‘You could have programmed the correct number, but you didn’t': Woman gets back at person who fails to program correct number into phone while inquiring about horse

Author image for Eleonora Bader
Eleonora Bader
Jan 28, 2024 7:00 PM EST

Sometimes you punch in a number on your phone to call someone, and a total stranger ends up on the other line. You called the wrong number, no big deal. Then you do it again, and again… and again.

Until the person on the other side is wondering why it's so hard to call the RIGHT number. It's a fair question. This woman was contacted via text 5 times over the span of a year and a half, and it was always the same person inquiring about the same thing… A horse. The woman, OP, had no idea what they were talking about and was getting annoyed, as each time, the texts arrived in the middle of the night, waking her up. Finally, she decided it was time for a little payback… She devised a clever plan to make sure this person would never text her again… And let's just say that it totally worked.

After you're done reading, check out this company that shut down a client's entire server after the client denied one of their technicians access to important equipment.

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  • 01
    * 7 PO GHI 0 2 "You could have programmed the correct number, but you didn't..." TUV A a 6 MNO DEF
    via Canva
  • 02
    Insist on repeatedly texting the wrong number? Eventually you won't like my response.
    via u/Cold_Barber_4761
  • 03
    Texting the wrong number. It happens. It's not really a big deal normally. Usually I just ignore it if I think it's spam, or politely text back to let them know that they have the wrong number. For some reason, there was one person who repeated to do this every vacation holiday they took over the course of about 12-18 months. It was about 5 times total and always in the middle of the night for me. Texts were
    via u/Cold_Barber_4761
  • 04
    always asking how their horse was. Each time I would respond and say it was the wrong number. Each time the person would write back and apologize, saying that where they boarded their horse had a number one digit different, hence the mistake. Again, I get that it happens, but after twice, wouldn't you just program the correct number in your phone?
    via u/Cold_Barber_4761
  • 05
    When it happened a fourth time I politely texted back asking if they were ever planning on actually programming the correct number into their phone. They replied saying yes, they would do that immediately. I was about to block the number but I decided to wait and have some fun if they texted again.
    via u/Cold_Barber_4761
  • 06
    Predictably, a few months later they did. STRANGER: HI! Just checking in to see how my horse is doing. I hope he's okay! ME: Unfortunately, he's not doing well. I tried calling in the large animal vet but they said he's not going to make it. We're about to take him out to the back 40 and put him down, Old
    via u/Cold_Barber_4761
  • 07
    Yeller style. Let me know if you want the body whole or created. (Alternatively, we can process it and save the meat for you.) STRANGER: Well I realize now that I texted the wrong number but you don't have to be mean about it! And they never texted me again!
    via u/Cold_Barber_4761
  • 08
    [ETA: Since numerous people have asked why I didn't just block the number after the first text, I do that now!This was a few years ago. I was a pretty private person then and not a lot of people had my number, so it was really rare for me to get a wrong number text. Now I block
    via u/Cold_Barber_4761
  • 09
    them, especially with the excess spam texting these days. Also, if I had done that back then, I wouldn't be able to amuse myself and others remembering this story!]
    via u/Cold_Barber_4761
  • 10
    memperly ODMtesseract · 9 hr. ago Had a very similar story that I posted about several years ago: Way back in the day when I was 15, I got my first cell phone and I was very excited. It was one of those indestructible Nokia brick phones but, I digress.
    via u/ODMtesseract
  • 11
    One of the very first calls I received was for a wrong number - Frank's Auto Body Shop, but I didn't think anything of it. In fact, given this was my first phone (I had a "My own phone number! Wow!" kind of feeling) I was exceedingly polite in explaining that the caller had regrettably dialed a wrong number and I was very sorry that I didn't
    via u/ODMtesseract
  • 12
    have a forwarding/alternate number for them. Nevertheless, I hope they would have a pleasant day despite this contre-temps. As the days went on, I got more calls for Frank's Auto Body Shop. By this time, it was clear that this Frank fellow was the prior user for my number and when I got my phone, that number had been re-assigned
    via u/ODMtesseract
  • 13
    to me. I was vexed that he wasn't following "proper phone etiquette" (what in my naive youth I imagined was a codified set of rules somewhere about how to behave on all phone-related matters; the same notion that made me overly polite earlier on) and decided to do something about it.
    via u/ODMtesseract
  • 14
    Now, instead of informing the caller that they had the wrong number, I started taking appointments for Frank. I'd start double and triple booking people and promising unrealistic service. "Yes sir, you can drop your car off before the shop opens, I'm in at 5am this morning anyway! Just leave the keys in the glove box! It'll be ready by 8:30!"
    via u/ODMtesseract
  • 15
    But the calls kept coming and I upped my game. I started giving estimates and quotes for work. I'd never give an "estimate" that would immediately seem too good to be true, but just a REALLY good price instead, at least based on the quick research I did for my new gig as a mechanic. Front brakes? $275 when it was more like
    via u/ODMtesseract
  • 16
    $400 (back in the day). You need some body work done? "Sure, that should be around $1400!" (but really closer to $2000). "Yeah, I can have that part shipped in for you - no extra charge!" On and on it went for a week or so, then suddenly the calls stopped. I wonder why...
    via u/ODMtesseract
  • 17
    TL;DR Young me became a vigilante for "proper phone etiquette" in the guise of a mechanic named Frank. ↑ 109 Reply Share Cold_Barber_4761 OP · 8 hr. ago That's absolutely brilliant and hilarious! Thanks for sharing it with me!
    via u/Cold_Barber_4761
  • 18
    RNGinx3 11 hr. ago I am an animal lover, and I approve this message. It was too much trouble for him to bother programming in the correct number...until you gave him a scare. If you had continued to be polite, you would still probably be getting overnight texts!
    via u/RNGinx3
  • 19
    I do this with my kids, only my scare is "Since you forgot to empty the dishwasher, which means no one was able to load their dirty dishes, you are doing dishes tonight." Works like a charm to help him remember to empty it! ↑ 504 Reply Share
    via u/RNGinx3
  • 20
    YP DParadisio43137 - 11 hr. ago I like your sense of humour :) 709 Reply Share Cold_Barber_4761 OP 11 hr. ago Lol. Thanks. It definitely verges toward the dark side, but I'm okay with that!
    via u/DParadisio43147, u/Cold_Barber_4761
  • 21
    69vuman 11 hr. ago Apparently, I DID have to be so mean about it. 130 Reply Share Cold_Barber_4761 OP · 11 hr. ago Hahaha. Exactly! 48 Reply Share
    via u/69vuman, u/Cold_Barber_4761

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reddit stories plan programming phone number relatable clever phone petty horse stable funny stories reddit horses texting phone calls payback program holidays horse vacation
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