The switched off answering machine. Why ?

[Adam]

Turning it off when arriving home is risky.

You may forget to turn it back on again when going out. Meaning you miss important calls. As well as miss messages when at home - shower, stereo, asleep etc.

Anyway as mentioned, Jeremy felt it was important to turn off his answering machine at 10pm. Although he was going back to work at 6pm.

Not sure what calls Jeremy was expecting between 10pm - 6pm which he felt he would have to answer himself. By a 'curious coincidence' there was a 'mysterious' 3pm call that night.

[SaraT]

Turning it off when arriving home is risky.

You may forget to turn it back on again when going out. Meaning you miss important calls. As well as miss messages when at home - shower, stereo, asleep etc.

It's not risky it's how it was. Come home listen to your messages and switch it off. In those days phones weren't such a big part in people's lives like they are now. Things change and move forward.

[Adam]

Home phones were even more important in the 80's.

There was no emailing, skype, texting or mobiles. Having an answering machine on 24/7 would have been vital.

But Jeremy decided to turn his off at 10pm. Although he was the 'laziest man alive', he wanted to answer any unlikely calls between 10pm - 6am himself. You know what, he did.

[SaraT]

Home phones were even more important in the 80's.

There was no emailing, skype, texting or mobiles. Having an answering machine on 24/7 would have been vital.

But Jeremy decided to turn his off at 10pm. Although he was the 'laziest man alive', he wanted to answer any unlikely calls between 10pm - 6am himself. You know what, he did.

You are trying to rewrite history. In the 1980s answer phones were not switched on when you were at home.
It's like saying outside toilets were a stupid idea so therefore they never existed.

[nugnug]

the piont of answering is they they were there for when you were out when your in you have no need for them. id be more suspicioss he would be more suspicios if he had left it on it would mean he had gone out.

[Adam]

the piont of answering is they they were there for when you were out when your in you have no need for them. id be more suspicioss he would be more suspicios if he had left it on it would mean he had gone out.

If he had left it on then Neville would have left a message. Which would have cleared Jeremy.

There are lots of advantages of leaving it on when at home. Which I have already mentioned. As well as disadvantages of turning it off. Which I have already mentioned.

But appreciate supporters have to say the answering was off. It has to be.

Jeremy remembered to  turn his off when arriving home. There was no advantage of doing this. I mean who is going to phone him which is so important he has to speak to the person between 10pm - 6am ? If he was expecting such a call, he would stay awake and answer it. As it happened he only made two calls to Julie.

However a disadvantage is that he may not hear a phone call when asleep and not answer. The caller is unable to leave a message. As it happened Neville rang and was not able to leave a message. However was prepared to wait perhaps several minutes for Jeremy to answer before saying his eleven words.

[SaraT]

You can say till you're blue in the face there were advantages to leaving it on but the fact remains that in those days people did not switch their answering machine on when at home.

[Adam]

I wonder if Neville did The Times crossword while waiting 'perhaps' several minutes for Jeremy to pick up the phone.

[SaraT]

I wonder if Neville did The Times crossword while waiting 'perhaps' several minutes for Jeremy to pick up the phone.

Maybe he used those minutes to think 'if only it was the future and people switched on their answering machines all the time'

[Adam]

They could have been those last thoughts.

Good that today's society have 24/7 answering machines. Turning them off and on all the time would drive me mad.

[nugnug]

Anyway Jeremy turned his answering machine off when arriving home.

This was so any calls between 10pm - 6am he can get out of bed and answer it himself. Providing the call wakes him.

This is refuting Lookouts claim that Jeremy was the 'laziest man alive'.

he wasnt expecting any calls he had no need to worry about that.

[lookout]

 Maybe he was living in hope that JM might call him.I don't think anyone in her company went to bed that early.
Nothing sinister in leaving an answerphone on.

EP took the tape away and nobody's heard about it since,so you can rest assured that no reference was made in blaming Jeremy for anything on that score. Why it's under wraps,I don't know.

[nugnug]

i thought the answer phone was switched off.

[lookout]

Not according to Jeremy's Wit Stat.

[susan]

i thought the answer phone was switched off.

hello nugnug I am no longer sure whether it was on or off Jeremy would know