Not To Be Disturbed

What I'm getting is that some people don't like phone calls because...they're just not used to them! A self-reinforcing situation. (Maybe it's like potato chips -- one survey found that the best potato chip is the one you grew up with.)

Ursus Ridens

I struggle to pay attention/retain information on phone calls. zoom/teams are not as bad, but i prefer having everything in writing (text/emails) so i can refer back to it later

I'm not young, but I don't like phone calls as the worst of both worlds of real time communication, so no opportunity to self-edit (without awkward pauses, anyway) and no facial cues.

Mark

if I'm gonna deal with voice input, I need face input as well (but not over a camera, cameras make me look terrible) so I don't misread tones. Text is easier for me bc it's bland and impersonal, so I don't have to worry about misreading it so much.

Grumpy Bird

It's not entirely about age. My grandmother found it very difficult to make or receive a phone call since her family got a telephone sometime around World War II. I think it was after the conflict started, but before the US entered the war. I'm pretty sure there were people on the record as having aversions to using the telephone long before then. Different people are different, and some of us have profound difficulties with communication. Sometimes it's limited to certain modes, and other times it's more general.

Some Ed

Also, if you're doing it right, with mixed case rather than all caps stop. Not that I know anything about what telegraph machines are like stop.

Some Ed

The news could also be that - Claire is trapped and Marten's working with the Canadian authorities to remedy the situation without making it more of an international crisis than it is. - They've met an uncannily similar group of people in Cubetown. They hit it off, and they're all coming back to Northampton where they'd fit in better. Don't tell anyone, it's supposed to be a surprise. - Oh my god, there's an explosion every day around 1PM! But we're safe, don't tell anyone who might worry, especially Hanners. - Unrelated to the job search, Marten's grown another foot. He looks really strange now, especially since it's growing out of his forehead. This has to be seen to be believed, he wants Faye to hold off telling anyone until they're back. - Claire isn't taking the job. *But* they'll be staying in Canada a bit longer than expected while their case is heard in court. Marten will be calling someone else from their circle tomorrow. But they'll be fine, the Canadian government has provided them with a really nice attorney. - Claire isn't taking the job. *But* they'll be staying in Canada a bit longer than expected because Claire's a material witness in a murder trial. Somebody's been killing off the Cubetown directors, and she saw one of them happen. It'll be fine, they got the guy, they don't want anyone to worry. - Claire isn't taking the job. *But* they'll be staying in Canada a bit longer than expected while they run through adoption paperwork. Surprise, it's a feral 19 year old woman! But people will understand once they're home and get to meet her. It's late, or I'd probably have a bunch more of these. There are more possibilities than I can currently imagine why they may have called with news but don't want it to spread.

Some Ed

To be fair there's plenty of evidence that Station listens for her. He could just patch her voice to whoever she wants to talk to up there as a result

Damien

It’s a good choice when there’s complex things to talk about or coordinate, but it also requires some dedication to block out time and focus vs just texting while engaging in another context. If it’s a simple question texting is more efficient. I pretty much always text someone before I call as it feels more intrusive.

erutan

bothers people, makes you have to use your voice, can't do it on the toilet, causes anxiety in general

Valk

What is so hard about making a phone call? (Old people want to know.)

Ursus Ridens

The flight attendants always roll their eyes when I insist on jumping out of the plane…onto the jetway.

Mad Marie

But using punctuation in text messages is a form of aggression.

Captain Button

Like a telegram, but with punctuation.

Sean Kinlin

#buttslolbutts #lolbuttslol

Sean Kinlin

Server channels: #general #memes #counting (for Hannalore) #music #butts #buttsbutts #pintsize_only #buttsbuttsbutts

William Davy

The only person I have to call is my mom because she never views her texts, especially as she gets like 50 a day from her family in Thailand.

Miyaa

Texting is the 21st century equivalent of sending a telegraph.

Anybody can go skydiving. It only gets difficult if you want to go skydiving *twice*.

Faye is totally playing the Uno reverse card to Hanner's mom energy in panel 3. 😂

kupo

She should send a carrier pigeon

Gipepers

Yes, do whatever, manipulate people, start a war, just not to have to make a phonecall, I agree.

M.

This is why you text/IM. Both far less intrusive than a phone call, and IM's don't give a darn about long-distance

JourneymanWizard

I've been on both sides of that sort of conversation, multiple times.

Thomas A. Dennis

Hanners of all people should have access to any mode of communication, synchronous or otherwise, that suits her temperament.

Mark

Same here, but honestly there have only been five or six times in my life when I've been forced to choose between those two things.

BookBeard

I mean, it's only been a day. I think they planned to stay a few days for this trip, and I'm not sure if it was mentioned but I'm certain they plan to return at the same date whether Claire accepts the job or not. Faye not wanting to share the news (although she has a point in her not being the one who should share it) could be a tell on what the news is.

Jared Kolbly

Personally, I find it easier to jump out of an airplane than call someone

Afunnythinghappedtome

(makes motor revving sounds)

Mad Marie

oh good, the Faye anger engine is warming up

jimbo

But there could be other explanations so Hanners isn't certain. She needs certainty.

Alex Rahr

‘Marten and the Great Glass Elevator’

Mad Marie

You'd think the fact that Faye has news she can't share (and that Claire and Marten didn't return home immediately) would be enough for Hanners to infer what that news is.

Steve DeGroof

We've had some excellent "glaring at each other" panels recently, great theme :)

Stephen Wells

Butts, Butts, Butts, Butts, Butts, Butts, Butts, Butts, Butts...

SilverbackRon

Marten was pretty distracted by, in order: Moray, Ol' Boaty, Evan, Brant, Atlas, Smythe, and Gremlizabeth. At least he prioritised Faye, and will likely contact significant others when they've got back to their room.

David Paul

I'm sure Marten will be in range soon enough, it's only a matter of time before he pushes the wrong button in a Cubetown elevator and finds himself in low earth orbit.

BookBeard

But you'll bug Faye nonstop no problem suuuuuure XD

DaddyUmbreon

And technically Station is part of the US for calling purposes. Long distance for sure, but still in the US. Calling the ISS is the same as calling Houston because that's where the relay station is.

Opus the Poet

Pintsize would just spam the general chat with pictures of [REDACTED].

Orion Rhine

I absolutely love panel 3.

PixelThis

Marten just needs a discord server for all his eclectic friends. Then so many problems would be solved

Allison Mages

Marten did not think about the force that is a focused Hanners

Onyx

Faye needs to become more scary again if even Hannelore feels more comfortable bothering her than bother Marten

Bagge

Marten wasn't expecting to put Faye in this situation, and Faye is doing her best. She could text Marten to tell Hanners if she felt like trying to alleviate the situation, but that's not her responsibility and there's nothing to say she's currently calm enough to think of it.

Thomas Halpin

All of Canada is on the North American Dialing Plan, Hanners. If you're paying tolls you need another mobile provider.

OldGoat