Do you answer your phone when you hear it ring?

Yes, I'll answer it even when I'm busy, but No, I won't answer it sometimes if I'm in bed (no phone in my bedroom, which I have to say is a wonderful thing!).

I will cause it bugs the hell out of me when it rings and no one answers it. Even when they are closer to it.

I only have a cell phone now, and it has caller-ID. I don't recall ever hearing it ring, and not answering it. When I only had a land-line (with voice-mail), I rarely answered the phone. I refuse to answer the phone if I'm cooking, eating, in the bathroom, or having sex.

*Chuckle* I'm actually far less likely to answer my phone at work - my work involves several intense meetings per day, and it's best not to interrupt them, so I let the voice mail pick it up.

The reason I didn't ask about work phones is that the decision of whether to answer may well depend on priorities other than ones own. I mentioned being obliged to answer because it exemplifies the idea that one's personal preferences might not apply at work. This is a familiar concept to me, because I once worked a telephone technical support job, where answering the phone was the vast majority of the work.

It's never occured to me not to answer the phone

I use caller-id, but I don't screen calls with it very often (though, I might if I felt like it). It's certainly nice to see a friend's name on that little screen.
I usually don't answer the phone if I'm in bed, even if I'm awake.
I don't answer the phone will engaged in sex.
Sometimes I don't answer the phone if I'm feeling stressed out or anxious.

Usually yes, unless I really don't feel like talking to people.

I am horrible. I am RUN by my phone. Always have been. If it rings, it gets answered

We get so many solicitors calling (usually several every day) that we stopped answering the phone. One line has an answering machine, and the other has Caller ID. If we recognize the caller as someone we want to talk to, then we answer.

No...I screen

i only answer if i am expecting a call. i get too many calls that are phone solicitation!

WTF, what happened to the good old days, when the phone rang, and you answered it. And if someone called and you werent there, it was simple: they called abck later. I am proud to say that I have NEVER left a message on an answering machine, and I have NEVER owned one.

Yes, and nobody ever beats me to it.

The great age of telephone solicitation dawned, and now if you pick up the phone when it rings, you're likely to end up connected with a person doing a stilted reading of a sales pitch, or some other annoyance. Many people have reacted by screening calls, thus hindering the telemarketers' attempts to subvert the telephones of others to their own nefarious purposes.

Or something.

Or I'll tell one of my children to answer it, if I know it is a telemarketer or solicitor!

I usually answer, because if I am home I am unlikely to be doing anything important.

cody: What happened to the good-good old-old days when, if you wanted to talk to someone, you had to make an appointment days in advance or else visit during regular calling hours... and then you had to be polite or they wouldn't waste their time with you?

We don't normally answer it. We let the answering machine get it. If I want to talk to the person, I'll pick it up, otherwise I'll ignore it.

I will usually answer the phone. I always wait to the third ring first though, unless I know for sure it's for me.

What a tease!

You know it!

It all depends on my mood (and boy do I get moody!)

I let the answering machine answer.I hate answering the phone because it might be my low life relatives wanting something from me.

I am very selective about which calls I answer and which I return later.

I let my boyfriend answer it. I hate talking on the phone. If he isn't home I might answer it, depending on who it is.

When your credit is as bad as mine is, the sound of a ringing phone is chilling.

That makes you proud? Wow. You're easy to please.

I answer it but I usually use caller id

I'll answer it unless I'm in the middle of breastfeeding Claire.