The lady from Blount County, AL

Way back in 1998, I got a job doing tech support for AIRnet, an ISP which serviced north Alabama. AIRnet had???? covered most of north Alabama, and was pushing farther and farther south — towards areas that didn’t know much about electricity, much less The Interwebs.

One of the high-growth areas was Blountsville, county seat of Blount County, Alabama. Blount being the opposite of ‘sharp’, I suppose.

One afternoon, the receptionist called out, “I’ve got a live one! It’s from Blountsville! Who wants it?”

I volunteered, knowing what I was getting myself into.

“AIRnet tech support, how can I help you?”

“Yeah, I bought the internet the other day,” the woman said. (Wow, deep pockets on this one.)

“OK, ma’m, what can I help you with?”

“Well, I can’t get on,” she said.

“Can you be more specific,” I asked. “What happens when you try to connect?”

“Well I call that number that you give me, and it just squeals in my ear.”

Oh boy.

“Ma’m, do you have a computer?” I asked.

“Why,???? hell no — that’s what I pay you people twenty dollar a month for!”

“Hold please, while I transfer you to Billing.”