Boohoo For Telemarketers
Farhad Manjoo makes big, phoney libertarian sniffles on Salon that the government has regulated the telemarketers out of business. Take it from this libertarian: Heís wrong. Thereís been no government prohibition against telemarketing. What the government has given the public is merely voluntary access to a giant no-trespassing sign -- same as door-to-door solicitors see at my house.
Telemarketing is paid for by us -- the people receiving unwanted calls. Just as Monica Harrington points out in an angry letter to Salon, I pay for Caller ID mainly so I might have a chance of avoiding telemarketing calls. When telemarketers cleverly manipulate their number so it doesnít appear on my Caller ID, I pay with my time and aggravation. And, I pay in missed calls that I do want -- when an automated telemarketer leaves such a long recording on my machine that it runs out my tape. (I canít have voicemail, because Iím often in Paris, and itís impossible to get American voicemail messages with a Parisian phone card -- the # sign deactivates the call.) And why should I have to get voicemail -- just because the salespigs with the autodialer at Bid2000 think repeatedly irritating the crap out of me will get me to an auto auction, when it just gets me to make yet another complaint about them to the California attorney general?
Harrington makes another good point:
"Perhaps we should all be able to 'refer' our calls to the people, like Farhad, who want them. I'm happy to send my calls, my 87-year-old mother's calls, and my airline pilot neighbor's calls (he likes to nap in the daytime so he's ready for late-night departures) to Farhad. I'm sure with a little time, I could come up with hundreds of other referrals, and those wonderful telemarketing jobs can be saved."
Another Salon letter writer knocked the Manjoo's notion that telemarketers are no different than the people who solicit for money at the airport. Wrong again, Manjoo. The Hari Krishnas arenít chasing you through the airport, calling your name, forcing you to have a conversation with them, and making you late for your plane. If you donít want to buy a flower, you just breeze past.
Too bad the bill exempts those making political calls and others -- another fine example of sleazy government self-interest. Of course, thereís still redress on the part of consumers. For example: anybody who calls me asking for my vote probably guarantees that they will not get it.
(required: watch an annoying commercial to read Manjooís Salon Premium story. Access to letters to the editor is free.)