I was the first in my family to get a cell phone and as soon as I got it (in 2003), I gave the number to everyone, wrote it in every form, wrote it down everywhere and said it to everyone. I never thought I'd have to get rid of it. When the time came to move to Europe for a year, I had the option of paying a nominal fee to maintain my cell phone number for a year, or ditching it. I decided that I'd ditch it.
For the most part, I've liked not having a cell phone in Italy. I actually do have one, but I never use it. It's pay-as-I-go. In America, I was all over the text messaging and whatsuch, and I realize now what an interruption that is on a daily basis.
Anyway, tonight I received a text from my old cell phone number. I was, quite honestly, shocked. I didn't know what was going on. Figuring it was some kind of joke or mistake, I made a joke back via text. During the following text exchange (I text via Google Voice now), I finally figured out what went wrong...
+[MYOLDNUMBER]: Who is this 1:51 PM
Me: Allow me to re-introduce myself: My name is HOV. H to the O-V. I used to move snowflakes by the O.Z. 2:39 PM
+ [MYOLDNUMBER]: Who is this this u jay-z bitter 2:40 PM
Me: I'm not a biter, I'm a writer for myself and others. 2:45 PM
+ [MYOLDNUMBER]: What's ur name maybe I could report u 2:46 PM
Me: What's my name? Snoop Doggy Dogg. 2:50 PM
+ [MYOLDNUMBER]: My daddy is bruce lee 2:51 PM
Me: Do you think your wu-tang sword can defeat me? 2:54 PM
+ [MYOLDNUMBER]: Shaboy. Shapoopy 2:55 PM
+ [MYOLDNUMBER]: Osama bin laden 2:56 PM
Me: In-slum-national, underground, thunder pounds when I stomp the ground, like a million elephants and silverback orangutans - you can't stop a train. 3:01 PM
+ [MYOLDNUMBER]: Who is this 3:05 PM
Me: Hey man. I just realized some old stuff of mine was getting forwarded to your number. It used to be my old cell number. Sorry. I turned all that shit off. 3:06 PM
+ [MYOLDNUMBER]: Well please delete my number nowplease and thank u 3:08 PM
Me: Yeah I just deleted everything I think. You're welcome. Sorry again! Happy new year! 3:09 PM
+ [MYOLDNUMBER]: I don't no u so I'm not going to say nothing back to u so bye and don't text m back thank u very much 3:10 PM
So what I finally figured out was that I still had my Google Voice number (which is a physical USA phone number) forwarding notifications to my old cell phone number. I'd deleted my cell phone number, but apparently someone else had gotten it through T-Mobile. I remember trying to fiddle with Gvoice before, but it won't let me delete the cell phone number. It says I need one "real" phone number to keep my account active (which I use for texting and receiving voicemail), so I can't delete the number. And I can't use a European number.
I was glad that the new recipient of my phone number had a sense of humor and played along... but I was kind of disappointed that they wouldn't wish me a happy new year. (This exchange took place on 1/1/2012.) But, I mean, I was the one who was sending information to that number without knowing it, so yeah, we're just random strangers. But, c'mon. Happy new year!
