Speak slowly, clearly, and into the phone.

I got home from work yesterday and found a very strange message on my answering machine.

Some woman with origins from somewhere south of Texas called me. Her name was Hena. Or at least that's how it was pronounced. She was calling from Custom Graphage or Droppage or Package or... Anyway, she has a package from the UK that I'm expecting. More on that in future posts. After listening to the message three times I finally figured out that the tracking number is indeed that of the expected package. The way she said the initial zero made it sound like at least 3 numbers.

She left a phone number that was either seven numbers long or else that one syllable mush before the phone number was actually the area code. The number I first translated doesn't exist in the DC 202 region. I was able to make out a couple of other possibilities but one was some guy's cellphone and the other was a doctor's office.

Then she said what I translated as "We tried to get you costume duty from your shipment of James."

So I bring up my e-mail with the tracking information. The shipping company DPD listed the package as having been passed to the DPD Group. Google lists the DPD Group as a print shop in Georgia. I called them anyway. They assured me that they don't have my package.

Finally, I change my answering machine message to "This is the answering machine of [me]. If you are trying to send me a package and want me to call you back You. Need. To. Speak. Very. Slowly. Very. Clearly. And. Leave. Your. Whole. Phone. Number."

Post Script:
Four hours later I looked up my tracking information again. It has updated to indicate that the package is in New York and has just cleared customs. Suddenly everything makes SO much more sense.

Customs agent Jina? Not everyone in America uses the New York area code. There are 3 more numbers that I needed.

Post post script:
I got an e-mail from the shipping company in England this morning. A man named James gave me the area code and told me the confused digit.

This almost makes sense if you already know what Jina was talking about.