While not strictly anecdotes about calling out of band, these two illustrate the need to keep up with current events, even in amateur radio. Back in 1976, the FCC authorized the Bicentennial ham call sign program where as all USA ham calls began with an A. At the time, I was WB8TOB so I operated the entire year in '76 as AB8TOB. This was a voluntary program. One day I was on 10 meter SSB when a local broke in and asked why I was using my MARS call on the ham bands. I explained it was a Bicentennial call and had been reported about extensively in the ham radio press of the day. I asked if he subscribed to any ham magazines. Yes, he said, CQ and QST. But do you read them, I asked. No, he replied. And this was May 1976 -- 5 months into the Bicentennial.
But even more bizarre was a QSO I had a couple years ago on 10 meters. I called CQ and a fellow answered me and immediately said he was shocked to hear such a strong signal on 10 meters. He owned 3 homes around the country and each was equipped with a ham shack, tower and triband beam. He only worked 20-10 meters, he said. For the past 2-3 years earlier, he had seldom heard any signals on the higher HF bands and assumed it was because ham radio had died. Total lack of interest from the ham community, he said. But recently, he'd was again hearing signals and was confused by all this.
I told him the period he heard nothing was probably the most recent sunspot cycle minimum and a couple years later, the first peak of the current cycle had come along and filled 10 meters with signals.
He did admit he did not subscribe to any ham radio publications and never looked at any ham websites. Duh, if he'd kept up with current events a little more, he could have answered his own questions.