Freaky Friday - Woman Convicted for Hogging Phone Line

The Fond du Lac Commonwealth
Reporter, 06FEB1962, pg 10

Today I'm sharing another one of those accidental articles. The ones that I just accidentally came across when researching and couldn't help hitting the "copy" button on the microfilm reader. Once again, it's not something I'd share on a Funny Friday post. While the clipping's title sounds amusing once you get into the article itself there is little funny about it. You're wanting to turn your head from the train wreck. Wanting to look away from the crash on the highway. Wanting to...but you can't and you just have to ask yourself, "What. The. Hell?!?!"

"Woman Convicted For Hogging Phone Line

Stockton, Calif., Feb. 6 - (AP) - Virginia Irene Plumb, 44, was convicted Monday of attempting to hog a telephone line during an emergency last July.

Mrs. Plumb was charged with refusing to relinquish her rural party line to Mrs. Ora Smith who was attempting to summon aid for her baby, whom she believed critically ill.

The defense contended that no real emergency existed since the baby was dead at the time of Mrs. Simth's (sic) attempted call. The prosecution held Mrs. Plumb should be judged guilty of an attempt to commit the crime.

Judge William Dozier set sentencing for Feb. 20."

Wow. And what a freaking defense! The one thing this clipping shows us is that not being able to get off the phone is nothing new...and it's apparently not just something that only teenagers have a problem with! The 21st century doesn't corner the market on stupid...1962 had it going on as well!