Have you ever noticed how people repeat themselves on the phone? I even do it myself, although I'm trying to stop. No, I'm not talking about retelling a story, or dragging up the same topic again (which I am completely guilty of, sorry Weenybop). I'm talking about the double greeting - saying hello (or equivalant) twice in a row. Observe this common start to a phone conversation if you don't get what I mean:
(Betty's phone starts to ring, so she stops doing her dance karate in her living room and picks it up)
Betty: Hello? (still hears the phone ringing so examines it) Oh silly me, I forgot to press the button again! (presses the button) Hello?
Daniel: Hey, it's me.
Betty: Oh hi. (Launches into the conversation)
See what I mean? Now, this brings us onto the important question - are two greetings really nessasary? Well, silly as they sound when you really listen to them, it appears they are nessasay as a) if you do not greet the person twice but leave a pause after they say hi to let them continue but they don't fill it so an awkward silence follows, this starts the conversation off in a bad way which is not good, and b) only people who are know by the answerer get two hellos - strangers are never greeted this way, so it afirms you status as know by them.
Also, another silly thing surrounding phones is the amount of people in the western world who are called Me. Seriously, I was going through all my phone messages the other night and I'd say at least 90% of the people on it were called Me. The stupid thing was, as people's voices sound different on the phone, I didn't have a clue who all the Mes alter egos were!
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