Tuesday, September 11, 2007

A Cellular Peeve

I used to think that people’s aggravations were called their ‘pet peas’. Maybe you do right now? This is not the case. It is called a ‘pet peeve’.

The term comes from the word peevish which is a relatively new term in the English language only dating back to about the 14 century. It literally meant ‘ornery’ or ‘ill-tempered’. In the early 1900’s the term ‘pet peeve’ first appears in literature which came to mean a very specific annoyance. Nonetheless, the term is ‘Pet Peeve’- not ‘Pet Pea.’

I say all of this to tell you about one of my many pet peeves (I do hope that is the correct plural). It is the pet peeve of the telemarketer. I am not alone in my peevishness.

There are few things that annoy me more than someone calling my house to try and sell me something. Contrary to marketer opinions, I did not put a phone in my house so that I could feel as if I was standing in the middle of a local mall every evening of my life. I understand people have to work, but they don’t have to work MY phone.

It is absolutely absurd that we should have to put our numbers on a National-Not-Call Or I Will See You in Court-List. Calling someone’s house in the middle of the evening just to try and make a buck has to be the most invasive invasion of privacy in America today.

Yet… however much we may all hate it… it is only getting worse.

Lately I have been receiving many e-mails regarding a NEW do not call list for cell phones. The claim is that cell phone numbers will be made available to companies in six (6) days from today (September 17). In order to keep your cell phone from being called you must dial into the Do Not Call List.

I had no idea how this could be legal. It made no sense that companies could not only have your private address number but also your unlisted private cell number! So…I did what all good Americans do… I visited the government organization over such things- The Federal Trade Commission.

If you have been getting the same e-mails I have then I invite you to read for yourself.

(Go FIRST- before you continue reading.)

All that being said…I went ahead and put my cell number on the National Do Not Call List anyway. Why wait for the inevitable to happen?

3 comments:

Michelle said...

Joseph, I was taking Andrew to his doctor a few weeks ago, and in the middle of the appointment his cell phone rings. He stepped out to take the call, and when he came back in, he said it was a sales call! He had no idea how they got his cell number.

Michelle said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Joseph James said...

I would have been furious!