OK, I don’t know if this is a particularly “German” thing or just a byproduct of living in a dorm divided into suites, but it’s annoying nonetheless. We have one phone in the suite, in the common area. I don’t know why, but that’s how it is. Those that use it split the monthly cost. I don’t use it because I have a cell phone and don’t want to pay for something twice.

Anyways, the problem comes when someone calls the phone. Most normal people hang up when no one answers after 4 or so rings; maybe even 6 since it’s in the common area of a 6 person suite, so it might take a bit longer to get to it. But I’ve never, ever, heard anyone hang up after anything less than 10 or more rings. It’s astounding. Even more astounding is that they almost always call right back.

News flash: If no one answered after 4, 5, 6, even 7, rings, an extra five more isn’t likely to increase your chances. And if they didn’t answer after ten or twelve rings, they sure as hell aren’t likely to magically appear and answer the phone if you immediately call back and do the same thing.

I’m leaning towards it being a “German” thing just because it happens so often and the callers always seem to be different people calling different suitemates.