# February makes us shiver with each new rant it delivers **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 1, 2015, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-makes-us-shiver-with-each-new-rant-it-delivers/711492 "2015-02-01T05:13:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-makes-us-shiver-with-each-new-rant-it-delivers/711492/181 "2015-02-09T23:23:53Z")
Got a phone call from a collection agency looking for someone who doesn’t live here. Except they said “Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Jophiel, we are calling for Michael Smith, also known as Patrick Smith. It’s important that he reaches us…” and left a number [for this place](https://www.santanderconsumerusa.com/about/overview). So I assume someone just wrote down a random phone number and it got reverse traced back to me and thus the phone call. But I don’t want phone calls for life on behalf of Michael/Patrick Smith’s bad car loans so I try to call them to say “Ain’t here, never been here” – Except I can’t get through to anyone due to the labyrinth of phone tree options demanding my social security number or birth date or loan number. Which I’m not sharing (or don’t have in the case of the loan) and wouldn’t help anyway since they wouldn’t be on their file. Hitting “0” doesn’t work, nothing seems to work to talk to a living person. So this should be fun. Edit: As luck would have it, unrelated events had me do a credit report last night so I’m not guessing identity theft or anything. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-makes-us-shiver-with-each-new-rant-it-delivers/711492/182 "2015-02-09T23:39:16Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Got a phone call from a collection agency looking for someone who doesn’t live here. Except they said “Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Jophiel, we are calling for Michael Smith, also known as Patrick Smith. It’s important that he reaches us…” and left a number [for this place](https://www.santanderconsumerusa.com/about/overview). > > So I assume someone just wrote down a random phone number and it got reverse traced back to me and thus the phone call. But I don’t want phone calls for life on behalf of Michael/Patrick Smith’s bad car loans so I try to call them to say “Ain’t here, never been here” – Mr Smith likely is your neighbor or lived at your address before you did. They absolutely know that Smith isnt at your number. What they hope is that you do know Smith, and will go see him, and say “Hey these guys called and they want you to call back” and then he’ll be shamed (\*shamed \*I say!) into paying up. It’s not legal, but there’s a clause in the regs that allow them to call asking for his forwarding info. And yes, they’ll call over & over. Send them a letter with your phone number. Certified mail is best _and_ 1st class. Tell them you dont know him and you have never known him, and he does not share your phone. Tell them never to call again. ---
**Author:** ![Dunkelheit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dunkelheit/32/248_2.png) [@Dunkelheit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunkelheit)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2015, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-makes-us-shiver-with-each-new-rant-it-delivers/711492/183 "2015-02-10T15:00:40Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > I do that. Often. My sympathies. I’m glad it’s not just me. Well, not really, but you know what I mean. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2015, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-makes-us-shiver-with-each-new-rant-it-delivers/711492/184 "2015-02-10T15:13:52Z")
OK, so I’m driving home last night and it’s snowing lightly like it has been for what seems like forever, but that’s OK, I like snow and I just drive slowly and hope for the best. I slid a little bit a couple of times so I am being extra cautious. So traffice slows down and then we’re crawling, stop and go but overall very slow. Fine. For a while we can’t tell what’s happened so I don’t really blame the few cars that shot up the fast lane while everyone else stayed to the right. But eventually the view opens up and we can see flares and a cop car in the fast lane, blocking it. Everyone is fine, crawling through on the right. Until I see out of the corner of my eye/side mirror, a tanker truck pulling out into the fast lane and coming up to where the blockage is. Now, there are maybe five cars until the accident site, and there is a big gap between me and the car behind me. Perfect for this fuckhead to pull into, in fact probably left on purpose for him to pull into. But fuckhead can’t wait for little old me to pass, he puts on his blinker and just starts pulling into the lane, with me next to him! I realize I am being eased onto the shoulder. I have no choice but to let him go, able to give only an impotent beep of the horn and flip of the bird. Do the cops take any notice of this? Nah. He goes his merry way and I stew. I almost wish I had sacrificed my car because at least he would have had to stop and be accountable for being a fuckhead. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2015, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-makes-us-shiver-with-each-new-rant-it-delivers/711492/185 "2015-02-10T15:27:33Z")
Freezing rain. Grr. Or maybe I should say, Brr. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2015, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-makes-us-shiver-with-each-new-rant-it-delivers/711492/186 "2015-02-10T16:52:42Z")
> [@SpazCat](#): > > My crock pot died last night while it was full of bean soup. Piece of junk. Damn thing wasn’t even five years old. At least I can finish cooking the soup on the stove. > > Anybody want a crock pot lid and liner? Only the outer part’s dead. It’s going to the Land of Wind and Ghosts once I get moving on my errand running. This would make an awesome planter. Know any gardeners? ---
**Author:** ![curlcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@curlcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curlcoat)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2015, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-makes-us-shiver-with-each-new-rant-it-delivers/711492/187 "2015-02-10T18:14:47Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > I almost wish I had sacrificed my car because at least he would have had to stop and be accountable for being a fuckhead. Please send him to me when I’m driving my van. The thing is a money pit and I’d like it to be totaled! I hate guys like that too and only seem to get them when I’m driving something I care about. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2015, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-makes-us-shiver-with-each-new-rant-it-delivers/711492/188 "2015-02-10T18:44:09Z")
You know what’d be nice? If Facebook could somehow make a filter to make sure that no pictures of dead babies show up in your news feed. I mean, I did “unfollow” the friend of mine who habitually posted pictures of dead babies and bloodied children, but today, a friend whose posts I normally enjoy posted a picture of a dead baby. _sigh_ At least it doesn’t happen every day or anything, but still. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2015, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-makes-us-shiver-with-each-new-rant-it-delivers/711492/189 "2015-02-11T23:15:34Z")
Grrr! Why so many cashews in Costco brand mixed nuts? It’s easily 40% to 50% cashews. I like cashews just fine, but I would like a better _mix_ of nuts in my mixed nuts. ---
**Author:** ![adhemar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@adhemar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhemar)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-makes-us-shiver-with-each-new-rant-it-delivers/711492/190 "2015-02-12T00:42:24Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > This would make an awesome planter. Know any gardeners? I was just wishing I had an extra pot and liner. 🙂 I do natural dyeing and it can be done in a crock pot but you don’t want to use your food pots for dyeing. Unfortuneatly I don’t think you live close enough for it to work. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-makes-us-shiver-with-each-new-rant-it-delivers/711492/191 "2015-02-12T04:03:21Z")
Lucky has a URI and goopy eyes. Lovely, there is NOTHING I like to do more than put ointment in a cat’s eyes. Not only that, he’s kinda hard to pill because while he’s easy to deal with, if I forget about his missing teeth and I pill him on the wrong side of his face, the pill falls out. :smack: Also, I’m having writer’s block. I’m trying to finish our short story, but while I have the outline done and I know what’s going to happen and how it’s going to end…I can’t possibly manage the cool stuff that **Nava** and **KD** have posted. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-makes-us-shiver-with-each-new-rant-it-delivers/711492/192 "2015-02-12T04:04:09Z")
Are you shittin’ me? I posted something like a paragraph! ETA: AND I came up with a correction as soon as the five minutes were over. I swear to the Nine, nine-ty-nine percent of writer’s block is perfectionism. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-makes-us-shiver-with-each-new-rant-it-delivers/711492/193 "2015-02-12T04:18:48Z")
> [@flatlined](#): > > Also, I’m having writer’s block. I’m trying to finish our short story, but while I have the outline done and I know what’s going to happen and how it’s going to end…I can’t possibly manage the cool stuff that **Nava** and **KD** have posted. Sex, bears, and head wounds are my three favorite ways to shake things up when a story starts to feel dull. ---
**Author:** ![MagicEyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@MagicEyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MagicEyes)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-makes-us-shiver-with-each-new-rant-it-delivers/711492/194 "2015-02-12T04:30:14Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > You have a better attitude than I. The pizza part would be when I fell on my knees and screamed to the high heavens WHYYYYY??!!! and then crumpled into a sobbing mess muttering “I can’t, I just can’t”. Are you me? Because I would do pretty much exactly the same thing. Some days you’re just not meant to get out of bed. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-makes-us-shiver-with-each-new-rant-it-delivers/711492/195 "2015-02-12T10:49:43Z")
> [@flatlined](#): > > Lucky has a URI and goopy eyes. Lovely, there is NOTHING I like to do more than put ointment in a cat’s eyes. > > Not only that, he’s kinda hard to pill because while he’s easy to deal with, if I forget about his missing teeth and I pill him on the wrong side of his face, the pill falls out. :smack: > > Also, I’m having writer’s block. I’m trying to finish our short story, but while I have the outline done and I know what’s going to happen and how it’s going to end…I can’t possibly manage the cool stuff that **Nava** and **KD** have posted. Oh, pshaw. My contribution, such as it is, amounts to no more than a character sketch, intended to support the idea that our warrior friend is a gallant and silver-tongued charmer, much like his namesake. Feel free to use it as a placeholder, and if you later find that it conflicts with your vision for him or otherwise throws your story off its intended trajectory, know that it’s as disposable as the fellow’s name. I hope Lucky gets better soon. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-makes-us-shiver-with-each-new-rant-it-delivers/711492/196 "2015-02-12T11:26:23Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > Sex, bears, and head wounds are my three favorite ways to shake things up when a story starts to feel dull. Exit, pursued by a bear. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-makes-us-shiver-with-each-new-rant-it-delivers/711492/197 "2015-02-12T15:31:04Z")
PS my first novel, with no literal bears in it but quite a lot of sex and head wounds, is [free](http://amzn.to/TqkMJr) today and tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-makes-us-shiver-with-each-new-rant-it-delivers/711492/198 "2015-02-12T15:34:40Z")
Speaking of bears and sex, there’s a currently popular Canadian novel in which a woman has a sexual relationship with a bear. No, I haven’t read it. Ew. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-makes-us-shiver-with-each-new-rant-it-delivers/711492/199 "2015-02-12T15:36:18Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > Speaking of bears and sex, there’s a currently popular Canadian novel in which a woman has a sexual relationship with a bear. No, I haven’t read it. Ew. Yeah, I didn’t go there. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-makes-us-shiver-with-each-new-rant-it-delivers/711492/200 "2015-02-12T16:16:36Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > Speaking of bears and sex, there’s a currently popular Canadian novel in which a woman has a sexual relationship with a bear. No, I haven’t read it. Ew. A bear as in Smokey The or as in a hirsute guy? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-makes-us-shiver-with-each-new-rant-it-delivers/711492.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-makes-us-shiver-with-each-new-rant-it-delivers/711492.md?page=11)