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help me win an argument
by mg at 05:06 PM on October 16, 2001
the participants: two roommates
the prop: a cordless phone, based in the kitchen
the scenario: roommate X wants to use the phone. roommate Y is sitting in the living room, listening to the stereo.
the question: the proper course for roommate X is to a) go into the living room and turn down the stereo, b) go into the living room and ask roommate Y to turn down the stereo, or c) go into a room with no stereo.
Please use the comments for your answer, and, if possible, write why your choice is most appropriate. Feel free to offer other options, if such options should occur to you.
comments (17)
Option (c) is clearly the optimal strategy, with option (b) being second. Option (a) should only be employed if there's some kind of ongoing low-grade conflict going on between X and Y and Roommate X is particularly passive-aggressive.
I should note, however, that while this answer probably seems self-evident, it's probably completely ir-relevant where X and Y are sleeping together and Y is the only one of the two with a Y chromosome.
by Muad'Dib at October 16, 2001 5:13 PM
Roommate X is obviously the aggrieved party in this scenario (otherwise there would be no question about what to do - option C would be the obvious choice, to even consider the other two means something is definitely wrong, and it's no doubt roommate Y's fault). Roommate X should throw the cordless phone as hard as possible at roommate Y's stereo in the hopes of hitting the off button, and, optimally, the phone will ricochet off and hit that rude bitch/bastard "Y" in the head. Much heated screaming and violence will ensue, during which the neighbors will call the police, who will then separate the combatants and eventually, a judge will forbid them from coming within 100 yards of one another. Roommates are evil. It's better to live in your car.
by kd at October 16, 2001 5:23 PM
On further consideration, maybe it's all roommate X's fault. All I know is, there is definitely fault involved. There always is, with roommates.
by kd at October 16, 2001 5:26 PM
Well, have we stopped to consider roommate X's emotional condition? Past stressors that could lead X to violence? Known psychoses on the part of roommate Y? Connections to the Mob or the Yakusi? Also, can you ensure without a doubt that the planetary alignment at that point in time guaranteed a nontriangulation of harmonic vectors that have the possibility of reverberating their resonating chambers in such a way as to effect total and utter discombobulation at the molecular level of roommate X, roommate Y, the cordless telephone, as well as the pesky stereo which caused this whole thing to occur in the first place???
Yes? Oh, okay. Then option C.
But ditto the chromosome thing. That's why two Ys are better than one!
by snaggle at October 16, 2001 7:13 PM
LMAO@Snaggle! hahaha Ok down to biz here. (you sure this is not a trick question?) :-) For one, if X and Y were good friends not sleeping together then the option would be a clear "c". However, if X and Y are roomies and are shacking up one has to consider what the whole situation is. No it is obvious that X and Y are having some problems because from my view point this seems trivial. Of course I personally do not like to fight. Not that I would not, but I try to work these sorts of things out in a different way other than screams/slaps or whatever. (For one if an X slapped me he had best be able to run his ass off before I catch him!)
But since I am a "Y" (thank you Dodd) and I am who I am, I would really have to say that going into another room would be best. UNLESS, "X" saw me ON the phone and thus turned on the stereo full blast...in that case I would end my call and end it with "X" right then because this could only lead to much worse childish acts in the future? I dunno I guess maybe I would be the wrong "Y" to ask since I don't have an "X"....well I have EX'S but no "X"...oh hell forgettaboutit, just kiss and make up will ya? :-)
by Pristine at October 16, 2001 9:00 PM
I have questions:
A. are x and y the same sex?
b. are x and y related and the same/different sex?
c. do x and y have sex?
c. My e-q was 80. I think it's starting to show.
by othercheek at October 16, 2001 10:03 PM
yes. no. no. don't worry, thats the same eq as me.
by mg at October 16, 2001 10:30 PM
Hey, that was my e-q, too!
I say c. That's is what I would do. Unless I was trying to piss off my roommate, in which case I would stand in the living room doorway, and proceed to talk very LOUDLY with my back to the living room. But as I'm rarely trying to piss anyone off, then c. Unless there was an outside problem, like a bad antenna/reception (I only use my cell phone, and end up wandering around my apartment during converssations. I can do this. I don't have a roommate.) Definitely c.
by SwingCheese at October 17, 2001 5:15 PM
Well, since my E-Q is 140, you should listen to me with my throwing-stuff advice, or actually, no.
Apparently, the E-Q does not extend (in my case) to roommate relationships. My advice should be disregarded.
by kd at October 18, 2001 2:47 AM
well at least they let YOU GUYS take that damn thing! Hell I have no clue as to what mine is since they pulled it before I could take it. Dammit! (so I guess that means I have the worst score being ZERO!)
by Pristine at October 18, 2001 12:33 PM
Okay, this may seem really simple - almost dense - but what ever happened to common courtesy where the roomie would automatically adjust the volume the second the phone rang? Are you monkeys, for God sake?! Also, doesn't anyone own a set of headphones in that apartment between the two of you? That might be another option to look into for the future, Michael. Sheesh! You kids. Honestly, am I going to have to seperate you into corners? Play nice, dammit, or I will rub your noses in your mess. ;-)
by Lilly at October 19, 2001 12:13 AM
No, no. Read the scenario again. Roommate X wants to make a phone call, they didn't get one. Even still, if the phone rang, the question would be still be the same, a) turn, b) ask, or c)leave.
by mg at October 19, 2001 1:16 AM
This is all starting to sound like one of those equations you'd be given in maths class... X+Y+P=argument if P=phonecall in same room. (X+Y)/conflict=bad outcome, so (argument-phonecall)/conflict=bad outcome, argument+phonecall=conflictxbad outcome... wait, I think I see the problem... the caller and the call taker are both female, right?
by D at October 19, 2001 11:15 AM
Option C.
Reason: Let sleeping dogs lie.
P.S. I have a question: If I like fondling the balls of my Labrador, does that make me homosexual?
by Lockheed at December 14, 2002 5:56 PM
Bring some head phones in the living room and aggresivly wrap them around the bitches neck. Perhaps she will get the hint!!!!!
by SuperJ at April 21, 2003 6:32 PM
Perhaps you could bring that dog in the living room and fondle its balls . The bitch will get sick and leave!
by SuperJ at April 21, 2003 6:34 PM
Well it's been awhile since I've done the whole roomate thing, but seeing as how by the time this situation becomes an issue at all, one already pretty much knows what makes their roomie tick, and thus the appropriate course of action corresponds directly with the personality type of type X and Y. Just be sure not to miscalculate the reaction to your actions or you may end up with beer poured on you're lap top, your clothes thrown outside and you chasing X or Y through the house with an unsheathed steak knife after breaking down the door like a scene from the Shining, hypothetically speaking of course.
by Devin at August 12, 2005 1:56 PM