I have a friend that's like that. I just interrupt and say I've got to hang up, thanks for calling and do it.

I go to the door, quietly open it, and ring my doorbell, then say, Oops, doorbell just rang, gotta go.
Leslie

I say I have an appointment and have to leave now. Or I say Mike is asking me to do something.

I've done the doorbell thing. Or I've just interrupted, and firmly stated that, "It's been nice hearing from you, but I've got to go." Then hung up without giving the person a chance to get wound up again.

I interrupt and say "oh, I've got another call coming in. I have to take that. ba-bye now"
j

I have a friend like that. I don't pick up the phone (caller ID), but I do call her back when I can budget 1.5 hours to her. She is pretty good about letting me go when I do answer the phone and have to hang up. I don't talk to her that often so it's good to catch up. We don't have a door bell, so I can knock on the cabinets to get the dogs barking and plead someone at the door. When 3 Aussies are carrying on, you can't talk on the phone anyway!!

I like to try to say "I know you're busy, so I'm gonna let you go now." It sounds nicer, like it's a mutual thing, and usually works, really.

But if I've got someone who says "Oh, no, I don't have anything else to do all day." Then I have to say "Wish I could say that, I do need to go now." I don't know many people who can tell me they don't have anything else to do!

I say "someome's at the door" and hang up. Nobody ever calls back when I do this. I'll have peace and quiet, just for a few hours.

I have a friend that does this too and it drives me crazy. I work all day and by the time I get home I still have dinner to make and errands to do and I swear she calls the second I get in the door. I knock on the front door and my little yappy dog just goes crazy. I tell her I have to go that someone is at the door. She must think I have company all the time.

I just say, "Oops, gotta go...Vannie's calling." :)

I have wished for a little gadget that I could push and get the sound of the doorbell ringing! Can you tell it would be easier than moving the newspaper, magazine, cat, or whatever off of my lap, getting up and going to the door? ;>)?

Its not just the phone. I have a neighbor who talks constantly and takes over the conversation. She wonders why I don't visit more often. Duh!

Sue

My BF calls me sometimes 3 times a day. Her DH is recovering from an accident and home 24/7. She has a teenage Daughter and a Daughter with a Baby that lives with her. She is about to go insane with the 24/7 circus. When she calls to tell me about her day, I put the phone on speaker. She only pauses long enough to take a breath. I just listen and let her vent. Finally, I just say "If you feel better now, I've gotta go potty".

I feel so sorry for her. I have a Aunt and Uncle I need to check on but they keep me on the phone forever. They are both talkers and I have to listen to her then him. OMG! You gotta love em.

Gayle

My own mother is this way, and she's a S L O W talker, repeats things over and over. I'm very quick and to the point, so there's a major difference between our ideal phone conversations.

If I have time, I sit and chat with her. I do this probably every other week. We're talking about an hour on the phone (She lives 3 miles from us, and I see her once a week in person)

If I don't have time...
I'll answer the phone and say "I only have ten minutes, what's up?" or "I'm walking out the door now"
I try to give her warning "Mom, dinner will be ready in 5 minutes. I'll have to go then".

The worst is when I just throw it on her "Mom, I have to go". Because then, she says "Oh, before you go, I want to talk to you about..." and she can do that 2-3 times if I let her, which adds another 20 minutes.

I feel badly about it, but about once a month, I just cut her off and say "Mom, I have to go now. bye." and hang up. Often, I'm at work, and with 10 people reporting to me, they need me to assist with thing. With kids, things happen at a moment's notice, and I need to be available to them.

It IS possible to get off the phone with a talker. And over the years, I've had to train my mom a bit (without her knowing it). I set my limits and I have to make sure I don't go outside that.

"Ohhhh, I think I'm about to poop my pants. I'll have to call you some other day. Bye now."

This reminds me of a book I read by a pastor's wife who often had unexpected guests stopping by. She kept her purse by the front door and if she saw the person approaching, she would grab her purse, walk out the door and say "Oh, I was just leaving!" I tried it once and it works!

That's it!!! I'll say "oops, gotta go, Eva's calling."

If it's a regular caller...and you're bored with it...
Change your phone number, and keep 'forgetting' to give him/her the new number.

Since we always have 1 or 2 dogs - I can say with all honesty - Oh dear, I have to take the dog outside! It was good talking with you. Bye.

I have 2 telephones numbers at my house and if my cell phone is near I can dial my other home line and when it rings I can say - again with all honesty - Oh my other line is ringing. I need to answer it. Bye.

I say "I'm sorry ,i have to go to the bathroom,so need to hang up".Or i've been known to walk to the front door and ring my own doorbell,and say ,"I've goota go,someones at the door.
Works everytime.
Kathi

Many of us old farts need to visit the bathroom fairly frequently.

o j

I just tell the person that I have to hang up now.....then say goodbye and hang up.

The person who talks to me the longest is my neighbour across the street. She has an unobstructed view of my front door, so I can't use a visitor as an excuse. She's also aware we don't have call waiting or call display, so I can't pretend someone else is trying to get through. But she knows I have two kids that live out of town, so I use that to get off the phone sometimes. I just say "Oh I'll have to let you go now, I've got to call (or am expecting a call) to/from DD or DS.

Gee...I'm thinking way back when our kids were small. I had a friend who would almost always end our conversations with "M needs to go potty. Bye!" Was she trying to tell me something?? LOL

13 years later and I don't like to talk on the phone at all, except quick conversations. I have a co-worker that I have to call now and again and I dread it. She talks forever and I have the hardest time ending the call!

Sheryl