A modern problem is lag in crappy quality phone connections. It makes feedback and interjections difficult. Real life with this friend is much smoother.

I definitely would have ditched him when younger (close to sixty now). Putting up with a lot more now if someone is otherwise honorable, loyal, honest.

People my age run out of friends if they ditch so easily. Indeed that explains many older people being lonely. New friends are harder to come by with age so they should learn more tolerance and social strategy (like my trying to get my friend to text me more than phone me).