just hang up

As Peter Finch once said in the movie called Network: I am mad as hell and I am not going to take it any more.

Well, that fits my mood today. I am sick to death of people who cold call me on my private phone number and try to sell me something. I don’t know what they are trying to sell me because they don’t get that far into their spiel before I hang up. I used to say “not interested”. Now, I‘ll admit, I say “get effed”. I had four this morning.

People naively say “how did they get my number?” Simple. These drones just sit there and dial number after number. Like: 123456. Then 123457. 123458. They are probably calling you from India anyway. It is such an invasion of privacy. I bet they wouldn’t like getting calls at home like the ones that they make.

Only four or five people have my home number and that is why I always pick it up. Unless I am busy or everybody thinks I am dead. As happened on Wednesday night.

But it is a terrible invasion of privacy. In the United States they have enacted legislation to block nuisance calls and Internet spam. Such legislation is also being considered here.

As I said the other day the computer boffins here at 3AW have installed some system which, thankfully, has effectively blocked pornography and Viagra specials.

They used to only call at dinner time. Now they start around 9a.m.

I must admit I loved the Jerry Seinfeld solution. Maybe I should use it. He told a nuisance caller that he was busy. “Give me your number and I’ll call you back.”  No answer was the stern reply.

The worrying thing is that it is going to get worse. I am starting to get unsolicited, unwanted, e-mails on my mobile phone telling me about some great function at some great bar. I would not go there on principle.

There must be a way to block this. It is an intrusive invasion of privacy. And I don’t apologise for using a four-letter word to get these leeches off my phone.

Friday, October 28, 2005

©Copyright Derryn Hinch 2005