October 5, 2006

sorry, my phone is just not available for that. is yours?

q. shenaynay

I don't usually put stuff like this on our blog, but if you could only get one small glimpse of my face when I answer the phone to a telemarketer daring to interrupt my family's dinner or school or simply fouling the fine art of conversation, you would understand why I am breaking from the norm for this. I turn into Brunhilde the Horror of Wagnerian Proportions over nuisance calls.



Cell phone numbers are currently being released to telemarketing companies, meaning the scourges of society will now start harassing us on our cellphones and not just in the peace and sanctity of our homes. You will, of course, be charged for these calls.

To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone:
888-382-1222.
It is the government's National DO NOT CALL list. It will only take a minute of your time. It blocks your number for five years.

You must call from the cell phone number you are wanting to have blocked. You cannot call from a different phone number.

HELP OTHERS BY PASSING THIS ON TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS
OR GO TO: www.donotcall.gov

2 comments:

Nardo said...

Thanks. I have started to receive many of those commercial calls and find it very, very annoying.

Mama Squirrel said...

I don't have a cell phone but I share your frustration with telemarketers. I am (blush) not even always very nice to them. I know they are just people trying to pay their bills too, but I am never going to buy anything from them, subscribe to circus tickets, get my doors and windows replaced, have meat delivered to my door, have my ducts cleaned, or re-subscribe to a book club just because someone asks me to over the phone, so I do resent having to waste my time answering their calls (especially when I do answer the phone because I'm expecting someone else to call).

Last week I had a call that went like this.

"Halloow, my naeem is Giffelbug and I reprasent the Tiffelburrble something Resort blurble"--

"I'm sorry, I can't hear you very well (I wasn't fooling!) and I'm having trouble understanding you (I wasn't fooling about that either). Who are you?"

"I am Giffelblug Blubelblourb and I rrreprasent the Teefelblubb"--

"I'm sorry, I'm still really having trouble understanding you."

"My naeeem is Gliffelbloob--"

I hung up.

One minute later the phone rang. A very slow, carefully enunciated version of the first voice was one the other end.

"Hellllow. Myyy naaaame is XXX YYY and I am calllling from the Sunnnshine Spaaaa Trrravel [or something] in Etobbbbicoke [part of Toronto, at least an hour away]. Would youuuu like to come to our offffice for a presennnntation?"

"You are calling to ask me to come all the way to Etobicoke so you can sell me something?" [Ten seconds of unbelieving silence on my end]

I am feeling honestly sorry for all the trouble this person has gone to to deliver me this piece of drivel in understandable English.

But not that sorry.

Clunk.