The mystery of the malfunctioning phone

Ever since the days of Alexander Graham Bell, the telephone has had the ability to confuse people - especially the elderly. M-I-L is no exception.

She reported to me that her phone wasn't working properly. When she held it one way up it worked OK, but the other way up it was very quiet. There must be something loose inside that moved when the phone was turned over.

Far from having to take the phone apart to search for the loose connection, the answer was blindingly obvious to even the casual observer. Her observation that the phone worked when held one way up boiled down to holding it to the one ear or the other. She has a hearing aid for one ear which she rarely wears. The phone being "a bit quiet" only happened when she held it to her deaf ear.

Give me strength...