# Telemarketers try to fight back...so does Dave Barry
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telemarketers-try-to-fight-back-so-does-dave-barry/207108
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [October 13, 2003, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telemarketers-try-to-fight-back-so-does-dave-barry/207108 "2003-10-13T03:28:51Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2003, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telemarketers-try-to-fight-back-so-does-dave-barry/207108/1 "2003-10-13T03:28:51Z")
[Dave Barry](http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/living/columnists/dave_barry/6934584.htm)
I called the number he provided and listened to a very long coma inducting auctioneer paced message. The guy who’s voice mail it goes into is Full.
One could only imagine just how many calls it takes to fill it.
Heee.
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### Author:  [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2003, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telemarketers-try-to-fight-back-so-does-dave-barry/207108/2 "2003-10-13T03:34:05Z")
In this thread
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=215612&highlight=Dave+AND+Barry](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=215612&highlight=Dave+AND+Barry)
I was addressing the issure too. Never did call the number though, but now you have me curious.
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### Author:  [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2003, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telemarketers-try-to-fight-back-so-does-dave-barry/207108/3 "2003-10-13T03:51:03Z")
Bahahaha! Dave Barry is a god!
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### Author:  [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2003, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telemarketers-try-to-fight-back-so-does-dave-barry/207108/4 "2003-10-13T03:52:41Z")
**chants**
Dave! Dave! Dave! Dave! Dave!
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### Author:  [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2003, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telemarketers-try-to-fight-back-so-does-dave-barry/207108/5 "2003-10-13T11:26:55Z")
Hey, sorry **Baker** about the repeat. I saw the current link and just giggled like a little girl.
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### Author:  [@sperfur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sperfur)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2003, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telemarketers-try-to-fight-back-so-does-dave-barry/207108/6 "2003-10-13T11:58:51Z")
Awesome. I need something to do at work today, anyway. 😃
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### Author:  [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2003, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telemarketers-try-to-fight-back-so-does-dave-barry/207108/7 "2003-10-13T14:26:05Z")
Imagine how wonderful America would be if Dave Barry really was president.
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### Author:  [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2003, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telemarketers-try-to-fight-back-so-does-dave-barry/207108/8 "2003-10-13T17:22:40Z")
No need to be sorry, **Shirley** , it _had_ fallen off the front page.
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### Author:  [@Super\_Gnat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Super_Gnat)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2003, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telemarketers-try-to-fight-back-so-does-dave-barry/207108/9 "2003-10-13T17:37:51Z")
> [@](#):
>
> That’s correct: The ATA received NO WARNING that it was going to get unwanted calls! Not only that, but these unwanted calls were an INCONVENIENCE for the ATA, and WASTED THE ATA’S TIME!
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Wonder how long it’ll take them to disconnect this new number…
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### Author:  [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)
#### Post date: [October 13, 2003, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telemarketers-try-to-fight-back-so-does-dave-barry/207108/10 "2003-10-13T20:58:06Z")
I campaigned diligently and tirelessly to elect Barry in the last election (meaning I downloaded his “Dave for President” ad as my screen saver) and he STILL lost.
So, really, you can’t blame ME for the mess we’ve found ourselves in ever since you-know-who took office. He may lack political experience, but I thought his tactic for dealing with terrorists (forcing them to listen to “Copa Cabana” non-stop) was downright inspired.
Barry in 2004!!
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### Author:  [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2003, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telemarketers-try-to-fight-back-so-does-dave-barry/207108/11 "2003-10-14T00:10:18Z")
_waits, sharpened ice pick in hand, for the inevitable “Telemarketers are not so bad!” posts…_
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### Author:  [@rockle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rockle)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2003, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telemarketers-try-to-fight-back-so-does-dave-barry/207108/12 "2003-10-14T00:22:55Z")
Dave! Dave! Dave! Dave!
Back when Dave ran for President in 1992, I wrote him a letter and asked if I could be his Secretary of Education since, basically, I wanted to go to college for free. He sent me back a handwritten note that said - I am not making this up:
“Hey, you can be on the SUPREME COURT!”
I have voted for him in every election ever since, including the ones in which he was not, technically, running.
Dave! Dave! Dave! Dave!
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### Author:  [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2003, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telemarketers-try-to-fight-back-so-does-dave-barry/207108/13 "2003-10-14T00:28:32Z")
I tried calling the number Barry provided in the article. It rang and rang and rang, no message, no VM box. Looks like it’s broke again.
GO DAVE!
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### Author:  [@SnoopyFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnoopyFan)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2003, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telemarketers-try-to-fight-back-so-does-dave-barry/207108/14 "2003-10-14T02:19:23Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by rockle \*
> \*\*Dave! Dave! Dave! Dave!
>
> He sent me back a handwritten note that said - I am not making this up:
>
> “Hey, you can be on the SUPREME COURT!”
>
> \*\*
Tell me you framed it!
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### Author:  [@In\_Conceivable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Conceivable)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2003, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telemarketers-try-to-fight-back-so-does-dave-barry/207108/15 "2003-10-14T02:26:15Z")
I just called the number and it is no longer in service! Looks like the telemarkers are having to change their numbers to avoid us now!
Go Dave Go!
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### Author:  [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2003, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telemarketers-try-to-fight-back-so-does-dave-barry/207108/16 "2003-10-14T02:52:14Z")
Oooh! Look at you, royal highnesses! Too good to be approached by the lowly merchant class! Why don’t you people just invest in a programmable phone that shuts off during dinner time if absolute mealtime silence is so necessary for your delicate little lives?
There, now this thread has proper balance.
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### Author:  [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2003, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telemarketers-try-to-fight-back-so-does-dave-barry/207108/17 "2003-10-14T02:58:06Z")
You’d think staunch guardians of the first amendment such as the telemarketers would be more inclined to listen to what people have to say…
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### Author:  [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2003, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telemarketers-try-to-fight-back-so-does-dave-barry/207108/18 "2003-10-14T10:56:00Z")
Like all normal people, I have strong feeling about telemarketers…
1. I notice this particularly from Dave Barry’s article:
“Tim Searcy of the ATA was quoted in The Los Angeles Times as saying that the impact of the Do Not Call Registry would be (I did not make this quote up) ‘‘like an asteroid hitting the earth.’’ Yes. An asteroid!”
Amazing.
The Do Not Call Registry means the end of Civilisation as we know it.
1. My elderly father is going to hospital tomorrow. Hopefully nothing serious.
I’m waiting for a phone call from my mother.
Instead I get a voice that starts reading from a script:
- am I the Householder?
- do I have a supermarket loyalty card?
Since the unqualified unpleasant ignoramus taking up my time and phone line is working for a power company, I tell them I’m not interested and quietly hang up.
Why am I so polite?
These people have sh_t for brains, why can’t we treat them like sh_t?
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### Author:  [@Anaximenes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaximenes)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2003, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telemarketers-try-to-fight-back-so-does-dave-barry/207108/19 "2003-10-14T15:24:08Z")
FYI:
These butt smugglers’ website can be found at
[http://www.ataconnect.org/](http://www.ataconnect.org/)
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### Author:  [@elf6c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elf6c)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2003, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telemarketers-try-to-fight-back-so-does-dave-barry/207108/20 "2003-10-14T17:04:40Z")
This almost makes up for the “band name” thing.
You would think that the those idiots at the ATA would have left Dave alone, slow learners huh? I bet they keep their mouths shut this time. Either that, or they better enjoy ordering new 800 numbers.
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/telemarketers-try-to-fight-back-so-does-dave-barry/207108.md?page=2)