'Are we supposed to pick up the phone and then do it?' Hilarious footage shows two teenagers completely baffled by a rotary telephone when given four minutes to make one call

  • Two American 17-year-olds were challenged to make a call on a rotary phone 
  • They were told to dial a single number within a four-minute time frame 
  • Neither had used an old-style handset before and had difficulties with dialling
  • The bamboozled pair did not know to pick up the receiver before starting to dial

This is the moment two 17-year-olds are asked to use a traditional rotary telephone - and are totally baffled.

The American teenagers were given the challenge of dialling a phone number within four minutes.

Belonging to a generation more acquainted with touch screen mobile phones, the pair had difficulty understanding the concept of picking up the receiver.

Two American teenagers, Jake (left)  and Kyle (right), are confronted with a rotary telephone

Two American teenagers, Jake (left)  and Kyle (right), are confronted with a rotary telephone

The pair struggle to master dialling as they attempt to make a call in a four-minute time frame

The pair struggle to master dialling as they attempt to make a call in a four-minute time frame

The duo appear to have no idea about how to operate the old fashioned device

The duo appear to have no idea about how to operate the old fashioned device

The pair begin by trying to push the holes on the rotary dial without any success.

It takes them almost a minute to discover that you are supposed to rotate the dial using your finger all the way round to register an individual digit. 

After almost one and a half minutes, an adult informs the pair that they have been correctly inputting the number zero, but have failed with every other digit.

The teenagers pick up the receiver but then promptly return it to the cradle before attempting to dial the number.

The adult says: ‘You guys have made it all worth it. Everyone has struggled like you have.’

After more than two-and-a-half minutes, one of the teens asks: ‘Wait a minute, are we supposed to pick up the phone and then do it?’

At one stage, the two boys almost manage to correctly enter the first digit of the number

At one stage, the two boys almost manage to correctly enter the first digit of the number

In the video, posted by Kevin Bumstead, a woman suggests the pair put the handset to their ear and listen.

Eventually they are warned they have one minute left.

With 35 seconds remaining, one of the teenagers asks: ‘What’s with all the holes, though.’

One of the adults replies: ‘That’s such a great question.’

Eventually, just as it appears the teenagers might succeed in their task, the time runs out. 

Kevin Bumstead filmed the video which featured his nephew Kyle and son Jake. 

He said: 'I saw a video similar on YouTube and I thought it would be funny to see how my kids and their cousins handled this challenge at Christmas. So I divided them up by age group (24, 22, 22) (19 & 19) these 2 (17 & 17) and (14 and 12) and gave them the phone number and 4 min to dial the phone. 

'These two were the most entertaining and they took the longest and sort of figured it out.'

 

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