Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-30

other question often thrust at opera
tors by woman subscribers. Now.
there may be three dozen Mrs. Joneses
or Mrs Robinsons or Mrs. Smiths in the
phone book, but that fact doesn't banle
the woman making SUCH call little
bit. We switch them on to informa-
TONS wire, and they put the same FOOL
ish question. whats Mrs. Jones num-
ber?" to information, without stating
the address of Mrs Jones. and then
they become peevish when 'informa-
ton asks them which Mrs. Jones they
want to be connected with. This may
sound incredible. but it is posltively
true. / never would have believed some
women could be so utterly absurd ana
unreasonable if 1 had not taken up the
work of telephone operator.
The greatest difficulty an operator has
is to fight down the constant temptation
to make tart replies to the curt or down.
right ugly people who the phone
us that line going to be busy all
day?" is question that is hurled at US
sometimes dozens of time in the course
of one watch. How can an operator pos
sibly know how long a line is going to be
busy? Often, when that question is thrust
at me. in a peculiarly raspy way. | feel
like replying, Il hope so!' But patience,
and an unlimited quantity of it. is the
first requirement of telephone operator.
We tried out for patience before we
are set to work at a board at all, and we
acquire more of it all the time through
COISlduL cAeTCiSc Ol Tie IdCullS All
operator who gives way, even under the
worst imaginable provocation. to temper,
can't hold on. The operator who can't or
won't submit to the wire nagging is bound
to lose her position. And there are al
ways plenty of girls waiting to take her
place.
/ have said that .the men folks are not
angels on the phone. They're nothing
like angels, some of them; but they're
more out-and-out, as it were, in their
chidefulness when they're impatient, and
the things they say don't sting the opera
tor as the words of the women do.
A man, for instance. never says fatty
that he doesn't believe that the line is
busy when the operator tells him that it
is. Generally. if he is skeptical in that
respect. We'll hear him rumbling and
grumbling to himself as he hangs up his
receiver. AT least, he's nice enough about
1t not to mean to have us hear the
things he's saving: and good thing, too,
for some Of the things he thus says are
very rumbly and grumbly. indeed and
sprinkled through with words beginning
with big "Ds.' Men are just as prone as
women to believe that the OPERATOR, for
some dark. mysterious purpose, is seek
ing to deceive them when she informs
them that the line is busy-for this is an
impression, j verify believe, that phone
users never will get out of their heads;
but men don't accuse each other of falsi-
flying on slight provocation, and SO they
see no good reason why they should ac-
cuse a woman of doing SO, no matter
what their private belief may be.
on tell that to Sweeney" / hear
lot of the men growing. more to them
selves than to any one else. when 1 in
form them that the line is busy; but
when the operator replies back that the
line really is in use, but that she will
get their party just as soon as she can,
the men thank her, whereas the women,
in the same circumstances, either hang
up with bang or else say to the opera
tor. warnfully, We'll, see that you dol"
An operator can take a chance, too.
every time that man has sense of
humor. An impatient man who. the min
ute after taking off his receiver. gets the
operators request for the number he
wants. sometimes will break out, Whats
the matter? I've been trying to get cen.
trail for an hour or sou just as the wom-
EN- generally make it "a half hour" But
when the operator says back to the :
man. sweetly. AN hour?" he is more
than apt to reply. well. I've been try
ing to get you for all Of a minute" Or