Drunk dialing

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Drunk dialing is a phenomenon that occurs when an individual is intoxicated and decides to place multiple calls to family, friends, current and past significant others alike.

[edit] Dynamics

Drunken dialing typically takes place late at night where the caller returns home from an eventful evening at a bar, club, party, or other festive event that includes alcohol. Under the influence, the person will place calls to selected individuals whose number he or she possesses, in order to engage them in nonsensical conversation at odd hours of the night.

The recipient of such drunken phone calls is frequently roused from sleep, and forced to discuss topics that are more comical than urgent. Although drunken dialing is quite a nuisance for the recipient, it is regarded as a sign of affection more often than not.

[edit] Application

Drunken dialing could be associated with another phone trend colloquially referred to as a booty call, in which a person will call an individual seeking sexual relations late at night. Since alcohol is notorious for lowing one's inhibitions, the booty call is more likely to emerge during drunken dialing situations, as opposed to sober circumstances.

[edit] Drunk dialing in the media

The New York Post[1], the New York Times[2], and the Washington Post[3] have all reported on drunk dialing. Cell phone manufacturers and carriers are helping callers prevent drunk dialing. Virgin Mobile has launched an option to help its users stop drunk dialing,[4] and the LG Group introduced the LP4100 mobile phone, which includes a breathalyzer.[5] The owner can program the LP4100 to restrict calls to specific telephone numbers based on the caller's blood alcohol content.

Pat O'Brien entered a drug rehabilitation center on March 20 of 2006 as recordings of his persistant intoxicated and sexually explicit drunken dialing voicemail messages to an undisclosed female surfaced throughout the media.