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Don't Pick Up: Missed calls in India

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Re: Don't Pick Up: Missed calls in India

#111

Post by pradn »

Scoundreller wrote: post #46
dreamcompiler wrote: post #23

Long before cell phones and answering machines my Dad was a pharmacist in a small town. He was happy to drive down to the drugstore when a customer called our home needing an after-hours refill, except on Sunday which was his recharge day. On Sundays we were instructed never to answer the phone unless it rang twice, paused, then rang again. Close family members knew the secret code; customers just learned Dad wasn't…

My (now retired) pharmacist said he got a call on Christmas Day because someone got someone a surprise travel holiday that left the next day and they didn’t have enough meds to be away that long. He doesn’t believe they realized he was half in the bag filling their prescriptions.

I looked up "half in the bag". It apparently means "slightly drunk." TIL!

Re: Don't Pick Up: Missed calls in India

#112

Post by webmobdev »

kevincox wrote: post #84
samvher wrote: post #81

I work on a system like this. We provide agricultural advice to farmers (mainly in India and Kenya but also in some other countries). They can leave a missed call on our system, and will receive a call back where they can navigate a menu with information on a variety of topics, or they can record a question which will then be answered by an agronomist (the answer will be pushed to them as a separate call, once it's r…

What is the reason for this? Are incoming calls sheaper than outgoing calls?

Incoming calls are often free (unless you are in "roaming" mode, i.e. outside your city).

Re: Don't Pick Up: Missed calls in India

#113

Post by webmobdev »

kevincox wrote: post #103
jhugo wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are there places where you pay for incoming calls?

I'm in Canada and all of the services I have looked at bill you once you pick up the call. If you are in your local area (for mobile) it is always a local call but you are still charged for the minutes.

So both the caller and receiver are billed?

Re: Don't Pick Up: Missed calls in India

#115

Post by jhugo »

kevincox wrote: post #103
jhugo wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are there places where you pay for incoming calls?

I'm in Canada and all of the services I have looked at bill you once you pick up the call. If you are in your local area (for mobile) it is always a local call but you are still charged for the minutes.

You mean the receiver is billed? I've lived in many countries (but never in North America) and never encountered that. Bizarre.

Re: Don't Pick Up: Missed calls in India

#116

Post by valarauko »

Growing up in the 90s, my siblings had evolved similar signals based on missed calls on our single landline. IIRC a single ring missed call followed by a continuous call was intended for my sister, while my brother had a single ring missed call pattern. My brother was also dating multiple women, and had evolved a system (unfamiliar to me) to keep them all in the dark.

Re: Don't Pick Up: Missed calls in India

#117

Post by kevincox »

jhugo wrote: post #115
kevincox wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm in Canada and all of the services I have looked at bill you once you pick up the call. If you are in your local area (for mobile) it is always a local call but you are still charged for the minutes.

You mean the receiver is billed? I've lived in many countries (but never in North America) and never encountered that. Bizarre.

It doesn't seem that weird to me. The line is active so you pay. If you don't want to pay don't pick up the phone.

Re: Don't Pick Up: Missed calls in India

#119

Post by viklove »

pradn wrote: post #111
Scoundreller wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My (now retired) pharmacist said he got a call on Christmas Day because someone got someone a surprise travel holiday that left the next day and they didn’t have enough meds to be away that long. He doesn’t believe they realized he was half in the bag filling their prescriptions.

I looked up "half in the bag". It apparently means "slightly drunk." TIL!

Red Letter Media's show name makes so much more sense to me now. Thought it was just some random saying!
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