Runcible Blog

Last night I had the most bizarre telephone related experience ever. There is a feature available on the phone that is so cool, weird, and powerful that I almost don't want to reveal what it is lest it become even more abused. But I'll tell you anyway.

It's called Sprint Relay Online, which apparently is a relatively new service. Anyone from anywhere can go to that website, type in a phone number, and be connected with a "relay operator" whose job it is to read aloud to the recipient anything that you type. After the operator reads the text and says "go ahead", you speak your response, and the operator types it for the other party. Talk about a creepy experience! The entire conversation is relayed through an operator in a call center somewhere. You really have to try it out to know what I'm talking about. Here's what their FAQ says:

4. Are there any charges for using Internet Relay?
No, there are no charges for making calls through the Sprint Relay Online. No charges for long distance calls. Free calls!

5. Is it secure? Are my calls private?
Secure! Private! Your calls are handled with full respect to confidentiality. There are security measures to ensure that your calls are made in complete privacy.

I know it's a system designed for the convenience of deaf/mute people, but nothing stopped my friend Amie from typing some totally ridiculous things to me and having an innocent operator swear at me. It's priceless!

I can't even imagine what sort of things those relay operators have to read and type.

Try it out before Sprint realizes the Pandora's box they've just developed. It's like a guilty pleasure (unless you're deaf/mute...in which case, it's a useful service) worth minutes of hilarity.