Two Strange Calls After Being Blocked: Coincidence? Maybe. But I’m Documenting It.
Well, here's another interesting addition to the Nextdoor case study.
Over the last two days, I've received two calls to my Google Voice number.
Normally, that wouldn't be particularly interesting.
Except no one had called that number right before this.
Then I got blocked on X by Nextdoor CEO Nirav Tolia.
And now I've received two calls in two days.
Coincidence?
Absolutely possible.
But considering everything I've been documenting lately, I'm at least raising an eyebrow.
Then Came This Voicemail
One call left a voicemail.
It's short.
Very short.
The message sounds to me like:
"Tell that subscriber not to call this number anymore."
That's it.
No introduction.
No company name.
No explanation of who the caller is.
No explanation of what number I'm supposedly calling.
No explanation of what "subscriber" they're referring to.
Just a strange voicemail telling someone—or apparently telling me—that a subscriber shouldn't call a number anymore.
Okay then.
Do I Know Who Called?
No.
That's important.
I don't know who made the call.
I'm not sure whether the caller has anything to do with Nextdoor.
I don't know whether it has anything to do with Nirav Tolia.
I'm not sure whether this is related to my posts, emails, X accounts, or the ongoing case study.
And I certainly don't have evidence that anyone at Nextdoor initiated these calls.
I'm not going to turn timing into proof.
But I'm also not going to pretend the timing didn't catch my attention.
Two Calls After None
That's what makes this interesting to me.
I had no calls coming into this Google Voice number immediately before this.
Then, within the last two days, I received two.
That happened during the same period in which I've been publicly documenting being blocked again on X.
One of the calls leaves this odd voicemail.
Maybe it's spam.
Maybe it's a wrong number.
Maybe someone has the wrong Google Voice number.
Maybe it's completely unrelated.
There are plenty of ordinary explanations.
But when something unusual happens during an already unusual series of events, I document it.
That's what I've been doing throughout this entire Nextdoor case study.
Document first. Conclude only when the evidence supports it.
This Is Why Screenshots, Emails and Recordings Matter
One theme running through this case study has been documentation.
If I send an email, I keep it.
If an account blocks me, I take a screenshot.
If I make a mistake, I correct it.
And if an unusual voicemail arrives during an unusual sequence of events, I'm going to preserve that too.
I'm not claiming the voicemail came from Nextdoor.
I'm not claiming Nirav had anything to do with it.
I'm not claiming there's some mysterious corporate operation happening behind the scenes.
Frankly, that would require evidence I don't have.
What I am saying is:
This happened.
Two calls arrived within two days after a period of none.
One left a strange voicemail.
And the timing caught my attention.
Coincidence Is Still an Answer
Sometimes weird timing is just weird timing.
If I get no more calls, maybe this becomes nothing more than another bizarre footnote in the story.
If the calls continue, I'll continue documenting them.
That's the beauty of keeping a record.
I don't have to invent the ending before the story gets there.
For now, I'll put this one in the file labeled:
"That's Odd."
Not "Nextdoor Did It."
Not "Nirav Did It."
Just:
That's. Odd.
And we'll see what happens next.
👉 NielFlamm.com/blog
The Hinge Experiment: Pop Quiz, Hotshot. What Do You Do?
Well, yesterday I decided to put it out there.
My phone number.
Okay, technically not my real phone number.
It's a Google Voice number, which I highly recommend for anyone navigating the wonderful, confusing, occasionally terrifying world of online dating. I'm not immediately handing over my primary number to someone I just met on an app.
I'm optimistic.
I'm not insane.
But after several rounds of “Good morning,” unanswered questions, and my increasingly desperate attempts to determine whether we're actually going to have a conversation, I finally sent Kelli:
“Hey! If you want to chat/text...”
And then I gave her the number.
The ball—or perhaps the bomb—is officially in her court.
Pop Quiz, Hotshot
This whole thing is beginning to remind me of one of my favorite lines from Speed:
“Pop quiz, hotshot.”
There's a bomb on a bus. The bus goes over 50 miles per hour; the bomb is armed. It drops below 50, it explodes.
What do you do?
Except this isn't Keanu Reeves trying to save a bus.
This is online dating.
So...
Pop quiz, Kelli.
A guy you've matched with has tried starting conversations.
He's asked questions.
He's suggested going on an actual date.
He's attempted humor.
He's even offered Morse Code as an acceptable means of communication.
Now he's given you a phone number.
What do you do?
Actually, let's change movie genres.
Bottom of the Ninth
Kelli, it's the bottom of the ninth.
Three men on.
Full count.
For my non-baseball readers, that means three balls and two strikes.
The next pitch matters.
There's a stare-down happening between you and the pitcher.
The crowd is silent.
The pitcher gets the sign.
He comes set.
You're standing in the batter's box.
Here comes the pitch...
What are you going to do?
Swing?
Take the pitch?
Step out of the box?
Call time?
Go home?
Download WhatsApp and ask me if I've ever considered cryptocurrency?
At this point, all possibilities remain on the table.
I've done what I can do.
I put the number out there.
If she wants to text or call, she can.
If she doesn't?
Well...
Steve the Iguana remains on standby.
BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!
Just when you thought The Hinge Experiment was becoming a one-woman scientific study...
I MATCHED WITH GINA!
Yes!
MATCH NUMBER TWO!
We have officially doubled the number of matches.
That's 100% growth!
If this were a quarterly earnings call, I'd have a PowerPoint deck prepared, and we'd be discussing our extraordinary year-over-year performance.
So now we have two separate storylines.
Kelli: The number has been provided. The pitch has been thrown. We're waiting to see whether she swings.
Gina: A brand-new match. A completely blank canvas. Unlimited possibilities.
Could Gina be the one who actually communicates?
Could there be a conversation?
Could there be a date?
Could I finally retire my plans to become the weird reptile guy walking the beaches of South Carolina?
I have absolutely no idea.
But suddenly, The Hinge Experiment has a sequel.
Let's see what happens.
And Gina...
No pressure.
But there is currently an imaginary iguana whose future depends on you.