The Cordless Phone with Answering Machine - An Adventure

Since my friend Chris purchased his new cordless phone with answering machine, he has had nothing but trouble. Although the machine was supposed to have the latest and snappiest digital technology to suppress any disturbances, it's been next to impossible to hear him clearly when we're talking on the phone because of all of the static and interference on his cordless phone with answering machine.  The trouble seems to get worse every time he steps away from the base unit.  Chris thinks that part of the problem is that there is a radio antenna nearby and that the waves that it emits are causing some of the disturbances, but still, this was never a problem when he had his old standby phone with answering machine.

Hearing Voices - Yikes!

Not only does Chris complain of hearing a hiss and occasional radio announcements in the background when he's on the phone, but he worries about signal crossover from other cordless phones with answering machines. Normally he can't really hear what other people are saying and they can't hear what he is saying, but occasionally words slip through. Chris is sort of a conspiracy theorist, so when he first started hearing voices in the background, he worried that someone was tapping his phone and that there were secret agents listening in.  His concerns aren't entirely without merit, though. Although Chris is not a high-powered wheeler and dealer who talks with rich and powerful businessmen, he told me that there are potential security issues.  He said that if people can inadvertently hear a word or two from his conversations over a cordless phone with answering machine, imagine what someone bent on industrial sabotage could do!  I thought he was being a bit paranoid, but then again, I'm old fashioned and stick with a reliable old phone and cord.

Where's the Cordless Phone?

Chris spends a great deal of time on the Internet, reading various conspiracy web sites.  He gets pretty spaced out when he is online, so another problem I've observed with Chris' use of a cordless phone with answering machine is that he keeps losing his phone. Chris takes a call, forgets what he's doing, and leaves the phone on top of a filing cabinet or in the bathroom and then he can't remember what he did with it when he needs to make another call.  To make matters worse, his son takes it and then puts it down somewhere, forgetting to return it. Chris' wife likes to wander outside and lounge in the patio when she is talking with her friends on the cordless phone and then she hangs up and forgets to put the phone back in the house.  Chris has told me that it's impossible to keep track of his cordless phone with answering machine, but so far, I'm not aware of him actually losing the phone.  Since we're friends and I feel sorry for his "cordless phone with answering machine" predicament, I call every once in awhile so the phone will ring at Chris' house just so someone can find it.

The appeal of the cordless phone with answering machine started with office workers because it gave them the flexibility to move around while working when having telephone conversations with clients or associates. But the slick, compact phone headset used by office workers can create some inconveniences. Chris told me that his secretary accidentally walked off to lunch with the compact phone headset still on her head.  He said his office was paralyzed for the entire lunch hour. I'm not sure if he made that up to make his problems with his cordless phone with answering machine problems less embarrassing, but I do know that modern technology is critical in keeping a business on the cutting edge.  Nonetheless, after Chris' adventures, I can't help but wonder if the tried and true methods don't have their good points.