Rejection Hotline Guide
February 19th, 2009 by Dilettante DerekLast weekend, my buddy Jay went out to a bar, it was a pretty standard Saturday night, he met a girl and he got her number at the end of the night. He’s actually the kind of guy who does call the next day, and when he did, he got this ” This is not the person you were trying to call, you have reached the rejection hotline.”
Credit: Dora Pete
The Rejection Hotline. A website hosting a myriad of phone numbers, that anyone can use to short-cut their way out of a variety of awkward situations. From a regrettable one night stand to “The Telemarketer’s Nightmare” a hilarious rant intended for call center employees. Did I spend an afternoon calling these numbers? Yeah I did. Don’t judge me.
The hotline itself is not new, but for Jay this was a first. Personally I find the concept more than a little amusing and the advertising tagged on the end of the message adds a touch of bittersweet commercial irony. But Jay’s not quite as cynical as I am, he’s a nice, trusting, sincere guy, who didn’t quite get it.
Ladies, listen if you are an attractive enough girl, who has been the victim of an attempted pick up by a creep enough times to actually pack a fake phone number from a rejection hotline as part of your going out arsenal, be grateful for your DNA. Then please use some discretion when discharging that weapon. I mean can we at least agree on some ground rules?
If a guy approaches you, and buys you a drink and/or simply engages you in conversation long enough to feel like he won’t get slapped for asking for your number, and you have no intention of ever speaking with this guy again and you are inclined to give him the digits of the “Rejection Hotline”, stop and ask yourself what kind of guy is this?
Is this the kind of guy who you would have no interest in seeing again because he’s unfortunate or because he’s a jackass? Because frankly I have no problem with it if some dude sends your douche-dar into overdrive and you think Mr. Popped-Collar needs a lesson in humility, because he really, really does. But honestly, the gawky guy with questionable social skills who mustered all of his courage to ask you if you come here often, doesn’t need the daylight reminder that you were way out of his league to begin with. Now of course there are exceptions, if the guy is exceptionally creepy, overbearing, clingy, aggressive or exhibits any other stalker-esque qualities, he deserves the audio slap in the face.
If you feel like giving a guy the wrong number is your best option, because let’s face it’s a timeless easy out for men and women, but if you do it, use some discretion when whipping out the Hotline. Think about what it’s going to do to the guy, weigh the karmic good fortune of your favorable physical attributes and decide if the guy really deserves a kick to the groin. If you look at him and see your reflection in his over gelled hair, or he’s looking over your shoulder to the drunker and easier mark behind you, then, do it, definitely. Because, for starters it’s unlikely he’ll ever dial, but if he does it will probably be later that night when he’s struck out a few more times, in which case the surprise on his face will be priceless, and it’s a shame you won’t get to see it.
But if he’s a an unfortunate guy, who you just aren’t attracted to, go ahead with the one-off approach on the wrong number, you know changing one number to something which could have been the result of sloppy handwriting or a loud bar, and save the poor boy’s last shred of pride.
What do you guys think, when is ok, or is it ever, to go to a professional for rejection help?
Tags: dating, rejection hotline
