Irony has driven me to satellite

[TNT]

Last spring, the company I work for was bought up by a considerably larger company. Yesterday, months after the sale, there was an accident (not caused by us) that caused a major cable and internet outage in town.

Caller: Wouldn't you say that's a little ironic?
Me: Ironic... how?
Caller: The company gets sold, and suddenly there just happens to be an accident. I don't know about you, but I think that's a little ironic.
Me: The company was sold months ago, and today there was an accident that had zero to do with us, except that our line was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I don't think it's a little ironic. I don't even think it's a tad ironic. I think it's, you know, stuff happens.
Caller: I think it's very ironic.
Me: Okay, but I majored in irony... well, sort of. I wouldn't even say this rises to level of coincidence.
Caller: I just think I should call the satellite company in the morning... if you know what I mean.
Me: Honestly, I don't have the slightest idea what you're getting at.

I'm just trying to imagine her call to the satellite company:

Representative: And may I ask why you're switching to satellite?
Caller: Irony.
Representative: I hear that from a lot of cable customers. Rest assured that satellite is 100% irony free.

[Spiffy McMoron]

I think that it's ironic that you posted that here.

Okay, I really don't think that, and it's not even close to being ironic. But I figured that it would suit the stupidity of the caller in the OP.

[XCashier]

Yet another idiot who can't tell the difference between "irony" and "coincidence".

[Dark Psion]

I remember a short story called

God is an Iron

A glutton is one who commits gluttony
A felon is one who commits a fellony
God is an Iron
because life is Irony

[AFpheonix]

I'm trying to figure out how that's ironic....

I'm getting as far as figuring out the irony in that song of Alanis'.

[Broomjockey]

I'm trying to figure out how that's ironic....

I'm getting as far as figuring out the irony in that song of Alanis'.

The irony in that song is that absolutely nothing in that song is ironic. The exact opposite of what you would expect in a song about irony!

[Mr. Rude]

Pardon me for being a geek, but why the hell would some switch from broadband to satellite? And then expect a CSR to give rats ass over an idle threat...LMAO
see ya...enjoy your "better" bandwidth.

Here's a new hat to stop the government/aliens from probing your tiny skull

[WHShit]

I agree. This is not irony at all, but neither is it a coincidence. It IS just stuff happening.

[pbmods]

What I'm curious about is why it was such a big deal to the customer that this was so ironic.

What, did the customer have some kind of free service entitlement that he was waiting to spring on you the moment you agreed that it was indeed ironic?

But sadly, it was probably just another case of nolifeititis....

[MadMike]

"Great! I finally get my license, and Mom loses the car! How ironic!"

"Meg, don't talk like that! Your mother is not an i-ron!"

Ironically, this has nothing to do with the original post either. I just couldn't resist throwing a Family Guy quote out there.

[Battyone]

Irony - The most misused/abused word in the English language.

[Becks]

From one of the movies I enjoy (Con Air)--

"Define irony: a bunch of idiots dancing around on a plane to a song made famous by a band that died in a plane crash."

Ah, Garland Greene, you little-girl's-head-as-a-hat wearing freak...

[dragonflygrrl]

I wonder what would have happened if you had just agreed to shut him up:

You: Ok, sir, if you say so, I suppose it's ironic.
SC: Ah-Ha! You admit to the irony! Now you must give me free cable for life! Mwahahaha!

I hate it when SC's try and get you to agree with them about stupid things like that. I've never actually done it, so I don't really know what they are trying to accomplish. My best guess, though, is that if you agree with the ridiculous statement they will then use that as "ammunition" in the war on rational thought that SC's wage on a daily basis.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Irony - The most misused/abused word in the English language.

That is the gospel truth. Half the time I hear it used, it's used by someone who has no idea what it means.

[phillippbo]

I wonder what would have happened if you had just agreed to shut him up:

Probably along the lines of what you said. I have a strict policy of avoiding all discussions of my opinion on a subject when on the phone with a customer. So far, it works pretty well. My responses are something along these lines:

SC: "blah blah blah blah, that's so ironic/unfair/silly/etc!" (for probably the third or fourth time)

Me: "If you say so, sir/ma'am. What we can do is blah, blah blah..."

SC: "Well, don't you think that's ironic/unfair/silly/etc?"

Me: "My opinion is irrelevant. What we can do is blah, blah, blah..."

Many people get the hint with one of those, I'm not going to enable them to set off that trap: If I agree with them, I put myself in the position of bad-mouthing policy, which can get me in trouble, and open myself up for the customer to ask for a favor. If I disagree with them, I set myself up for an argument where they try to convince me how right they are, and how wrong I am. I have no patience for either, so I avoid it altogether.