October 31, 1996
Garysburg family gets spooky calls from ex-presidents
ROBERT MOHL
News Editor
GARYSBURG-- The Webb family was surprised to get a call from Ronald Reagan.
They were even more surprised to get calls from Ulysses S. Grant, George
Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Richard Nixon.
"I'm sure they didn't call, because they've been dead for a while," said
Linda Webb.
The mysterious numbers appeared on a caller ID box Thursday morning, Oct. 24.
According to Linda's sister, Levita, the phone hadn't rung during the night.
"I called the telephone company and she said I think you better move," Linda
laughed. "They didn't know how it happened."
Adding to the mystery, the Webb family has two caller ID boxes, the one in
Levita's bedroom and another in the den. The den box recorded no calls.
Most of the 14 numbers, which had area codes across the country, were
disconnected or not working when called. Ronald Reagan and George Washington had
working voice mail systems, but "Jimmy Carter" was the only one to answer his
phone.
"This happens about three times a week," said Jennifer Thompson of Oceanside,
Calif.
According to Thompson, the company used their number as an example and
curious callers ring up the family asking to speak to America's 39th president.
"They just want to know if Jimmy Carter is here," said Thompson.
Manufacturer CIDCO, of Morgan Hill, Calif. admitted to putting the numbers in
the caller ID box.
"What they normally do is they test it with presidents' names and names of
people in the company," said supervisor Linda Lazetera. "It's supposed to be
deleted."
Lazetera said that electrical surges or physical jolts can bring the numbers
out of the memory. She recommended removing the battery for 30 seconds to delete
them.
The Webb's caller ID box was purchased earlier this year. According to Sprint
customer service supervisor Allen Watkins, the company no longer sells that
model, but not because of the presidential numbers.
"This is the first I've heard of this kind of problem," said Watkins, whose
area covers Virginia, eastern Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina. "My
boss has been here five years and she's never heard of it either."
(
geocities.com/rjmohl)