Saturday, August 14, 2010

The Political Phone Calls Have Run AMOK!

This year, the robo-calls have been much worse than usual. 

I am what they call a Super Voter.  One of those people who files in on all the Off Elections, makes a tick in the box and moves on with a little sticker.  I count as my friends elected officials in the city of Wilton Manors, and respect the work they do for the most part. 

This next election there are a number of folks who are trying to get my attention by calling my cell phone.  Friday Night alone, I got 12 robo-callers from various politicians.

If you're listening, I'm not picking up any more. 

I got your message, and I have already made my mind up.  But I Am Not Picking Up ANY MORE!

Thursday the calls started, right at the dinner hour, and I got 8, Friday 12, so we're up to 20.  Since the State of Florida allows "early voting", this will run up to the election. 

I finally picked up the phone in frustration, said hello to the silence and when someone picked up at the robo call center (someone's kitchen no doubt) I said "Please stop calling me, this is the ninth time this number has called my phone in two days!".  The woman apologized and I hung up in mid sentence.

The call did not change my mind.  It only made me angry.  Advertisements do not change my mind, they are something I press a button to skip.  I don't see adverts on the web because I run a combination of Firefox with Adblock Plus and a Hosts file to block most of them.  When I see an advertisement on the web it is a call to action to find and block the pest.

My phone is on the national Do Not Call List and if yours isn't I have to ask Why?!?!?  It is free, you are opted out of all of the legitimate telemarketers and if you get one you get to scare the person on the other side of the line by taking their info and then reporting them to the feds, although I doubt it does a lick of good.

Political calls are excluded from that sort of thing and should NOT be.  Especially when you get 12 a night.

Caller ID is a wonderful thing and when you get one that is blank, ignore it.  Unfortunately these evil doers with their vile machines need a kick in the pants from Batman or which ever super hero is around to make them stop.  781 843 3832 is a company that does not respect the Do Not Call list and I have them in my phone as "SPAM" and merely hit the Ignore button.  I've gotten the other one where the phone number is invalid as 954 000 0000 with it being from my area code as if I would want to waste my time with that sort of thing.

Luckily during the day I don't get these calls.   If it is from outside of South Florida, I don't usually answer because its normally a headhunter in Mumbai India asking if I want to work in Minneapolis or thinking Jacksonville is just inside commuting distance.  It would be if I owned a plane so go back to what you were doing and don't bother me! 

Oh and buy a map of Florida - or just surf for one, there are plenty.

But that is a different story.  So for now, I'm hiding from phone calls I don't know at night.  If you've called me, and I don't pick up leave a message.  I'll get it later.  The phone my be on silent or turned off.  At 6pm until after elections.

The only good thing that it has done is that it has made me contact those who normally call me instead of the other way around.  Wouldn't want to tick off a friend now, would I?

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