UH-OH

They're back,

(Thanks to Camille Blanchette)

Comments

[M.C.]

Now those are the real terrorists...

[Todd]

Yeah. Now they're using phones.

[long tall texan]

"The phone is going to start ringing off the hook," said EPIC's Chris Hoofnagle.
==

sorry, but my grandpa used to me to never believe anybody with the last name of Hoofnagle.

i knew g-daddy's advice would come in handy one day.

[pogo]

Dave! How about coming back out of retirement long enough to do a couple more columns on this one. Us troops need rallying.

We need to get THEIR phone numbers again and make lots of calls. After all THEY think if WE have phones, THEY have a right to call them. It's a two way street.

[Addicted to 24]

Dave,
I know this is not an exploding toliet or Shaq's thigh but I am pleading with you to write a new column about telemarketers. You are our greatest weapon here. After your last few columns on this topic my phone actually didnt ring off the hook with telemarketers. You saved me man. So please write a new column on this or least reprint your old ones WITH AN UPDATED TELEPHONE NUMBER FOR US TO CALL THEM WITH.

Your Friend,
Addicted to 25

P.S.
We all really miss your columns

[Addicted to 24]

Pogo
Great minds think alike 8^)

[js]

pogo, m.c., i'm always awed by youse twos logic.
neat "takes"
more, more.

[qetzal]

Addicted to 25?!

Is this the long-awaited Fox spin-off starring Chloe?

[M.C.]

At second glance here's something else Hoofnagle said:

"What we're talking about here is an exception that allows telemarketers to call people who are on the Do Not Call list."

So in reality we have nothing to worry about because this is mathematically impossible.

[M.C.]

caprice - now that's genius. ;-) Thanks for the idea.

[VictoriaE77]

As soon as I saw the article, I thought of Dave's columns. And so did everyone else, apparently.

Please Dave! Dig us up some numbers to use!

Sic 'em, bloggers!

[U.O]

Important quote: laws in places like Indiana and Florida are not preventing such calls in the 45 states where they are not banned. And consumers are not complaining about them ...

I don't like to bring this up, but perhaps the residents of these five states are simply able to make their wishes known clearly enuf to their respective legislatures, so that they enjoy the peace and quiet of stricter rules ... ??? (Or, they're smarter? ... nah, I din't say that)

Telemarketers want one set of rules, to make it simpler to comply to restrictions.

OK ... here's the rule:

DO NOT CALL, ANYONE, EVER.

[silver]

Nah U.O too simple for telemarketers.

[insomniac]

I suggest we make Acadian Day and Huey P. Long day, national holidays (and a month each).

[alanboss]

Government agencies are exempt from the Do Not Call list.

As soon as my son became a senior in highschool (two years ago) the Marine Corps recruiting began calling my home three times a week. They still do. Thankd God for caller ID!

[queensbee]

well, just great. i have dialup internet service - so, during the dinner hour, i just go on line. and no, i dont want to buy any aluminum siding thank you.

[Martinishark]

"Hi sir, We're calling your home at this hour to ask you if you are satisfied with your name being placed on the National Do-Not-Call list, and if you wish to continue to prevent calls like this one or if your are dissatisfied with the service and would prefer to have your name removed from said list in order to allow calls like this one from coming through to you--and if you would like to subscribe to The Miami Herald.

[U.O]

Actually, we don't have a phone line ... haven't had one since I moved here (nearly eight years ago) ... cell phones only ... not very many "telemarketers" calling ... ever ... (Only ones approximately in that category are those to whom we've given our phone #, or others we've done business with ...

... that number of businesses keeps growing, but I don't think we get 10 calls a year ...

(Internet? High-speed, from the cable company ...)

... just sayin' ... (& trine not ta gloat ...)

[Moe]

You know the crank calls "comedians" like the Jerky Boys, Willie P. Richardson, Roy D. Mercer and those on the TV show Crank Yankers? I heard an interesting twist on that concept on satellite radio a while back. A stand-up comic set up a phone line and did everything he could to get on as many telemarketing lists as possible. Then he would wait for calls and abuse the telemarketers.

My favorite was when a telemarketer was trying to sell him something and he acted like he was distracted disciplining his kid for doing poorly in school. The punchline after wasting a sufficient amount of the telemarketer's time was along the lines of yelling "Son, do you want to grow up so stupid that all you're qualified to do is be a *^&*@ telemarketer"?!?!?!?!

[Candy Tutt]

A mild-mannered friend of ours takes a passive-aggressive tack: As soon as he figures out it's a TM, he says, 'Can you hold on just a second?' -- then he lays the phone down on the table and finishes his dinner.
My personal favorite happens as soon as they ask 'How are you this evening?' I say 'Fine, thanks for asking!' .... and hang up.

[Edelweiss]

I have a friend who always tells telemarketers the raunchiest things he can think of. My favorite:

I'm buck naked with a [insert offensive word for self-stimulation device here] up my [insert offensive word for posterior here], can you call back later?

[js]

crossgirl,
good info site. tnx.

[alanboss]

Crossgirl, We signed the "opt-out" that was supposed to keep them from calling, the first week of school. Didn't help.