Twenty Years of Request Lines – Untold Stories – ‘Throwback Thursday’

Here is my submission for 'Throwback Thursday' if that's still a thing. Over the years of doing radio, I've played thousands and thousands of songs and answered the phones who knows how many times. I've gotten everything from song requests to the deranged sounding to the silly prank calls and today I'll share a few experiences and give you a little look at what many of us on-air go through.

Most of the more interesting calls I have received were from my days of working midnight to 6 am. I've gotten and still do get calls from kids trying to order pizza, when they try that, I tell them, I'll have their request on within 30 minutes or it's free, then say, "buh bye."

As I said, midnight to 6 am is where you get the weirder calls on the request lines, I was once proposed to, I said in response I said, "Thanks but I'm married and have 18 kids" even though at the time I wasn't married, nor did I have any kids.

"What do you look like?" was another common caller question, more so back before the internet, but my response to that was always "I'm uglier and older than your father." That usually got them to hang up.

Of course I shattered dreams in a fun whimsical way I was never angry and rude when being a smart-aleck.

Another popular night call into the request lines was about the caller asking me for advice on relationship issues. For example, "Jimmy dumped me, what should I do?" The response to that was, "Dude, you're 12, go to bed."

Of course, you get the burps and giggles or any number of other quick silly mindless noises and then, a hang up.

I also when working overnights on the weekend, used to get calls from listeners who would just want to tell me how wasted they were and to invite me to their parties. Isn't it obvious that I'm working? Thanks for the invite all the same, I'd tell those callers back in reply.

One that sticks out from over the years, the caller who asks, "What's your name?" I tell them politely but in the back of my mind I'm thinking almost every time I pop the mic, I'm saying it, aren't you listening?

The caller will ask if I can play a song, while it's playing, that's a favorite of mine too.

On a more serious note, while working midnight to 6 am in Brewer almost 20 years ago, I guy called up, not sure of the time, 2 am- 3 am but said he wanted to shoot himself. I was brand new to radio. I told him it was a mistake and he should call someone.

In my 20+ years, I've never gone on a date with a listener, at least not directly.

Have I ever had a stalker? Sort of, back again when I did overnights in the mid 90s, I'd get calls from some girl who said, she knew who I was and loved me and wanted me and we'll leave it at that so not to get the paragraph eliminated by Standards & Practice. It happened every weekend, but it was more intriguing than scary.

Most of the calls I get today are genuine, and of course it's always fun to hear what listeners have to say. So if you're listening in the afternoon, don't hesitate to call the Moose Lines at 207-626-9200 or 207-547-9200. Don't worry about my responses today, I'm older now and more mature.