# Unbelievable phone call

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-phone-call/382848>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [December 4, 2006, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-phone-call/382848 "2006-12-04T19:42:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-phone-call/382848/41 "2006-12-05T16:55:06Z")

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[QUOTE=muldoonthief]  
The fact that **FatBaldGuy** had to look up who Jerome Howard was makes it extra-special.  
[/QUOTE]

:smack:

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**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-phone-call/382848/42 "2006-12-05T18:21:54Z")

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“Oh, that guy? Yeah, I thought I knew him. Then, last Thursday, I saw him out in the yard. He started glowing, so bright I couldn’t look at him. Then he rose up into the clouds. I ain’t seen him since. Strangest damn thing I ever saw.”

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**Author:** ![tashabot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tashabot/32/6250_2.png) [@tashabot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tashabot)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2006, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unbelievable-phone-call/382848/43 "2006-12-05T18:53:08Z")

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I would never, ever, EVER let anyone know anything about anyone I know over the phone. Ever. 1) It’s too easy to scam, and 2) It’s none of my damn businesses to get involved. The only exception is when I know I am being made a reference for something like a job interview, and even then, I will ask if it’s possible for me to come in and talk (unless it’s across the country), just to be on the safe side.

As for bill collectors, well - yes, you should pay your bills, but sometimes that’s just not possible. I owe our local hospital a $400 emergency room bill for an honest-to-God emergency, and I’m lucky if I can scrape up $3 extra a month to pay for band-aids. I don’t qualify for any kind of financial aid so, well, they’ll just have to wait until I can get my raise.

Also, I am being harassed for a bill that I do not owe! Wells Fargo made a mistake on my account when I was 17 years old and because of their mistake I somehow wound up owing them $200. Well, I tried to correct it and they wouldn’t admit that it was their fault (trust me, it was - I have the paperwork to prove it) and so now they’re coming after me. I keep telling the collectors to go ahead and take it to court, because they aren’t getting the money from me. Haven’t gotten any court notices yet… But anyway, in a situation like that, where I legitimately do not owe money, do you think it’s fair for them to call my neighbors (who don’t know me anyway) and harass them because of their own stupidity?

~Tasha

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