Political phone calls driving us nuts.

[John Schmidt]

So, I started using a couple different methods of answering the phone if I don't recognize the number....one from my days working with Revenue Investigations for the State of Fla., and one where I answer....but don't. The first one, if I don't recognize the # I just pick up the phone and sorta bark into it "investigations, state your name and what case you're working."  I usually get a bunch of stuttering and stammering, one guy reminded me of Porky Pig with almost the same voice. I started laughing into the phone and told him "sorry Porky, you got the wrong department" and hung up. Never got another call from that number.    The second method requires silence. Again, if I don't recognize the number I'll pick up and stay totally quiet. I often hear all kinds of noise from the other end, people swearing why nobody is answering, various stuff....while all the time I'm biting my lip to keep from laughing at them. Finally the line goes dead. A couple times I've used my compressed air horn-in-a-can if I can hear someone online. One good blast, then hang up. Scared the crap out of my wife the first time I did it, apparently she was asleep in her reading room. That time would have been better to answer the phone I guess.    I've answered a couple times, some bimbo wants to take a survey as to whether I'm planning on voting. I always tell yes, then when asked for which person I always tell them Willie Nelson. It pisses them off and tell me I should take the election serious, I tell them I do....that's why I'm voting for Willie. They eventually hang up after cussing me out, but they don't bother calling back either. 

I figure these morons are going to be around for the next couple months so I might as well have a little fun with them....but only on my terms. They usually have a phone number show on the caller ID, but most never show a name. That tells me the call is worthless.

[DDT (12)]

Thanks, John! You've sure taken a major negative and turned it into great sport!!! I'm going to try some of those too... imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, you know...

DDT

[solo1]

John, I guess there are advantages to a landline. My answering machine does all the work. My recorded voice says I'm using the answering machine to screen all my calls. If I recognize the number, I interrupt it.  If not, I let the machine go through the routine, saves a LOT of hassles.  Friends will leave a message. There is a phone number from Jersey that's tried to call me 10 times in the last three days.  It's a scam.  Soon, they should give up.

Next, I'm thinking of muting my phone ringers.

Lots of crap calls out there.

[cookiedough]

You surely have more patience than me,  if I do not know who called,  I just do not answer the phone, even my cell phone.  Pisses the wife off though since I do not check my cell phone often enough daily unlike most people having it glued to their hands 24/7.  Caller id is well worth the 2.95 per month charge since 99% of phone calls I never answer.

Awhile ago a guy at work got a phone call knowing it was a hoax and he answered playing along for 20 minutes while on his 30 minute lunch just egging him on playing the guys strings.   I have NO patience for such people in life asking for money, etc. when I do not even know them.

I could easily live without a cell phone saving for all 4 cells in the family OVER 200 bucks monthly, but try arguing with the other 3....  

[Serk]

*Ring Ring*

Answer phone...

In an excited but hushed voice "The job's done boss, but there's blood everywhere and the fat one won't fit in the wood chipper. What should I do now?"

[The emperor has no clothes]

*Ring Ring*

Answer phone...

In an excited but hushed voice "The job's done boss, but there's blood everywhere and the fat one won't fit in the wood chipper. What should I do now?"

I love it 

[TallRider]

House phone answering machine answers 100% of the calls. I even left the generic voice on the machine. Cell phone has no voice mail I answer cell phone but don't  say a word. 90% of the time it's a robo  call if they hear a voice it will send it to a person to answer. Stay silent and call will hang up after a few seconds.

[Jess from VA]

I figure these morons are going to be around for the next couple months so I might as well have a little fun with them

I wish I was so optimistic......... more like a couple lifetimes.

The no call list used to work fairly well, except for in-state solicitations and folks you are or used to do business with.  I wonder if it works at all now?

For years, this was my machine message:  Hello, if you are a friend or acquaintance or someone I'm currently doing business with, please leave a message.  If you are not one of those, take me off the list and do not call back.  If you call back anyway, I will hunt you down and kill you.  Goodbye.

[The emperor has no clothes]

I figure these morons are going to be around for the next couple months so I might as well have a little fun with them

I wish I was so optimistic......... more like a couple lifetimes.

The no call list used to work fairly well, except for in-state solicitations and folks you are or used to do business with.  I wonder if it works at all now?

For years, this was my machine message:  Hello, if you are a friend or acquaintance or someone I'm currently doing business with, please leave a message.  If you are not one of those, take me off the list and do not call back.  If you call back anyway, I will hunt you down and kill you.  Goodbye.

I think politicians immuned (sp) themselves from the "Do Not Call List".

[scooperhsd]

I figure these morons are going to be around for the next couple months so I might as well have a little fun with them

I wish I was so optimistic......... more like a couple lifetimes.

The no call list used to work fairly well, except for in-state solicitations and folks you are or used to do business with.  I wonder if it works at all now?

For years, this was my machine message:  Hello, if you are a friend or acquaintance or someone I'm currently doing business with, please leave a message.  If you are not one of those, take me off the list and do not call back.  If you call back anyway, I will hunt you down and kill you.  Goodbye.

I think politicians immuned (sp) themselves from the "Do Not Call List".

Unfortunately Meathead - you're correct - they specifically exempted themselves.

I use Callcentric VoIP service for our home phone - they have a Telemarketer Block that REQUIRES people not on my contact list (basically also the speedial list) to have to press a "random digit" to finish connecting the call. For my cellphone - if it doesn't come up as a contact in my phone, I more than likely will not answer it - they can leave a voicemail and I MIGHT call them back.

[Rams]

I don't even have a land line into my home.   There's an ATT wire but, we don't use the service.    Both the spousal unit and I only have our cell phones.

I really don't mind most calls and I'll listen long enough to a real person to decide what I want to do.   Scam calls, political calls and most sales calls are pretty easy, I just tell the person that I'm not interested, take my off your contact list or, I'll have Hillary's people contact your people.     Everyone knows, Hillary's friends don't live long.

I've also asked to get the person's number so I can call them back when I have more time.   They always ask me if I know when that will be and I tell them about 10:00 PM.   The normal response is they won't be available then.   So I ask for the home number and explain, you called me at home, I'll call you at home.    Normally, that's the last I hear from them.

In some case's where I think it's a repeat call, I'll answer;  Ralph's Mule Barn, please get off my Ass and hang up.

The calls that piss me off are the robo calls.   You have to wait to the end where they eventually give you the option to press a number to be removed from the call list.

[solo1]

I have a cell phone one of those simple ones, never turn it on. Emergency use only. Had it on at the DRU (for the first time in two years) to talk to Mark.  Someone immediately rang and tried to sell me insurance.  BS!!!

The landline and the answer machine works for me.

No hassle.

[old2soon]

Unless the number calling me is blocked I generally get a geographic location. IF It's not on my call list I don't answer. RARELY do the scammers or robots leave a voice mail. Had a call the other day from Virginia that left a voice mail. Very broken idiomatic English told me he was a cop and my lawyer or myself should call him back and demanded money to keep me from going to jail. Called the sumbitch back and asked if he wanted to come to Missouri to ATTEMPT a collection in person on his own?? Immediately hung up on me!   No L L here-it's all on my cell. RIDE SAFE.

[hukmut]

I have a phone for *my* convenience. I pay the bill. Why should I even consider answering a call from

an unknown number?



Ride safe y'all!

[Rams]

Had it on at the DRU (for the first time in two years) to talk to Mark.  Someone immediately rang and tried to sell me insurance.  BS!!!

Yeah, and you have no idea how hard it was for me to get that number.   

[John Schmidt]

Don't get me wrong guys, I let the landline answering service do the majority of the work for me. Just once in a while, if I'm in the right mood I'll have some fun with them...but not often. I love just clicking the answer button and lay the phone down after putting it on the speaker, we get to listen to them cuss a blue streak usually. Rita has a hard time doing that, she gets the giggles and has to leave the room. 

Just the other day some woman called and I decided to answer, it was a voting survey run by some religious organization. Sort of a "call to arms" for all church goers according to her. When she asked if I planned to vote, I said yes. Then when asked if I cared to share my choice, I told her I was going to write in Willie Nelson. She blew a gasket, said I was making a mockery of the election process. I asked her if she had listened to any of the political ads lately....then tell me I'm the one making a mockery of the process. She then cussed me out and hung up....guess she was a backslider. 

I figure what the heck, I'm retired and since my hip is bothering me most of the time I'm lacking activity. This gives me a little amusement on the side, fortunately I seldom use my cell so don't get calls like that on that phone.

[The emperor has no clothes]

My wife got rid of the home phone a couple of years ago.  Seemed kind of wierd at first. I have never lived anywhere without a home phone. Don't really miss it at all though.

[Serk]

Side note - If you're ready to give up the home phone but don't wanna lose your long term land line number, look into transferring it to Google Voice.

It takes some juggling (You have to transfer your old land line to a cell phone, then to Google Voice) and a one time fee ($20 I believe) but once it's done, you keep your old number for ever, and can use it on your cell phone when you want to via the Google Voice app, but best of all, people can call and text it, and the message just come to you as an e-mail.

No ongoing charges, it's just there...

We ditched out old land line a few years ago and just have it forwarded to the Google Voice mailbox, that way we can give it out as needed, and if someone calls we get an e-mail of the message, if it's important we'll get back to 'em, if not, oh well...

[G-Man]

If I don't recognize the number, I don't answer.  If they really need to talk to me, they will leave a voice mail.  If not, then it wasn't important to begin with.  I used to be on some do not call list, maybe it expired as I seem to get a lot of BS calls lately.

[baldo]

Side note - If you're ready to give up the home phone but don't wanna lose your long term land line number, look into transferring it to Google Voice.

It takes some juggling (You have to transfer your old land line to a cell phone, then to Google Voice) and a one time fee ($20 I believe) but once it's done, you keep your old number for ever, and can use it on your cell phone when you want to via the Google Voice app, but best of all, people can call and text it, and the message just come to you as an e-mail.

No ongoing charges, it's just there...

We ditched out old land line a few years ago and just have it forwarded to the Google Voice mailbox, that way we can give it out as needed, and if someone calls we get an e-mail of the message, if it's important we'll get back to 'em, if not, oh well...

That's pretty clever, I've never heard of that before.

We've had our home number for 25 yrs, and for the last 20 it's been our business number. We've talked about getting rid of the landline but haven't because of the biz. This might be an option for us...

Thanks Serk.


Lol...I just got a call from the NRA looking for money. Apparently Mr LaPierre has some exciting news for me.  I thanked him and suggested he take me off their call list.

I think someone has been pulling my chain. We get mail from them too....

[Jess from VA]

I purchased an annual NRA membership for my best lifelong friend, who became polluted by his exposure to/employment with the SoCA entertainment/TV/movie industry for the last 35 years.  He said he liked the pictures in the monthly American Rifleman magazine, but not the political articles, and asked I not do it again..... the postal lady was a blabbermouth, and it would give him a bad reputation with his neighbors.

He was the guy with his dad's old Browning A5 auto shotgun, that when the Rodney King riots got within blocks of his LA home (and children), had not had it out of it's case in 25 years, and no ammo, and none to be purchased as sales were outlawed during the riots.  I offered him safe harbor for his family at my house on March AFB, but he was afraid to leave his house unguarded.  I told him it must be well guarded, he could still throw rocks and insulting gestures.

I later took that beautiful Belgian Browning home with me and tore it down and detailed it and replaced some springs and returned it with a box of OOBuck.  It probably has not been out of the case for another 25 years.

It's too bad too, because when we were growing up and in boy scouts and HS/college together, he was an entirely normal guy.

[3fan4life]

Side note - If you're ready to give up the home phone but don't wanna lose your long term land line number, look into transferring it to Google Voice.

It takes some juggling (You have to transfer your old land line to a cell phone, then to Google Voice) and a one time fee ($20 I believe) but once it's done, you keep your old number for ever, and can use it on your cell phone when you want to via the Google Voice app, but best of all, people can call and text it, and the message just come to you as an e-mail.

No ongoing charges, it's just there...

We ditched out old land line a few years ago and just have it forwarded to the Google Voice mailbox, that way we can give it out as needed, and if someone calls we get an e-mail of the message, if it's important we'll get back to 'em, if not, oh well...

That's pretty clever, I've never heard of that before.

We've had our home number for 25 yrs, and for the last 20 it's been our business number. We've talked about getting rid of the landline but haven't because of the biz. This might be an option for us...

Thanks Serk.


Lol...I just got a call from the NRA looking for money. Apparently Mr LaPierre has some exciting news for me.  I thanked him and suggested he take me off their call list.

I think someone has been pulling my chain. We get mail from them too....

The cell companies have home phone devices now that will replace your land line phones.

This was the solution for my mother.

She was paying $50+ per month for a landline without long distance.

She was able to keep her old # and has unlimted calling in the US for $20 per month.

Plus she's still able to use the same phones that she's used for years.

[Wizzard]

I have a landline. IP service and with this service I can program the calling numbers I want to ring my phone.
I get absolutely no political calls or unwanted calls at all.
Cost me 8 bucks a month. Best service I ever had.