Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-11-27

Lutte, rank nonsense. Operators simply
don't have the time to be "revengeful" or
anything so delightfully."- human and nat
ural, even il they had the inclination.
We're too busy. The grind is too incessant
We get TO know the voices Of the pills
on our set Of pegs, of course, but we are
too utterly busy every second Of the time
and too keen to keep them from making
foolish and unreasonable complaints to the
manager ever to think Of trying TO get
back at them" as some of them express It,.
THE creature who answers my phone has
a grudge against me- is one Of the COM
moncst complaint some women make
when, after they've been unable instantly
to get the number they want, they demand
the manager" and are switched onto the
chief operators line. AS a matter Of fact
the creature" they complain about may
DO a different operator nearly every time
the complainer uses her phone. for the
board stations are being changed con-
stantly; different operators are on watch
at different hours and so on. But aside
from all Of this, l say, none of the
operators has the slightest chance in the
world to indulge in the luxury Of a grudge
for the simple reason that she is too busy
answering incessant calls and striving to
hold down her job satisfactorily and sue
cessfully to do anything of the kind
Strange Authorization.
Another strange hallucination firmly held
to by a great many woman users of the
phone is that the operators eavesdrop on
their conversation.
BE good enough to stop 'rubbering' on
my conversation, II you please" is re-
mark often made TO us, when in accord
ance with instructions we ask them If
they're still using the phone. When the
line has been in use for an unusual or in
ordinate time on one call, It Is our business
to interpolate the question, Are you
wsiting?" We do this TO ascertain II the
receiver has been replaced on the hook
for there are so many careless persons
who forget 70 replace the receiver after
using the telephone,
About three times out Of five, / should
say, we are Curtly requested to quit rub
bering" on their conversation when we
make this query in the cases where women
are holding long telephone Confabs with
each other. It is horribly irritating, the
constant repetition of this accusation, be-
cause it is utterly unjust. Operators haven't
the slightest desire to overhear the con-
versaton of subscribers. They have no
interest whatever in the personalities Of
the people using the phone.
How About MenP
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 we're, in their chideful-
ness when they're impatient and the things
they say don't sting the operator as the
words OF the women do
A man, for instance, never says flatly
that he doesn't believe that the line is busy
when the operator tells him that 1t is.
Generally, II he is skeptical in that re-
spect, wen hear him rumbling and grumb-
ling to himself as no hangs up his receiver.
At least he's nice enough about II not 70
mean to have us hear the things he's
saying; and a good thing, too, for some Of
the things he thus says are very rumbly
and grumbiy, indeed, and sprinkled through
with words beginning with big DIS" Men
are just as prone as women to believe that
| the operator, for some dark, mysterious
purpose. is seeking to deceive them when
| she informs them that the line is busy-for
this Is an impression, / verify believe, that
phone users never will get out Of their
heads; but men don't accuse each other Of
! falsifying on slight provocation and so
they see no good reason why they should
accuse a woman OF doing so, no matter
what their private belief may be.
"Oh, tell that 20 Sweeney" ! hear a lot
( Of men growing, more TO themselves than
/ TO any one else, when l inform them that
| the line is busy; but when the operator re-
/ plies 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
] Ia M In a.. aFv
| either hang up with a bang or else say
TO the operator, warnfully, wen, see that
/ you do"
An operator can take chance, too. every
! time that a man has a sense OF humor
/ An impatient man who the minute after
| taking off his receiver, gets the operator
/ request for the number ne wants, some
/ times will break out, whats the matter,
/ I've been trying TO get central for an
/ hour or SOL" just as the women generally
make Il "a half hour" But when III,
/ operator says back 10 the man, sweetly
| An hourg' he is more than apt 10 reply
1 Wen, I've been trying to get you for al
/ OF a minute" or something of that sort
and the operator can visualize the grin or
his face as he Makes good" for his ex-
aggerated statement
A Bunch OF B0uuuets.
II man ever does entertain the foolish
| suspicion that the operator "rubbers" OF
his telephone conversation he keeps that
| suspicion 20 himself; I've never been &C
cused by a man Of doing that In my tever
years OF service. Il may be that men, aftel
ALL are more innately crafty than women
despite the contrary impression. and tina
they don't say things over the phone tina
they wouldn't care 70 have overheard b,
the operator; or It may be that they ar
simply more reckless than women and dom
care who overhears them; but az any rat