Bullet Dodged.

So, it’s me again. Inbound tech support for (Large Nationwide ISP/Cable/Phone provider) US based.

Day before yesterday, I got a call that I’m still not over being completely bewildered by.

The BEEP comes in my ear, I say my normal opening greeting while hearing an elderly sounding lady already speaking to someone else as I’m talking.

Elderly, downright ancient sounding lady completely ignores me.

I doubt she even realized that she was even still holding a phone in her hand, in retrospect.

All of this was a bit muffled, but this is most of what I heard over the next 4 minutes:

Elderly lady (not to me) “ARE YOU HERE TO FIX THE TV?? MY TV ISNT WORKING!!!!!”

Man in the background: “No Ma’am! I’m with the power company! You see that pole down there! That’s why your power isn’t working. That line in the street”

Elderly lady: “I DONT HAVE POWER!!! I SWITCHED TO (Large Nationwide ISP/Cable/Phone provider) !!! MY TV ISNT WORKING!!!!

Man in the background: “Yes, ma’am, your electric isn’t working because that pole is down and that line is down, so your tv won’t work either until we get that back up and running. We only need to block your driveway for a little longer and then we will be done.”

Elderly lady (sounding agitated) I DONT HAVE ELECTRIC!!!! I USED TO HAVE ELECTRIC BUT THEN YOUR THEIVING COMPANY STARTED CHARGING WAY TOO MUCH, SO I SWITCHED TO (Large Nationwide ISP/Cable/Phone provider) !!! MY TV ISNT WORKING!!!!! ARE YOU HERE TO FIX MY TV????

All the while in between stunned bouts of silence, I’m periodically repeating my opening greeting, in case this lady actually WANTS me to stay on the phone. While simultaniously too engrossed in the absurdity of what I’m hearing, while also hoping to God that she just hangs up on me.

Finally, around 4-5 minutes in, I read the “Due to no response” script and release the call.

Like holy shit, though.

I realize after the fact that I’m lucky that I didn’t have to directly deal with her, while at the same time wondering how on earth a person like that is left unsupervised for any significant length of time and also how on earth she managed to CALL ME while standing in her front yard or driveway having this crazy conversation with some poor power company technician or whatever.