It sucks, I know. But people just don't know. Most people have never met someone who stutters, so they have no idea what's going on. They try to make light of it because that's what people do when they think it isn't a big deal. I'm 46 and have only met 4 other people who stutter in my life, and one was mild enough that even *I* didn't even notice for a long time. So, don't get mad, if you can help it. I do think it's valid to tell them you stutter and it's often hard for people who stutter to say their own name,.phone number, etc. For what it's worth, it *will* eventually get easier. It used to almost be impossible for me to give my phone number. Now I can do it without hardly a problem. I also got better at giving my name. It's not quite as easy, but it's better. One thing I think that helps is when I give my phone number, like when leaving a message, I kind of get into a "this is my professional voice" mode, like I'm a telemarketer or something. It's known that talking with a fake accent can help stuttering, probably because it uses a different part of the brain. I think "telemarketer voice" falls into a similar category. Try it next time you need to leave a message or even give your name somewhere. Oh and by the way, you don't have to give your real name when ordering take out or at a Starbucks. For some reason "Nathan" always gets misheard, as does "Nate". So now I just say I'm Bob. Nobody mishears Bob. Nobody asks how to spell it. And it doesn't matter. Doesn't help when actually introducing yourself, but hey, maybe give yourself a new nickname. I was "Nathan" all through highschool but switched to "Nate" in college. Maybe that'll help a little, too. Good luck. It does get better.