Unsolicited Phone Calls

The national Do Not Call list was one of the few unconditionally and unalloyedly good ideas ever to be passed into law. A good idea, with really no downside. I remember how telemarketers used to pester the hell out of me, and what a blessed difference it made once I was able to put my phone number on that list.

Oh, I still get a call from a rogue telemarketer once in a blue moon: you know, the type that don't care if they're breaking the law, catch me if you can. But it's nothing compared to what it used to be.

If I were able to make one adjustment in the Do Not Call law, it would be to allow people to opt out of unsolicited calls even from those few remaining categories that were granted a loophole: politicians, pollsters, and charities. Yeah, I know, it'll never happen. And I've long since developed ten-words-or-less responses to excuse myself from whatever they're trying to rope me into. But really, having done away with 90% of the calls I used to receive, why would I want to be pestered, awoken from a nap, interrupted in the middle of supper or during a TV show, to answer poll questions, give to a charity, or listen to some damn political message?

If family, friends, neighbors, clients, business associates want to phone me, fine. Otherwise, you are free to send me a letter, or an email, or catch me in person-- some mode of communication that doesn't bid fair to interrupt me right while I'm sitting on the toilet, or while my supper is getting cooler by the minute.