Scott's Pet Peeve #8446
by Scott Hardie on July 12, 2010
Not all mobile phones mix a qwerty keypad with their main numerical keypad, but I have an old Blackberry that does. That makes me especially frustrated by companies that only provide a letter-based phone number without showing a numerical alternative (800-LIKE-THIS). I just went to cancel Nutrisystem, and of course they require you to call a counselor rather than just cancel online, and the only number they give is 888-459-THIN. I actually started double-tapping the H before I realized it wasn't going to work. In retrospect, I could have searched online or maybe even brought something up on the screen to map letters to numbers, but instead I searched through a pile of old junk to find a landline phone that I haven't used in five years. After sitting through two commercials and two live sales pitches to continue the program, I finally managed to cancel.
Seven Replies to Scott's Pet Peeve #8446
Erik Bates | July 12, 2010
[hidden by author request]
Steve Dunn | July 12, 2010
Hmmm, that doesn't seem to work on mine. I don't think my Blackberry is that old, either. I think it is this model: http://na.blackberry.com/eng/devices/blackberrytour/
An additional problem is that there ARE letters associated with the number keys... but they're not the letters traditionally associated with telephone keypads. 123 = WER. 456 = SDF. 789 = ZXC.
Tony Peters | July 12, 2010
I only have a Motorola F3 which is likely the most un-tech cellphone
Scott Hardie | July 13, 2010
I would like a more un-tech cellphone. I guess it's nice to be able to get online every once in a while when I'm stuck at an airport or something, but the connection is so slow that I rarely bother. (This site's Dashboard auto-refreshes before it has finished downloading the page, so it never finishes.) I really don't use my phone for anything but calls and a few text messages, and I would like a phone that just handled those functions well and skipped the bells and whistles. I know the Jitterbug is marketed to senior citizens, but it holds a certain appeal. I guess this should make me feel old.
Jackie Mason | July 14, 2010
[hidden by author request]
Lori Lancaster | July 16, 2010
[hidden by author request]
Logical Operator
The creator of Funeratic, Scott Hardie, blogs about running this site, losing weight, and other passions including his wife Kelly, his friends, movies, gaming, and Florida. Read more »
Moving Day
You don't think about how much unnecessary stuff you own until you're paying someone by the hour to move it all. After Kelly and I moved into our new home last night, here's the current state of our living room, guest room, and garage. The house is a mess, and so are we. Go »Rethinking Forrest Gump
Inspired by a conversation this past weekend, I've been thinking about the once-popular movie Forrest Gump. It has fallen out of favor with people who prefer its contemporaries Pulp Fiction and The Shawshank Redemption and believe it robbed them of Oscars, but to me all three films are good. Gump succeeds because of a lot of factors, but consider its acting and its visual effects. Go »What I Did on My Christmas Vacation
The last week and a half was some of the most fun I've had in a long time, and a much-needed vacation. I tend to take many short weekend trips each year rather than one long break, but it feels so good to be rejuvenated and rested for a change. "Christmas" came on Sunday the 23rd, dinner with my mom and Santa's usual generosity all around. Go »Doppelgänger
I saw myself at the grocery. Tall, fat, shaved head, black collared shirt, black slacks, black leather shoes. I caught up to myself and muttered "I like the look" with a wink, and myself smiled, then myself's girlfriend saw us together and laughed. Go »Operation Git-R-Done
This past weekend, I explored my inner redneck in a NASCAR-centered visit to Charlotte with Steve Dunn and my family. Here are the highlights, good and bad. Thursday: Very little sleep before the trip: The Jeep parked outside my window sounded off its car alarm every five minutes (I timed it) from 10pm to 10am. Go »
Steve Dunn | July 12, 2010
Preach on, brother. I've had the same problem with the Blackberry keypad.