Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for January 31, 2023

Umm… you could just block whoever is texting you.

I’m with you, Rat; getting gang-texted is no fun.

Success! Rat has controlled his social media addiction.

You may have voided your warranty there Rat…next time, just mute the chat?

Rat has the right idea.

I once got added somehow to the recipient list in a chat group that discussed politics. There were people from both left and right and it would literally get down the level of “You’re an idiot!” “No, you’re the idiot!” Etc., back & forth. The stupid thing was, they’d use “reply all” every time!

Beginning with the fifth message, 90% of them are saying “STOP replying!” Or “Stop telling us not to reply,”

Those texts will be waiting when you get a new phone.

I texted my brother’s phone once and he went and answered the door.

I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure.

Knowing Rat, spammers are probably the only ones that want to text him.

He learned that solution from Hillary.

Woulda been easier to uninstall app.

You could have 2 phone numbers. Keep one phone number secret and give the other phone number out to businesses. Turn off the phone that gets too many calls and text messages. Maybe check it once a day.

The only thing I REALLY like about phones, computers, and the like, is that they all come with an ‘Off’ switch.

How many people could actually remember most of their contacts if it wasn’t for their smart phone?

I get a hundred e-mails every day, only abouy 10 are not ads!

I feel like doing that often. Especially when i think I’m done with a text conversation, wait 10 -15 minutes, then put my phone in my pocket. Only to get a text, dig my phone back out on my pocket and see the word of wisdom. “K”.

A revision of Prine’s ‘Spanish Pipe Dream’: Blow up your TV, throw away your cell phone, Go to the country, build you a home…

Alternatively, there is an off switch. Just sayin’.

“Hide Notifications.”

It wasn’t the only way out. There’s a sound button, you know.

When you meet someone who is more antisocial than I am

…

Rat is going to go nuts (well, more so than usual) without his phone.

I do understand…

and they called me crazy, when i said NO to the family group texts……

We had a T-Mobile account for 15 years. The only text I received form them was when I paid my bill. We switched to Mint about a month ago. Now I get at least one a day from T-Mobile wanting me to answer a survey or telling me about “new” plans. Funny how when I called to downgrade they did not want to help me.

That God I’m only part of my family’s group texting.

Reason number six thousand three hundred and twenty seven that I have never allowed a mobile communication device of any kind to sink its hooks into me.

great idea… :J

I feel you Rat.

I ignore texts when I’m driving.

Happened to me. Someone I never had any contact with, and didn’t know, somehow added my phone number to some group. Then someone else added my number to a group complaining about receiving unwanted texts. The stupid texts and then complaints, “QUIT SENDING ME YOUR TEXTS!!!” went on for months. I kept sending apology texts that They weren’t from me. I finally tracked the group originator down and informed him that he was the cause of all this because of his group(s?). Apparently he didn’t know how it worked. It all stopped instantly, thankfully.

I absolutely hate group texts! They answer all hours and often. I have gone as far as texting them all and told them to take me off their contact lists! Ridiculous!

A younger friend of mine recently showed up at my house in a rather distressed state. “You haven’t answered my texts! I wanted to make sure you were okay,” he said. I’m “of an age,” as they say, and I appreciated his concern. I apologized for upsetting him and reminded him that my ancient land-line phone isn’t equipped for texts. Now, he just calls. The conversation is along the lines of “You okay?” “Yes, I’m fine, thanks.” “Okay, talk to you soon.”

The only groups I get involved in is on the Discord app

I am stuck in a group text that won’t die and they won’t remove me, and I cannot block any of their numbers. My phone is muted half the time.

You can silence them so it won’t ding, but you can’t unjoin the group altogether. Which is ridiculous.

I had no idea that a cell phone would cause all this inconvenience. Another reason I’m glad I kept my landline. I have a cell phone but only family members have the number.

I spent an hour this morning deleting emails and still have thousands.

When are pigs swine…

Once I was added to a group text of teens sharing photos from a trip to DC. I told them they had a wrong number and deleted the group. Then one of the kids texted on the old group, “Oh yea their number is -—”.

I’ve never been a part of a group text. Then again I’ve only texted a total number of two times. No point in texting.

I get spammed daily, but when I tell my wife to stop she gets upset with me.

Sometimes it is.

This is ONE way out. But you will have to buy a new phone every time you do this. Put on your thinking cap, Rat!

A little drastic, Rat. But effective, and that’s what counts….

Sometimes Rat is really sensible.