Why do they always call when I am relaxing in my chair watching TV? Fortunately, our Dish Network DVR is connected to the telephone line and it displays the Caller ID info right on our TV screen. The number was one I did not recognize and that usually means trouble.

The Caller ID data included the number 602-889-8022 but there was no name associated with it. Since I am expecting a business-related call from out-of-state, I got up from my chair and answered it.

I said “hello” about three times and got no response. Quite typical for a telemarketing or some other irritating call. These outfits use automated dialing systems to dial the phone numbers and then connect them to an operator when it thinks they have someone on the line, but apparently there is not always an operator to take an outgoing call. Nice of them to call and annoy people, eh?

I did a bit of research on the number and it appears to belong to some kind of company that does surveys. Unfortunately for consumers, the “Do Not Call” laws only put a stop to sales calls and that leaves all these survey companies and political organizations free to call us.

Now that I have this number on my list of annoying callers, I will probably just do what I did last time I got a call from some annoying jackass who wanted to waste my time. I just picked the phone up when it rang and set it down on the desk and left it there for a few minutes until the aforementioned jackass got sick of talking to nobody and hung up. I did not get another call from that number after that.

I wish phone companies would give us the ability to block selected number from calling us. I’m sure the technology is up to the task but as far as the business and political aspects of it go, something is probably stopping it from becoming a reality. The phone companies are subject for another day I suppose. I still can’t believe they are charging my more than $7 a month just for caller ID. Those little data bits flying along the phone lines must be quite expensive to transport!

One trick I have to try one of these days is one I heard about quite some time ago. The idea is to get a recording of one of those automated messages from the phone company with the beeps and says “This number is no longer in service.” If you play that when one of these outfits calls, it is said that it puts a stop to it. It may be worth a try.

Welcome back!

Tags: calls, hang up, telemarketers