Something Liberals and Conservatives can agree on

[Kirby]

Political opinion poll phone calls suck....
Somehow these people can get around the no call list requirements, and since I was working from home today I received five of these calls today.
I answered the first one and the guy seemed a little dicey so I just hung up on him, and then I disregarded the next three since caller ID identified them as consumer research groups.
The last one called a little while ago while I was making dinner so I figured what the hell and answered it.
The woman seemed nice enough, but I decided to screw with her anyway. She identified herself as 'Tara' from such and such consumer group conducting a political opinion poll. I managed to keep her on the line for a good three minutes by accusing her of being my sister-in-law just playing a joke on me. She kept denying it and kept trying to turn the call back to the poll and finally hung up when I started talking about what we were going to get her Dad for his birthday.

I hate the political season, and especially hate these calls. Anyone else have issues with them? Do you do anything fun with the callers?

 

[PsychoPere]

I believe they "get around" no-call lists due to people providing their phone numbers on voter registration forms.

A few years back, I was involved in a voter registration drive. We were told at the time that anyone who put their phone number on the form would almost certainly have that number then collected by the political parties, which then use groups such as the ones you're referring to. So no one is really "getting around" anything - you provided your number, you're fair game.

 

[B.J.]

I hate the ones that ask right out "Who are you going to vote for?" It's none of your business, find out on election day when everyone else does!

 

[TorontoTrekker]

Seven or eight years ago, I was out of work, and was at home working on stuff for the convention I volunteer for. Over the course of the day, I got about seven phone calls from assorted telemarketers (I don't recall if we had a "do not call" list in Canada yet at the time), and I was getting somewhat annoyed.

Around 5pm, the phone rang yet again. Even more annoyed, I picked it up and said, "Hello?" I heard a stream of words, of which I understood none because I was exhausted and fed up, and wasn't really focusing. I asked the caller to repeat. This time, I heard clearly:

"I'm going to speak very slowly. You're going to listen very carefully. This is Harlan Ellison."

Gulp.

After I changed my underwear (), I apologized, and explained that I'd been getting calls from telemarketers all day. He said, "In that case, would you like to buy a combination storm window/bidet?" I declined. He persisted: "Are you sure? It's a really good storm window/bidet."

It's going to be like that, I thought, and replied, "Well, you see, I live on the 12th floor, and sticking my ass out the window to clean it could be a little dangerous."

He came back with, "Oh, you live in a high-rise? What's that like?" So I spent the next five minutes telling Harlan Ellison what it's like to live in an apartment building, before we got down to the reason for the call. (Which was, we'd invited him to be our Author Guest of Honour at the convention, and he was calling in response to the letter I'd sent him about three weeks earlier. Alas, it didn't work out... but I got a great story out of it.)

Shortly after that, I did have myself put on the "do not call" list, but I still get a couple of phone calls a week. They happen when I'm at work, and either they're automated calls that recognize that an answering machine has picked up and hang up immediately, or the callers are hanging up. So I have no idea who's calling, and short of calling *69 to get the last number that called (which probably won't work - I expect most of them block their numbers), I can't report them for their violation. (I'm pretty sure they're not political parties calling to poll me or ask for my support, as they generally do leave messages.)

 

[sojourner]

I dropped having a land line phone years ago. I can't remember the last time I received any kind of unsolicited call. Cell phones rock.

 

[Use of Time]

I got a VA loan about three years ago and have been called constantly over that period of time by a company called "Amerigroup." (not the same insurance company that is actually legit) I'm on the do not call registry but these people are the only ones that seem to be able to get through. It got to the point where I actually got 5 calls over the course of a weekend. I went through a range of emotions every time I picked up the phone. Sometimes I would be polite, sometimes I would rage on them and others I would play games and waste their time. Bottom line was that it didn't stop until I actually asked the caller what her name was and threatened to send a formal complaint to the FCC and Better Business Bureau. That bought me about 6 months but they have started to call again. It's exhausting.

 

[B.J.]

"I'm going to speak very slowly. You're going to listen very carefully. This is Harlan Ellison."

Gulp.

---(snipped rest of story)---

 

[SmoothieX]

I have Vonage, so I'm unlisted, have an area code from a different state, and never get bothered. I like.

 

[R. Star]

Living in Texas, I really don't have to deal with this being a solid red state, but during this primary last month... ugh. Nonstop commercials, attack ads, 5-10 phone calls a day from each side. I don't know how you folks in the swing states can deal with it until November.

 

[Use of Time]

Living in Texas, I really don't have to deal with this being a solid red state, but during this primary last month... ugh. Nonstop commercials, attack ads, 5-10 phone calls a day from each side. I don't know how you folks in the swing states can deal with it until November.

I live in Virginia and it has been just awful.

 

[SmoothieX]

Living in Texas, I really don't have to deal with this being a solid red state, but during this primary last month... ugh. Nonstop commercials, attack ads, 5-10 phone calls a day from each side. I don't know how you folks in the swing states can deal with it until November.

You live in a solid red state, I've always lived in solid blue ones.

The candidates don't give a rip about us, because they know how we will lean. And that bothers me.

It must be a lot more interesting politically to live in Ohio or North Carolina or Florida than MA or TX.

And I'm not sure which one I'm going to vote for this year, so a little campaigning wouldn't hurt.

 

[R. Star]

And I'm not sure which one I'm going to vote for this year, so a little campaigning wouldn't hurt.

Yeah and Jesus Christ's second coming could appear in each of our respective states preaching fire and brimstone against the Republicans/Democrats respectively and that still wouldn't stop Romney/Obama from carrying our said states.

But what do I know? I'm probably gonna vote for Gary Johnson. If we keep voting the lesser of two evils why should we be surprised Washington is so screwed up?

 

[137th Gebirg]

^^^ Probably because the smart ones are smart enough to know not to get into politics. All we're left with is...well...you've seen what we're left with. Narcissists, megalomaniacs and sycophants.

 

[Davros]

I have no land line so I no longer get these kinds of calls.

 

[ichab]

If you are a super voter then this will always happen because you are the most likely to show up on election day. Anyone can get your information from your county's supervisor of elections office so being on a non call list won't matter.

And yes, it is DAMN annoying. I don't even answer my phone unless I know whose calling. Most of the time it's an automated message anyways saying "Vote for me"

 

[B.J.]

I don't have a land line either. Doesn't stop them. Probably because in many databases you have to have a "home" phone number listed, and that's my phone.