I’m sure.