When I used to be concerned with Alarms and such, I used Call Waiting. Call Forwarding, I also had the SBC answering machine deal and caller ID. I was not on the phone much, and this before Computers and Internet.
Never failed though, go take out the trash and the Alarm Company would call. Be at someone's house and the Alarm would go off and the call forwarded. Ususally about the time I was about to dig into a steak or something.
We won't get into staying overnight and when the Alarm company would call...
I no longer have to deal with Alarms like that anyway.
Still when I did, I used etiquette and folks knew that I needed to forward calls and were understanding. Back then I could not associate , travel with "like" others, Security meant we had to always be separate.
I got mom the Caller ID and a digital answering machine. She also has a cell, in the event she is out and needs something. At home she is slow to get the phone. We won't mention she won't put the phone next to her power-lift chair, where she sleeps to blaring tv preachers and by the time she figures out 'that noise' is a phone ringing, she misses the call. Too many times I have driven over to find out the reason her phone busy - off the hook. [sheesh]
She can at least get the message, and read whom called and the return number.
I did work in the main OR of a hospital. I do not own a cell and refused to have a pager. So I got to use the hosptial cell phone. Nodbody had the number except for those in OR whom needed to contact me for on- call.
Once inside, again I refused a pager. I made it clear kinda stupid to page me for a patient dying, when in the same time to just call me on the cell phone and run to the OR suite. Made sense to me. Policy changed to my way of thinking. I mean if you need me or something, I can run and talk at the same time. Beats trying to find a phone and wasting time calling you when a pt is dying.
OR phone etiquette - differs. Most times we are very polite and talk as normal folks do. There are times, when you answer and " STAT, OR 19, bring and hang up. We didnt' get our shorts wadded up about being rude, the cussing or nothing. Time was critical, we did what we did. Business.
Smartest thing I ever did was go to Sage telecom ( no SBC telemarketing) , then I got mom to switch, less monies for more service. Then I got really smart. My phone is not under my name ( nor is much else).
Word is - the guy that sired me tried to call me. When he couldn't he went to where I "had lived". I'd been gone 11 months.
Ahh...silence is golden, anonymity is more golden.
