I Hate Political Phone Calls

[Rich Riddle]

Don't take this as a knock, but why not just get rid of the land line? We haven't had one for close to eight years and I don't miss it one bit. Very, very rarely get robo-called on my cell.

Erik

Erik,

Short answer is I am old and stubborn. Long answer includes our alarm system being monitored via the land line and the inability of our cellular phones to work well on our property. The difference in cost between cellular alarm monitoring and land line is actually more than it cost to keep our land line. Go figure.

[Chuck Wintle]

I don't watch much television to say the least, so there is no problem with all the political ads on television. However, in Kentucky the politicians are calling our land line twenty times daily. The phone rings off the hook. I am not political and hang up no matter who calls. Isn't there some law against all the annoying calls? It's getting to the point where we don't even want to answer the phone. Is there any way to block them?

So do I. I also hate phone surveys, customer service, people selling stuff etc.

[Eddie Watkins]

I made the mistake of contributing to a political candidate and now am inundated with calls. I usually don't answer it if there is no name on the caller ID. If it is a sales call I have on occasion talked to them until they hung up explaining that I have no intention to buy. I keep the landline because the security system uses it and it costs much less than an additional dedicated cellular line would cost. Also, I have a hook up to the landline that allows me to use it to answer calls from my front gate and the front door when somebody pushes the door bell. I also fax or receive faxes on my landline. Also, when I need to give somebody a number that I don't want to have my cell phone number I give them my landline # knowing I can screen the call. It's a shame that we have allowed these people to take the civility out of our society but they refuse to take no for an answer. I guess that is justifying being rude because they are rude.

[Kent A Bathurst]

The sweet, sweet, taste of freedom of speech. Is this a great country or what?

No road is pot-hole free, and I like driving on this road, all things considered.

I am not sure that including political speech in the do not call registry would pass constitutional muster, to be honest. Well, then.... let it roll right thru the night.

There are some very, very annoying signs along that road, sometimes by groups I find despicable. But - hey - they don't think much of me either, so -- - carry on.

If Side A calls: "You cannot possibly lose my wife's vote, and you cannot possibly win mine. Therefore, no contributions from this household." If Side B calls: "You cannot possibly lose my vote, and you cannot possibly win my wife's. Therefore, no contributions from this household."

Not really true about me, but is is mos def true about LOML.

[Dan Hintz]

I am not sure that including political speech in the do not call registry would pass constitutional muster, to be honest.

I see no reason why it wouldn't. You pay for the line, not the candidates... until that changes, there's nothing unconstitutional about saying "I don't want to receive unsolicited calls on a line I'm paying for."

[Kent A Bathurst]

I see no reason why it wouldn't. You pay for the line, not the candidates... until that changes, there's nothing unconstitutional about saying "I don't want to receive unsolicited calls on a line I'm paying for."

Dan - I didn't think Citizen's United passed muster, but I was clearly wrong there, so I got no idea what is allowed or not - clearly I am not qualified to call the shots.

But then, I can stand on the public sidewalk right-of-way in front of your house waving signs and speaking my mind.

You could be right - I hope you are - I am a Card-Carrying Cynical Skeptic about this stuff anymore.......... That is a CCCS instead of my other allegiance as an SSSC.

[Tony Zona]

Yes, political speech is protected, and thank goodness for that.

On the other hand, I don't have problems with political calls. After making a donation, I was getting a bunch of them. I kept saying no thanks.

One day, I talked to the guy and asked him to please remove me from the call list. We chatted. I said I know you don't want to make a negative impression, and if you keep calling me you probably will. Can you keeep me off the list? Yep, he said. I got another call the next day. I explained that I already told the guy yesterday to remove me. This guy apologized, and it has been quiet since then.

Now the foriegners that call with all sorts of offers. I looked up what the worst insult you can say to them, and I say it, I have gotten some spitting mad. One even called me back. And I insulted him again. Tough bananas, guy, you called me. I don't know whether it is related, but my calls have dropped dramatically, to almost nothing.

When I do get the calls now, I have a lot of fun. I figure they can't get me for making an obscene call because they are calling me, and they wouldn't report me anyhow.

Why do I insult them? Because they insult me by disrupting my quiet. I don't buy that they are just trying to make a living. I repeat an old observation of mine about the just making a living. Mob hit men are just trying to make a living. Do we feel the same about them?

The calls have been coming on my cell phone for quite a while. Many i just ignore, but sometimes I am up for a little sport. We chat for a while, take up a little time, then I take off the gloves. Try it. You might like it.

[Brian Henderson]

Erik,

Short answer is I am old and stubborn. Long answer includes our alarm system being monitored via the land line and the inability of our cellular phones to work well on our property. The difference in cost between cellular alarm monitoring and land line is actually more than it cost to keep our land line. Go figure.

Just because you have your alarm connected to your land line doesn't mean you have to actually answer your land line phone, you know.

[Brian Henderson]

Dan - I didn't think Citizen's United passed muster, but I was clearly wrong there, so I got no idea what is allowed or not - clearly I am not qualified to call the shots.

But then, I can stand on the public sidewalk right-of-way in front of your house waving signs and speaking my mind.

You could be right - I hope you are - I am a Card-Carrying Cynical Skeptic about this stuff anymore.......... That is a CCCS instead of my other allegiance as an SSSC.

Yes they can, but they can't stand on your lawn doing it. Once that phone line physically passes onto your property and into your house, it is your private property and they have no Constitutional right to access it if you do not want them to. If they want to stand on the sidewalk and shout through a bullhorn at you, they can, except hopefully they'll get arrested for violating noise statutes. But they need to keep the hell off your lawn.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Then, does that mean the political exemption to do not call violates Constitutional protections?

[Dan Hintz]

Then, does that mean the political exemption to do not call violates Constitutional protections?

No. The DNC was set up to limit telemarketing, which was not against the constitution, so any exemptions to it are also not against the constitution.

[Rich Riddle]

I am pondering how one enable call-blocking with Cincinnati Bell land lines.

[John Goodin]

I moved from Florida, a swing state where the political calls were nonstop, to Texas. We may get five political calls a election cycle now. It is the one benefit of living in a state where one party dominates the election cycle year in and year out but not a practical solution to your problem.

[Brian Henderson]

No. The DNC was set up to limit telemarketing, which was not against the constitution, so any exemptions to it are also not against the constitution.

No, it's not, that's why I didn't say it was a violation to call, only that they don't have any kind of Constitutional protection to make their calls, like free speech. We, as consumers, ought to have as much right to stop any unwanted usage of our property, whether it is political speech or not, we just don't.

[Ian Moone]

OK I am a bad person.

The Nigerian phone scammers are always ringing saying this is the tax office & you owe us money which if you pay right now into this account will avoid a large fine etc. They target my 83 year old mother... and they have amassed a great fortune from gullible elderly.

I got my Eldest son to play along on the other line.

We convinced them they had somehow rung some covert US Drone targeting operations center, lad & I shouting orders about a Satellite GPS fix on the traced call center, and drones aloft with sidewinder missiles - give me a targeting solution urgent - we had to take out a ISIS terrorist cell being funded from a Nigerian Call Center....

They never even hung up, just dropped the phone and all we could hear was screams and furniture / chairs falling over as people fled the building.

They never rung back go figure - I guess we are off their list now!

What can i say - de debbil made me do it.