What is the success rate in jobs like that ?

I had some guy trying to sell me a sim-card for my mobile phone the other day. I had nothing better on so didn't cut him off. Even when I pointed out then I didn't have a mobile so the sim-card wasn't much use he kept on going. We even touch on the pressure society puts on us to keep up with technology and how we 'need' a mobile ? I told him it wasn't true and that I'd survived perfectly well for over 30 years but he persisted.

10/10 for effort and endurance.
0/10 for taking hints that there was no way I was going to buy his card.

Do people really change their minds if you hassle them ? I just get more entrenched.

my personal success rate was low...mostly cuz I felt AWFUL for calling those poor people!

When I get those kind of calls, I usually cut them off and say something like, "Excuse me, I'm sorry. Let's not waste time for both of us. I'm not interested, you can't make me interested and I'd like to be taken off your calling list." Then I hang up.

(and in the US, if you request to be taken off their calling list, they have to by law and if they call you back, you can press charges.

I used to find heights a bit difficult- the edges of things were stangely attractive, in an odd way, but then I did a tandem parachute jump, and it's been easier since, co I *know* what falling from a great height feels like... ish.

I used to have to do research for my recruitment company over the phone which I HATED. We were headhunters, so if a vacancy came up, I'd have to find out *everyone* doing that job at 12 major banks, and I could never tell anyone who I was or why I wanted to know who was working there etc. Drove me up the wall. But I have no trouble calling ppl now- I just feel so much happier knowing I'm telling them the truth.

Don't like calling the bank though. I love the atuo system, but the thought I might have to speak to a REAL person about my ovverdraft gives me the serious willies.



My reality check has just bounced again.......

I don't get much hassle on the phone; I'm ex-directory for one thing. If I get a sales call for double-glazing, I tell them it's a rented property, and not my decision. End of call.
I don't mind doing market survey or opinion poll calls though, unless I'm busy.

I got a couple of particularly irriatating junk e-mails from the same firm recently. When the second one arrived, I typed "Bog off and never bother me again" in it, and hit 'reply'. There's a certain beauty in subtlety.....

Heights don't worry me very much - I love that feeling of wanting to jump off, just to see what it's like... My climbing partner worries about heights when we're at a climbing wall, but is totally gung-ho when standing on a ridge with 90m cliffs either side. I don't understand it either.



PSD

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This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.

Anyone here has done Bungee Jumping?
I worked for a Bungee Jumping company and i jumped 3 times for free woohoo, it was brilliant, the only problem was i had to take my glasses of so i couldn't see the fall properly

Erm, no, but I've had a couple of large falls when climbing that caused people to check the rope very carefully afterwards for damage. Not quite the same, but enough to give me an idea what it's like. Quite fun, is my considered opinion.



PSD

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This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.

I fell out of the loft of an old 3 story barn when I was a child...luckily into a bunch of loose hay so I only got some scratches. I am no fan of heights, but if it's a building or something like that it's no problem. But if it's a ladder or something I KNOW I could fall from, I'm terrified. But I think it's a reasonable fear, seeing as how I actually HAVE fallen! Bungee jumpers are insane!

gives me the heebie-jeebies just thinking about it!

Isn't there also SCAD (Suspended Catch Air Device) jumping now? Basically you throw yourself off a crane ontop (hopefully) of a giant fan...

That sounds interesting, and possibly fun...



PSD

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This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.

Technically, in the US they don't *have* remove you unless you ask to be ADDED to their DO NOT call list. Just asking to be taken off the call list, they can legally ignore.

BTW, replying in any way to unsolicited spam email is usually a bad idea. Many spammers will flag messages that they get "remove" messages from as active email accounts that actually get read, and sell them to more spammers.

I'm a mild Phone-o-phobe myself. I would much rather talk to someone either in person or via email than on the phone, and I tend to put off making calls as long as I possibly can (and often longer than I should). My mother and uncle are the same way, actually.

I'm thrilled when I can do something by email instead of by phone, because I actually have time to decide exactly what to say, and don't have to worry about unanticipated questions or responses. (Improvisation is not one of my talents). And I like it when I can get the information I need using automated touch tone systems instead of having to talk to a real person. If I screw up, I just call back and nobody's the wiser.

When I do have to call someone I don't know, I also carefully think out (and sometimes write out) what I want to say. And I *love* caller ID, since I know either that it's something I can let the machine answer, or if it's someone I know, I know who it is before I pick up.

If I ever did get a cell phone, almost nobody would get the number, and I'd have it turned off most of the time. Especially since here in the States you have to pay for incoming calls yourself (I've heard that's not necessarily so in europe).



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"I've often said that the difference between British and American SF TV series is that the British ones have three-dimensional characters and cardboard spaceships, while the Americans do it the other way around."
--Ross Smith

pay for incoming calls??? that is crazy.

i only pay for incoming calls when i'm abroad!

Yep. These days most plans give you a certian number of free minutes per month, and both incoming and outgoing calls count toward that total.

I think it started when only a few folks had them, so you got charged for how much you used it, regardless of who initiated the call.

I have a friend who keeps getting calls on her cell phone, by people trying to sell her a cell phone. She is not amused.



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"I've often said that the difference between British and American SF TV series is that the British ones have three-dimensional characters and cardboard spaceships, while the Americans do it the other way around."
--Ross Smith

that is mad. i think if i had something like that i'd only answer the phone if it was a number i recognised.

i'm quite lucky with my plan. i get 50 free minutes every day (off peak and all day weekends) to people on the same network and to landlines. i only pay for peak calls and text messages - on normal months my mobile bill is just about £20.
Last month was more because I was in Portugal and roaming calls are a lot more expensive.