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Phone Boxes Ring When I Pass Them

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Anonymous

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Its been happening for years. Most of the time I am just walking past them and they ring. It happens perhaps once a fortnight on average. It happens wherever I go and I do travel extensively.

At first I thought that it was a trick. Y'know someone hanging out their window near by and ringing the phone just to watch peoples reactions. But no way. It follows me around wherever I go. London, Perth, Glasgow, Oxford, Devon, Cornwall and even the Isle of Arran.

Arran was the creepiest. There were three Phone boxes in a row and someone was in one of them talking away to whoever. One of the other phones began to ring and then while the first one was still ringing out the second one started. I had just said to my pal that "I bet one of these phones ring" Both the phones rung and rung and rung.

I decided years ago not to answer them as there has been a history of very bad, very creepy phonecalls in my family.

My Grandfather was already dead when he phoned my dad to tell him to come home. My dad was on stage when the phone in the box office went. The lady who answered it said that the person, who had a deep voice like my grandad, had phoned the wrong office and that he should ring the Production department. That very instant the other phone went. And I mean Instant. There was no time betwwen the two calls. She answered it and it was my Grandad again asking if my dad could go home.
The show, unfortunately, had to go on and my dad did'nt find out till after the play. These events are fairly common. Y'know, a loved one contacting another loved one at the point of death. That is why I do not like the Phone boxes doing it to me. It gets to me.

I do not want one of these phonecalls and everytime a Phonebox rings I think to myself "this is the one". I dont handle these things terribly well anymore. I used to be a student and hunter of ghosts untill I had an experience. No more please. I have had my fill. I used to seek my own proof with my own two eyes.......well, I am done with it. I dont sleep too well.

I am not under any illusions though for I believe that if the "things" were truly malevolent (not my grandad though)
then our lives, and I mean everyones lives would be effected on a daily basis. Ghost malevolence would be on the news and there would be no doubts as to their existance. If they were harmfull
then the world would have ghosts in its daily life. If they were bad then the history books would be dominated by their unseen power much like they are when they speak of the terrors of human activity.

I now believe that the only creature capable of weilding true badness is Humans. Yes, that could get carried beyond the grave but you can be sure that we would know all about it if it did.

I also believe that there are more good people than there are bad people. There is a heck of a lot of Bad people but there are more goodies out there.
 
ringgg.....riinnng....riinnnggg!

Hey I'll tell you what..If i were you I'ed get ahold of the AMAZING RANDI, and tell him you want the 1,000,000 US dollars he's offering -just get an agreed upon party to tape this a few times in a equally choosen area of phones --if it happens as you say you will be rich!!! : :eek!!!!:
 
Sorry if what you said is a joke but.........I really wound'nt feel comfortable if I was profiting from the calls. Remember they give me the creeps and I dont like the idea that I might know the person on the other end.

I told myself a while ago that if it was a relative then I have lost perhaps 100 relatives. This therefor consoled me because this figure is absurd. Then it occured to me that it may be my refusal to answer them that is preventing anything terrible from happening.

I am not comfortable right now.
 
St Clair,

That's a most extraordinary story. My humble advice is to answer the phone one day. If it is coincidence, then you'll be greatly relieved. If not, then get it over with. Do you really think you're postponing the inevitable? I'm not sure. To me, it's like avoiding checkups so as not to get any bad news, and running the risk of finding out about some malady too late to do anything about it.
Furthermore, the more you avoid, the more it happens...creating layers of fear and apprehension.

Do you know that all of these phone calls have been negative?

A friend of mine lost his mother to cancer. A couple of years later, he dreamt she called him and said "There are six levels. Which one are you on?"

Regardless, I wish you peace.
 
Ring

Oh no! I was'nt jokeing I've always wanted someone to relieve mr.Randi of that 1,000,000 bucks he's offering..it would really make my day,month,year. Maybe you sould have a clergy man go with you and be there while you pick up the phone? anyway be at peace don't let it bother you..keep us updated that will help..:)
 
This reminds me of one of my favourite coincidence stories told by the two people who experienced it on BBC2's Weird Night years ago (at least, I think it was).

There were two work colleagues, one male, one female, the female was working in the office, whilst the male was out and about doing whatever it was he did (roving repairman for the company or whatever). Anyway, as he was passing a phone box it began to ring. For some reason, although he didn't usually, he felt compelled to pick it up. It was his female colleague who then started to ask him about something as if she'd called him at home.
The man asked "hang on, how did you get this number?"
The woman was confused for a moment, then noticed that on the contact details she'd used, she'd mistakenly dialled his employee number rather than his phone number. And it just happened to be the number of the phone box he was walking past at that moment.

Great story, true or not.
 
I will definatly keep you all posted each time it happens.
Thats a really good idea.

I now wish I had kept some records or even a proper count.

Its actually 5 o'clock in the morning here in Scotland and I am a going to go to bed now and see if I can sleep.

I used to sleep like a baby!

I'll tell you all why I dont sleep like a baby anymore but it will wait till tommorow as I dislike these topics so late at night on my own.
Put it this way......it was at the end of my bed.

I can cope better in the mornings when the sun is blazing or in Scotlands case, when its raining.

Cheerio folks, yeez have helped by the way. As I say, I am alone and a tad scared so it helped to be able to talk about it and hear other peoples cut on it. I dont have a problem taking in other views because like a true fortean, I refuse to conclude on such a subject. How can I kid on to myself that I know what it is. I dont.

I wish I did!

Speak to yeez tommorow

Goodnight and God-Bless and cheers again

P.S I hate Hoaxes. They do nothing but dilute the real events.
I would never take part in a hoax. I was a keen student once and they only get in the way. Just wanted to reassure you.
 
Much as I like the idea of relieving Randi of his million dollars, I expect he'd hedge the thing round with so many 'conditions' that he'd never be convinced.

But if you did get the money off him, you could always give it to charity if the thought of profiting fom this thing is disturbing. But probably even more disturbing would be the world-wide publicity such an event would arouse.

But I agree with Minor Drag that it would probably be better to answer the phone and settle this thing, as it is obviously preying on your mind. Do it next time it happens when you're with a pal, for support. Or ask the pal to answer it. A trouble shared is a trouble halved.
 
I dont like the idea of relieving a guy called Randi of anything.
Sounds like it could make an awful mess.

I just want to know what kind of people call public telephones when there is noone waiting for a call back. I mean talk about desperate to chat to someone, altho I bet there has been a few people met the love of their lives thru this. Maybe some of you all should give it a try. Its worth a shot ;)
 
Do you read what you are going along with?

"The lady who answered it said that the person, who had a deep voice like my grandad, had phoned the wrong office and that he should ring the Production department. That very instant the other phone went. And I mean Instant. There was no time betwwen the two calls. She answered it and it was my Grandad again asking if my dad could go home."

What I think is a mystery is how the lady who was in the box office transported instantly to the production office to answer the other phone as it rang instantly. Unless she was just some typical nasty receptionist with both phones in front of her telling some poor sod that she could only talk to him in production on the other line.

By the way, I would say phones ring as I walk by them every day. It is just what phones do. Pay phones maybe no more than once a month, but maybe a little more. A reasonable explanation is the current proliferation of telephone dialing programs that go right on up the line from 111-1111 to -1112, -1113 etc..
 
Maybe if you picked one up you would get offered a job by some local mobster.

I'm sorry ~I've been playing far too much grand theft auto. Its always bothered me that no else ever picks up the phone and gets confused
 
Rube said:
Do you read what you are going along with?


What I think is a mystery is how the lady who was in the box office transported instantly to the production office to answer the other phone as it rang instantly. Unless she was just some typical nasty receptionist with both phones in front of her telling some poor sod that she could only talk to him in production on the other line.
Click to expand...

It was in a small theatre and the offices were across the corridor from each other and yes her behavior was noted as being odd. She could have handled the call whether or not it was the wrong room. She had to make about 10 steps to her own office.

I cant stand it when people like you make such remarks rather than puting it in the form of a question. You could have asked me first about the problem you have.

Also, I do not kid on to know exactly what is going on but you obviously have the knowledge. What a decent Fortean you are!

Why should I bother? What is the point in making it up.

You say that phones ring around you too........so, all that is happening is the same phenomenon. Your point is what exactly?

No one I know has had it happen to them. The other people who replied to my post did 'nt say that it happened to them. You are the first person I have spoken to that has suffered the same phenomenon. The difference is that you remarkably know what its all about. I repeat......what a terrible fortean you are.

How dare you! I feel a bit sick knowing that you are reading this!

He has also offended the rest of the folk with the words "Do you realise what you are going along with". This is a question directed at you guys.
 
Ask questions dont just make statements and then walk away.... you lamer!
 
St.Clair said:
She answered it and it was my Grandad again asking if my dad could go home.
Click to expand...

The question that comes to my mind is whether the box office person actually knew your grandfather by his voice, or did he leave his name?

Whatever the answer to that question is, I also encourage you to find a friend to go with you and answer the phone with you or for you. You sound like you need some peace.

Best to you.
 
The voice on the other end of the phone was asking my dad to come home. There was only one home with a deep, booming voice in residence and that was my dads childhood home with his mother and father.

No one actually phisically phoned him as we found out later on.
The voice was described as being abnormaly low and I mean quite rediculously low. This, we all believe, was my Grandad.

His voice is still very resonant in my mind and the pitch of his voice was indeed incredible.

The woman never said that "It was your dad" to my father.
But she was clearly shaken by the Immediacy of the second call.
When she found out that he had died she became quite frightened.

Anyway, I never wanted to argue about this personal event, I was merely illustrating my unwillingness to answer the phones that go off when I pass. Remember the name of the thread.

At least you put your problem in the form of a question.
That is the true Forteanism. You made a very fine point and I hope I have answered it satisfactorily.

One last point, I did say that there was a HISTORY of creepy phonecalls in my family. A HISTORY........not just one example.
I only gave one example because my post was concerning a problem that I have at present and I did'nt want to reveal my families private matters. I wish that I had chosen a different example because this one hurts quite a bit.

However, it was Rube alone who was being a tad insensitive so perhaps its not that bad.
 
If there is a history , perhaps your family has a sensitivity to being contacted by phone , I realise it is frightening to think the phones might be ringing with messages from dead people ,you may have to be strong - answer the phone and say you don't want to talk ! If you do it enough they might leave you alone ( I have hardly ever had a phone ring near me by the way ,though I do have a distressing habit of having people fall flat on their faces around me - something I have found out doesn't happen to other people anywhere near as often as it does to me )
And really you should not let the whole thing get to you , or feel responsible for what might be said on the phone . You could try protecting yourself before you go to sleep , with some sort of imagined barrier , it never worked for me but it does for most people .
 
I wonder how my family was effected by this phenomenon before the invention of the telephone.

Thank you very much for your positive vibes. I can feel 'em now.

Cheers!:)
 
Such phenomena are all too common since the phasing out of ear-syringing. My quilted balaclava has been a godsend.
Excuse me, that's the doorbell.
 
Originally posted by Dark Detective
Anyway, as he was passing a phone box it began to ring. For some reason, although he didn't usually, he felt compelled to pick it up. It was his female colleague who then started to ask him about something as if she'd called him at home.

I've had similar: an old boyfriend and I were walking into Reading to meet a friend -- slightly late -- when a phonebox we'd passed a million times before began to ring. For some reason I answered it: it was the friend we were on our way to meet. She'd misdialled our home number and rung the phonebox. It should be pointed out we'd never used the phonebox before or since, and weren't aware of its number.

I'm inclined to put this down to coincidence than supernatural shenanigans, however.
Click to expand...
 
Who do you think you're kidding? I point out one of the most blatant inaccuracies in your story, you change how the story goes (still not bothering to comment on why someone in production didn't answer the phone), only now, you make the further statement that the girl's behavior was viewed as mysterious at the time too, then you have the gall to say to me "how dare you?" How dare I what? How dare I think? How dare I think you are retelling a rather worn-out and ordinary story in a poor but nonetheless conscious imitation of the myriad ghost stories that have been told (and need I say read by more than one of us) before? That point of view is rather forced on me by your own hackneyed narration.

"You can't stand it" when people comment on things that you say? All I have to say about that is: boy oh boy, you are in the wrong place. Damn, that is a statement, let me make it a question: Do you know what a discussion forum is? Luckily for me, I don't have such a problem, so I take no offense from you.

People often say "Why would I make it up?" That's a trick question, isn't it? For amusement, why else? Why do you come to this website or make any post here at all, if not to amuse yourself? Do you do it for the greater gratifcation of mankind? Well, ecce homo. (Look, look - four questions in a row.)

Your grandfather dies. Subsequently someone calls to notify his son at work. This person "who had a deep voice like my grandad" leaves a mesage for him to come home. That's pretty strange - death in the immediate family and your father is asked to come home. Wow, what is that all about, eh?
One thing it doesn't seem to me to be about is any reasonable inference that there was some communication from beyond the grave.

In the same vein, both James Earl Jones and I are people who each have a deep voice like your grandad had. That does not mean that your dead grandad is doing radio spots for ATT or making obscene phone calls to my girlfriend. (The former are the work of JEJ; I confess to the latter.)


I don't "suffer" from phones ringing as I walk past them. My "point" about it occurring to me is just as I previously pointed out - it is nothing beyond natural for phones to ring. There is nothing mysterious about it. You hear unmanned phones ring every couple of weeks - so what? (There's another question for you.) You should worry if you heard phones bark or meow as you passed them. Now that would be an inexplicable or at least mysterious and interesting phenomenon, but the fact that they ring...

No, no, I didn't walk away. Neither was I waiting around panting for a response. As you noted (surprisingly correctly tho' you meant it as sarcasm), I tend to know what I am doing and saying and I am confident in my ability to understand what happens around me. I wasn't worried that this board would disappear before you or someone else responded to my message, nor would it be gone when I came back for a look see. Here's another question for you: You a nervous sort of boy ain'tcha?

Get a grip. I know, that's another statement, but I feel strongly it is worth making.
 
I can handle your points easily, one by one.

1. There was no one in the production office. Hard to believe, I know.

2. I have already said that my post was not primarily about this phonecall. Its about my present problem. I merely refered to a family HISTORY of creepy calls as an example of why I am nervous to answer the phones. This is another matter that you have failed to question me on.

3. I said that I cant stand people who make a statement RATHER THAN TRYING TO PUT IT IN THE FORM OF A QUESTION. So did Charles Fort and most other people. It is arrogant. You did not attempt to discuss it. You attempted to debunk it without investigation. You are not a fortean. You are simply arrogant.

4. I said that no one physically phoned and it was a small family.
Mainly women and children. No deep voices. Why would a member of the family in which a person has just died do such a strange thing with the phones? The second one started the instant the first was put down. C'mon give me an answer.

5. I never said that it was beyond doubt and I want you to quote me on that point. What a stupid statement that would have been.

6. Did you or James Earl Jones phone my dad. If not what is your point? If a deep voiced neighbour done it.......how?

Why could you not just ask me some questions to fill in the gaps.

You made a statement and walked away. Everyone else asked questions. If you thought it was such a dull event why bother with this? How come everyone else is interested?

Do YOU realise what a discussion forum is? You did not attempt to discuss anything with me or the other people. Did you?

You jumped down my throat before I even had a chance to speak to you. You are still doing it and you have not managed to form a decent argument yet. Your investigative skills are highly dubious and you have very little to contribute to this thread.

You wrote a hell of a lot and said very little. You should read my words again because you read 'em wrong. Therefore your argument are just plain mince.

I did not realise that gaps in a story were actually blatent innacuracies. Is this an international law or just more arrogant rantings. Again, could you give me an example of one of these "Blatent Innacuracies"And I mean it. You cant!

I think you could probably piss off now because I have answered your questions. Dull, though they were.

Or retort you bugger. C'mon, make yourself fail once again.

Your view is weak and ill founded and I challenge you to continue.

Also, make your bloody mind up.....either you believe that it does happen and that it is perfectly normal or my story is Blatently Innacurate.

Next!
 
St.Clair said:
I can handle your points easily, one by one.
Your view is weak and ill founded and I challenge you to continue.
Next!
Click to expand...
I wouldn't ask for arguments, it will stop the thread developing into any real or interesting discussion, which i think your story is worthy of.
 
Thankyou Faggus,

I will stop responding probably but he got my goat up!

One more, very important point, Rube.......what in my story changed? This was the first accusation you put to me.

Quote me boyo!
 
I think I can see the bit that he is moaning about actually and before I explain it may I point out that the section dealing with my grandads call was one paragraph in the context of another thread. I was not attempting great detail as I was trying to cover my present problem.

Well......the woman was sitting in her booth by the stage door and she heard the phone in the box office, which is what we all called it anyway. She left her booth, which she was not allowed to do, and took several steps into the box office. She answered the phone and told the speaker that he must phone the Production office instead. Both the production office and the box office were empty and she was in the unenviable position of rbeing in charge of all three offices herself. Her booth was the theatres security and she should have stayed in it.
As soon as it was hung up, the other phone began to ring.
We do not know why she could'nt handle the phone call there and then. Anyway she stepped into the production office and finished the exchange. She told him that there was no way that the play would be stopped for this phonecall and could she take a message. "Could ##### come home please"

I feel this could have been cleared up with a decent bit of investigation, patience and a set of questions. He saw a problem, which was indeed an unclear aspect but he aggresively tackled it with arrogance. If you aggrivate a witness or a source then you aint gonna get a decent, calm answer. The rest of the people dont want to hear you and me doing this.

He aint a skeptic.......he is insensitive, arrogant and dull.

Dull, because I have seen his other posts and he seems to wait untill he finds something objectionable. How dull.
 
St.Clair said:
The rest of the people dont want to hear you and me doing this.
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And Amen to that too!

However, St.Clair, you seem to be willing to give as much as you get, which doesn't help the situation.

Don't respond to wind-ups. Most of the regular posters here have the intelligence to know which posters are idiots, and they either ignore them or they 'Ignore and report' them.


Is it just me me getting paranoid, or is it the phase of the Moon, but are there more stupid squabbles on the board tonight than is normal?
 
....

I can see how your post could come across as 'attention seeking' because you haven't so far revealed all the information you perhaps could have done.

Are you waiting for someone to ask you about these 'creepy calls' that you say your family have experienced?

& if you're not prepared to answer one of those phones, how can YOU call yourself a fortean? Like someone mentioned earlier, why not get a friend to answer one at the first opportunity?

Sorry, but if you're really not prepared to pick one of those phones up & determine whether there's anything 'creepy' going on, this particular discussion isn't really going anywhere.

Phones ring. That's what they do.
 
St. Clair, since about 40% of the posts here are by you about either you or me, I can see that someone is interested in seeing what you have to say. However, it is not me.
 
rynner said:
Most of the regular posters here have the intelligence to know which posters are idiots, and they either ignore them or they 'Ignore and report' them.
Click to expand...

O.K. Cheers Rynner. It is easy to see the difference between those who care and the dafties. I will certainly try to ignore and I will definately report it in future.

Please, dont think of me as being as being one of the dafties. I really dont want people thinking that I am a time waster or a talker of nonsense.

I am a human first and fortean second and I am genuinely freightened of things that I used to study closely. That is why I dont want to answer the phones. Its horrible being made to feel as if I should'nt be talking. I feel bullied and intimidated. I mainly feel hurt. I have been reading fortean since the early eighties and it is still my favorite news stand magazine. I have been looking forward to interacting with it for a very long time and I only expected other open minded people to join in.

I have been called an attention seeker, a liar (in so many words)
that my story is worn out and ordinary, etc,etc. I feel like I am being bullied!

It also hurt, Rynner (and I dont have a problem with your advice as a moderator, indeed you are quite friendly) when your moderation seems directed entirely at me. Perhaps you are just being consistant with you advice. "Just ignore them." Yes, this seems likely (I hope)

I just feel hurt by all this, and thats the truth. I was'nt trying to attack anyone or make anyone else feel smaller than me. I wanted to share an event with people.

What really upsets me is that some of his points were valid and he highlighted areas of my story that seemed inconsistant. He just went about it in a horrible way. I did expect people to point out different things and ask questions or argue but not like this.
I want to apologise if anyone saw me in the same light.
 
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