by Cheryl Rofer
I have come to my limit on phone calls from charitable and polling organizations. I have steeled myself to answer such calls with "Please remove this number from your calling list." I have the advantage of caller id, but some use anonymous or "unknown caller" ids.
The latest was from the American Lung Foundation (organization? whatever).
"Please remove this number from your calling list."
The caller went into his spiel. I spoke over him.
"Please remove this number from your calling list."
Spiel continues.
"Please remove this number from your calling list."
"Yes, I will put your name on our do not call list."
"Thank you."
I really feel like a grinch when I do this. Some of the calls are from genuinely deserving charities. But I can't give to everything, and I've thought out where my money should go.
I thought that, if your number was on the federal do not call list, these people had to have some connection with you. As far as I can recall, I've never had anything to do with the American Lung whatever or the many (supposedly) police charities that call. I realize that polling organizations have an exemption, but they get the same rebuff. It's my time they're occupying.
And then there are the clearly illegal calls, all recorded, offering me a great deal on extending my car warranty...