Parallel ringing...

All of us get innumerable tele-marketing calls, offering loans, insurances and what not. I say "No" to most of these requests, but occasionally have fallen for this trap. One of these marketing calls I entertained was from Airtel when they offered the "Parallel ringing services". I thought this is one convenient service as most of the time our home is locked and if I get a parallel call alert on my mobile (whenever someone calls our landline), it is better. The marketing guy mentioned how I will be able to distinguish the parallel ringing on my mobile and I immediately registered for this service.

Well, not a bad decision. I do have the luxury of picking the calls to my home number from anywhere in the town/state (never tested in roaming conditions), however, this also puts me into embarrassing situations many a time. First time it happened with one of the relatives who called our home. I was away somewhere and picked the call (obviously I did not notice that small bar indicating the parallel ringing). I generally mentioned to them that I am out somewhere. There was 2 minute silence from the other end. Then the conversation continued at a hurried pace in a suspicious manner. 

Many a times I also get calls from our security in the apartment to let some visitor come to our home or not. I find it hard to explain to them that no one is at home. I do not know what those visitors would be thinking about us though, turning down the entry to our home after talking with the security.

Until some technology and service become popular, there needs some explanation to do - and am getting used to explaining this service to all those people who called our landline ! Tring, Tring...