Justice Department.

[koolie]

I love caller-ID.
My daytime phone is set up so that if a caller's number is hidden, the caller gets a disconnected signal, and my phone doesn't ring.
The phone is registered with the DoNotCall registry, but there are the occasional marketing deviants' calls that come through.
If they do not respond within two seconds of my answering the phone, I hang up. Anyone who does not have the decency to be ready to talk when I answer doesn't deserve my attention.
If they get to talk to me, I am usually able to determine, within five seconds, if it is an unwanted call, I hang up and report their number to the DoNotCall registry.

I know that it is better to waste their time for as long as possible by feigning interest, but my time is MY time, not theirs, and I have other things that I would prefer to do, like cleaning-up dog vomit.

------

My all-time favourite is from the days of thermal fax machines.
I used to get semi-frequent unsolicited marketing faxes, and in those days, the caller's fax number couldn't be hidden.
What I would do is.. take their fax pages and tape them end-to-end, dial their number, feed it into the fax machine, and when the leading edge came out, I would tape it to the trailing edge of the last sheet, creating a loop.
I would let this cycle through for five minutes, thereby emptying their fax roll onto the floor. Chuckle, chuckle.

------

What little tricks do you have to stick it to these kinds of people?

[shroomy_bee]

I find it increasingly difficult as time goes on to get anyone sane and able on the phone -

a recent example, a call came in that wasn't for me, but I answered it (which I usually avoid doing because of the many pitfalls it entails) - and, as you do, said 'hello' or 'yes?' or some sort of ackowledgement I'd answered.

But nobody said anything........

so I just said 'yes?' again.

Still f-a. So I hung up.

The thing about that being, just because whoever called expected another person to answer, their brain hung up or something and they don't even bother their arse to say anything.

Similar one also from recently - I'm trying to get info as to when I am meant to be starting a course etc etc, so I phone up for it. Someone answers, I say 'hello' as whoevers picked up isn't talking...and, despite their being some kind of receptionist they don't f-ing even say anything back at that point. Who are these people that take calls then just sit there not speaking. Idiots is what they are.

[Pizzasgood]

My dad used to keep a whistle hanging next to the phone, and would use it on those occasions

[koolie]

I don't have a whistle, but what I do is press and hold the 7 key until I get the handset on-hook.

[tlchost]

My all-time favourite is from the days of thermal fax machines.

I did a similar thing....and then discovered that one could use a fax program to send an unending stream of totally black pages....which not only rolled their paper on the floor, but also caused extra heat and other havoc in the machine.