On the Outside ... Phoning In

There is a daily radio show called Prime Time Sports®, hosted by Bob McCown®. I don't listen to it or its TV version, because I don't get the point of talk radio or phone-in radio or whatever.

What I do watch is televised baseball, and there have been several commercials on TV for McCown's show, most of which revolve around his addressing the TV audience, sharing his unique viewpoint concerning his listeners. In my favourite one of these ads, he talks about being rude to his callers, saying, "I don't call them; they call me."

This is how I feel about anyone who calls my home. A lot of people presuppose a social contract, in which we all agree to be polite to anyone who calls us. I never signed that contract. I consider such calls to be an invasion of my privacy.

Telemarketers, charitable donation solicitors, and others who introduce themselves, and want to know how I am, get very little of my time. I worked the phones for a market research company many years ago. Callers: I feel your pain - well, actually, I felt your pain - I don't want to be reminded of it. Don't call me.

For many years, I worked as a programmer/analyst, and received a lot of calls from headhunters - mostly when I was employed; rarely when I was looking for work. On one particular occasion, about ten years into my 'career,' some guy called me and went into his routine. I cut him short, and told him that I'd contact him if I needed his services.

He proceeded to lecture me on the fact that, if I wanted to get anywhere in the IT business, I should not alienate people like him. Too easy! I told him that, if he wanted to get anywhere in the headhunter business, he should not alienate people like me.

I didn't call you; you called me.