For a Good Time, Call … YouTube?

A local posted his phone number on YouTube, just offering to listen for free, and 5,000 people responded. In an age of voice mail and phone menus, clearly people are interested in talking to a warm body. Watch the YouTube video.

The fact that Ryan Fitzgerald wasn't offering sexy services or anything associated with a paid party line makes the response unusual. Then again, anything can happen on YouTube. He said he was inspired by a man who gives free hugs to strangers. Here's the video in question:

The Globe describes the conversations that unfolded between Fitzgerald and his callers: "About 70 percent of the callers, he said, wanted to shoot the breeze for a few minutes about their plans for the day, and to inquire about his. Others preferred to wade into deeper conversational waters -- about 9/11 conspiracy theories, for example, or about how hard it can be to be gay." It's nice that someone out there wants to listen – although he may need to start charging when his minutes run out.

Also, the publicity from posting his number on YouTube might help his modeling career – the Globe notes that Fitzgerald is unemployed (but loves roast beef sandwiches!), but he and his twin brother would like to be actors and models.

Derspatchel is underwhelmed by the news: "Some fellow did it on YouTube and made the front page of boston.com. That's right. Your front-page story for today is Man Puts Phone Number On Internet."

We're just wondering what behavior will spawn from this act. We're expecting more YouTube posts along the lines of "For a good time call, Bertha in Brighton!"