Calling a friend's house and having to talk to their parents first was a canon event.
By @danikay · Nostalgia
We can't agree in the group chat if this was a fond memory or a circle of hell. I say it built character.
The full story
My younger coworker (he's like, 21) was confused why I didn't just text my friend to see if he was home back in the day. I had to explain the whole process of calling the landline, asking their mom or dad if your friend was available, and then sometimes having to make small talk with them while you waited. He was horrified. I think it's hilarious and just part of the deal of growing up in the 90s/2000s. Am I just old now?
How people voted
- Bad Move — 30% (8 votes)
- Needs Context — 33% (9 votes)
- Reasonable — 37% (10 votes)
Readers are split: “Reasonable” leads with 37% — 27 votes and 5 comments so far.
What people are saying
@nellieok — character building is a lie we tell ourselves to cope with the trauma lol
@sageagain — My girlfriend's dad still makes me do this. I'm 28.
@finnmm — If you couldn't handle 30 seconds of small talk with an adult you weren't ready to hang out.
@fayehm — I'd rather have my friend's awkward dad pick up than get a 'k' text any day of the week.
@didntaskbut — Fascinating. A cultural artifact.
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