Page 137 - Bridget Jones's Diary - by Helen FIELDING

7.45 p.m. Shazzer was annoyed with me for ringing because she had just got in

and was about to call 1471 to see if this guy she has been seeing had rung while
she was out and now my number will be stored instead.

Consider 1471 to be brilliant invention, instantly telling you the number of the
last person who called. It was ironic, really, because when the three of us first

found out about 1471 Sharon said she was totally against it, considering it
exploitation by British Telecom of the addictive personalities and relationship-
breakdown epidemic among the British populace. Some people are apparently
calling it upwards of twenty times a day. Jude, on the other hand, is strongly in
favour of 1471, but does concede that if you have just split up with or started

sleeping with someone it doubles misery potential when you come home: no-
number-stored-on-1471-misery, to add to no-message-on-answerphone-misery,
or number-stored-turning-out-to-be-Mother's misery.

Apparently in America the 1471 equivalent tells you all the numbers that have
rung you since last time you checked and how many times. Shudder with horror
at the thought of own obsessive calling of Daniel's number in early days being
exposed in this way. The good thing over here is that if you dial 141 before you
ring, it stops your number being stored on the other person's phone. Jude says
you have to be careful, though, because if you have an obsessive crush on

someone and ring accidentally when they are in, then ring off and no number is
stored they might guess it was you. Must make sure Daniel does not find out
about any of this.

9.30 p.m. Decided to nip round comer for cigarettes. On way up stairs heard
phone ringing. Suddenlv realizing had forgotten to put answerphone back on

when Tom rang, tore up stairs, emptied contents of handbag on floor to find key
and threw self across from to phone at which point phone stopped. Had just gone
into loo when phone rang again. Stopped when got to it. Then started ringing
again when went away. Finally got it.

'Oh, hello, darling, guess what?' Mum.