Saturday, December 24, 2011

Mistaken Identity

As usual, just as I was saying to myself that I didn't have anything to write about (nothing fit for public consumption that is...) I had the oddest conversation last night with a stranger, over text.

It was 12:24am when my phone rang. Caller ID said it was a Tampa, FL number. I don't know anyone in Florida so I didn't answer. Next, my phone beeped telling me I had a new voice mail. Some guy named Alex was looking for Jess. I ignored it. He sounded all of 19. A drunk dial for sure.

Immediately after the voice mail he texted me saying, "it's Alex". The following text conversation ensued:

Me: "sorry wrong number. Idk u."
Alex: "who is this then?"
Me: "who r u? I don't know any alex's"
Alex: "Alex burke"
Me: "nope. Don't know u."
Alex: "so this isn't jess? From the breakroom?"
Me: "nope. I'm heather."
Alex: "Alright. Whatever."

Now I was mad. He woke me up, obviously has the wrong number and but thinks I'm really "Jess" and no believes I'm pretending to be someone else and blowing him off? Oh no. Tell it to the hand, brotha!

Me: "dude. Not blowing u off. I truly don't know who u r. I'm from CA and live in Alaska. We've never met."
Alex: "do u know kait burke?"
Me: "nope. R u in Florida or is that just number?"

I asked this because there are many people in Fairbanks with cell phone numbers from other states, like me. I was trying to figure out if he was physically in Florida, or was from Florida and living in Fairbanks. I was hoping he was actually in Florida. It would have creeped me out to know he was in Fairbanks and had my number. Not that he couldn't be lying to me.

(My goodness! So much analyzation going into a 12:30am wrong number!)

Alex: "Yes im in florida this is weird you seem really nice how did i get your number"
Me: "Ha! Idk  typo?"
Alex: "lol"

I thought that was the end of it but thirty minutes later...

Alex: "ugh i just want jess plz"
Me: "sorry. It's late here. Need sleep. gnite"
Alex: "its 1 right now over there its like almost 5 here"
Me: "Exactly. Sleep!"
Alex: "lol i hate you whoever you are"
Me: "hey now"
Alex: "i don't really hate you im frustrated cause ive had a crush on this girl jess and i found out today at the bar that she likes me too and we were supposed to meet up i just wish she was here."
Me: "I figured as much :("
Alex: "I know it's you come on"

That's when I stopped replying. The whole thing was weird. A part of me doesn't think he was looking for "Jess". I thought it was odd that he knew the time difference between Florida and Alaska. Most people don't know what time zone Alaska is in. Heck, I still get confused on what time it is elsewhere! Particularly when sitting at airports waiting for my flight!

Of course I had instantly conducted a reverse phone number search on google when he first called. Alas, that only revealed that it was indeed a Tampa number. I should have ended the conversation when it began but it did occur to me that I could turn this into a blog posting.

Texting takes "wrong number" calls to a whole new level.