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Cuckoo! Cuckoo!
Oct. 2nd, 2009 10:57 amTechnology is weird.
The office I work in has a wireless doorbell. The bell button sends some kind of impulse to the base station, which then rings in a random and amusing variety of electronic beeps and whistles. Current favourite is the eight-note melody of Big Ben, but it has been known to bark like a dog.
A week ago, the batteries on the base station ran out, and were replaced. Since then, it not only rings in a random and amusing variety of electronic beeps and whistles, but also at random times. It has been known to ring when a driving school car or a taxicab drives past. It has been known to ring when schoolchildren on their mobiles walked past. It has been known to ring for no apparent reason at all.
The only time it has not been ringing is when the postman presses the doorbell.
Now every time the doorbell rings, I, being the one doing that sort of job, will lean out our second floor office's street window to check whether someone is at the entrance, or run down two flights of stairs to look out of the door, like a living cuckoo clock.
Today, I took the button-pressing thing off its halter at the entrance and took it up to the office to see if I could figure out why this is happening. Again, pressing the bell, at a distance of two metres to the base station, didn't produce a ring. However, an hour or so later, we hear the dulcet tones of the electric Big Ben.
I think the office is very amused by this - I hear BossLady giggle every time Big Bell rings. Of course, other people in the office are amused by other bells ringing, and I can't help but smirk.
The office I work in has a wireless doorbell. The bell button sends some kind of impulse to the base station, which then rings in a random and amusing variety of electronic beeps and whistles. Current favourite is the eight-note melody of Big Ben, but it has been known to bark like a dog.
A week ago, the batteries on the base station ran out, and were replaced. Since then, it not only rings in a random and amusing variety of electronic beeps and whistles, but also at random times. It has been known to ring when a driving school car or a taxicab drives past. It has been known to ring when schoolchildren on their mobiles walked past. It has been known to ring for no apparent reason at all.
The only time it has not been ringing is when the postman presses the doorbell.
Now every time the doorbell rings, I, being the one doing that sort of job, will lean out our second floor office's street window to check whether someone is at the entrance, or run down two flights of stairs to look out of the door, like a living cuckoo clock.
Today, I took the button-pressing thing off its halter at the entrance and took it up to the office to see if I could figure out why this is happening. Again, pressing the bell, at a distance of two metres to the base station, didn't produce a ring. However, an hour or so later, we hear the dulcet tones of the electric Big Ben.
I think the office is very amused by this - I hear BossLady giggle every time Big Bell rings. Of course, other people in the office are amused by other bells ringing, and I can't help but smirk.
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