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Automatic Reply

Automatic Reply: “I’m stuck in 1955”

Maria Hollenhorst Jun 25, 2019
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Picture taken inside a replica of the DeLorean, a time-machine vehicle which appeared in the movie " Back to the Future." MARTIN BERNETTI/AFP/Getty Images
Automatic Reply

Automatic Reply: “I’m stuck in 1955”

Maria Hollenhorst Jun 25, 2019
Picture taken inside a replica of the DeLorean, a time-machine vehicle which appeared in the movie " Back to the Future." MARTIN BERNETTI/AFP/Getty Images
HTML EMBED:
COPY

Automatic Reply celebrates the pithy, surprising or otherwise amusing “out of office” email messages pinging around workplaces.


A few years ago, Shiva Stella saw an automatic email message referencing the 1985 film “Back to the Future.” Stella, the communications director for a consumer advocacy group, Public Knowledge, says she’s been using it as her out-of-office email message ever since.

“If you’re reading this, Doc Brown was unable to get lightning to strike the clock tower at the right moment, and I’m stuck in 1955. I won’t be able to respond to emails until May 28, 2019 or until email is invented — whichever comes first.”

“I either found it online or I stole it from a reporter,” said Stella. “I like it because it’s humorous, it’s very lighthearted and it’s very specific.”

It’s your turn. If you’ve ever received an out-of-office message that made you think “I wish I’d thought of that,” tell us about it here:

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