We don't have "call waiting" at our house. Nor do we have caller ID. I guess I'm old fashioned, and I can hear my father talking when I say this, but I just don't want to spend money on things like that. Except at this time of the year.
We're on the "no call" list for telemarketers and I find as long as I set my answering machine to not pick up until at least four rings, they don't leave messages anyway. But...what I can't seem to
escape right now is the political phone calls. Some are recorded messages, some come in the form of "surveys", and some are real live people, calling on behalf of their favorite candidate, wanting to know who I intend to vote for in the November election. I'm not a rude person by nature so these calls present a real dilemma to me. I don't like to just hang up, but when I try to politely tell them I'm not interested they jump into their script and hardly let me get a word in edgewise. I don't like to not answer the phone because most people who want us call in the evenings when they know we'll be home. And I find that many people, if they get the machine, just hang up rather than leave a message so I don't even know who to call back. But one recent evening we had no fewer than six political calls within a couple hours. I was frothing at the mouth by the end of the night. One even came in after 9:00, which was really over the line.
I know this will end soon and I'm trying to be patient. But politics has become such a dirty business anymore and it really is so unpleasant. None of the candidates talk about what they offer, they simply tell us why their opponent is unfit for the job. I'm really pretty sick of it all.
And the phone calls - well I suppose I should just let it ring...
We're on the "no call" list for telemarketers and I find as long as I set my answering machine to not pick up until at least four rings, they don't leave messages anyway. But...what I can't seem to
escape right now is the political phone calls. Some are recorded messages, some come in the form of "surveys", and some are real live people, calling on behalf of their favorite candidate, wanting to know who I intend to vote for in the November election. I'm not a rude person by nature so these calls present a real dilemma to me. I don't like to just hang up, but when I try to politely tell them I'm not interested they jump into their script and hardly let me get a word in edgewise. I don't like to not answer the phone because most people who want us call in the evenings when they know we'll be home. And I find that many people, if they get the machine, just hang up rather than leave a message so I don't even know who to call back. But one recent evening we had no fewer than six political calls within a couple hours. I was frothing at the mouth by the end of the night. One even came in after 9:00, which was really over the line.I know this will end soon and I'm trying to be patient. But politics has become such a dirty business anymore and it really is so unpleasant. None of the candidates talk about what they offer, they simply tell us why their opponent is unfit for the job. I'm really pretty sick of it all.
And the phone calls - well I suppose I should just let it ring...
1 comment:
That irks me, too, Barbara. We have free caller ID so it's easy for me. I don't answer any numbers that say "Unknown" on my screen. I really resent my home being invaded by all these calls in reference to political, 'free trips to...', magazine soliciters,mortgage & credit card offerings, car warranty expirations, etc. Some of those have stopped, but there are still a-plenty. Thank HEAVEN for caller ID and answering machines!
Post a Comment