Post a pet peeve.

[Annoyed]

It happens in cluster for me. A few weeks go by with nothing, then a week or two of random calls. But with the landline, it was fairly consistent. I guess your mileage will vary on this one.

One time some random guy called me asking why I called him...I didn't and told him as much then he said "Don't call or" and some vague semi legal threat I can't remember. Figured his caller ID got spoofed with my number.

While I hate the telemarketers, I do enjoy messing with the scammers. My personal favorite is when my internets (not a typo) is infected. I got those a few times in one week, I even had a telemarketer drop an F bomb at me at one point.

That's like the guy who says he's from Microsoft support... Ummm... I'm not running windows..

As far as torturing scammers, I've tied them up for more than an hour before. Just play them like a fish on the line.
And I really suck at fishing.

[Gatefan1976]

That's like the guy who says he's from Microsoft support... Ummm... I'm not running windows..

As far as torturing scammers, I've tied them up for more than an hour before. Just play them like a fish on the line.
And I really suck at fishing.

No kidding.
(you walked into that one dude)

[Annoyed]

I don't get many spam calls on my cell, I mostly get texts for for porn sites and escorts lol, and what I do get I can easily block, unlike on the home phone.

Quite often, I don't even answer if caller iD doesn't identify the caller.
Oh, in yet another example of good deeds gone bad, the FCC or perhaps Congress recently passed laws that require better identification on the part of telephone service providers. I suppose that's why more and more lately, legitimate businesses are showing "caller unknown" on caller ID. They need to update something with their phones.

I was recently expecting a call from an insurance provider, so I picked up a "caller unknown". It turned out to be the insurance co. and it was a robodialer, first thing it asked was for me to enter DOB and other private info into their computer.

I wouldn't have wanted to be the first human I got a hold of at that company.

[VampyreWraith]

Quite often, I don't even answer if caller iD doesn't identify the caller.
Oh, in yet another example of good deeds gone bad, the FCC or perhaps Congress recently passed laws that require better identification on the part of telephone service providers. I suppose that's why more and more lately, legitimate businesses are showing "caller unknown" on caller ID. They need to update something with their phones.

I was recently expecting a call from an insurance provider, so I picked up a "caller unknown". It turned out to be the insurance co. and it was a robodialer, first thing it asked was for me to enter DOB and other private info into their computer.

I wouldn't have wanted to be the first human I got a hold of at that company.

I hardly ever answer too, only if I'm expecting a call from someone/someplace important.

Yeah, I hate giving personal info on the phone if it's from a call that I've received (and that's so strange that they had an automated message thing asking you to input info you can't even really verify who it is with that). If I call them and they ask for personal info I feel much better about giving it.

[Princess Awinita]

Concerning telemarketers, answering the phone with "sherrifs department, fraud devision" will make them quickly hang up

[Wraithworshipper]

My dad pretends to be a senile old man until they hang up in frustration. My mom says, "Unknown name hotline. What name would you like to register today?" They hang up. My dad also pretends to have been waiting for their call all day, and he demands to know what took them so long to call. They also hang up quickly.

[Annoyed]

My dad pretends to be a senile old man until they hang up in frustration. My mom says, "Unknown name hotline. What name would you like to register today?" They hang up. My dad also pretends to have been waiting for their call all day, and he demands to know what took them so long to call. They also hang up quickly.

Your mom is delightfully evil.

[Wraithworshipper]

She also answers like a recording. She says, "Hello. How may I direct your call?" Then, she just repeats, 'How may I direct your call?' until they hang up.

[Princess Awinita]

I am not allowed to answer the phone for many reasons, things like

"Bobs Bait Shake, Bob Speaking"

Or

"City Morgue, you stab 'em we slab 'em"

And my personal favorite

"Hello, you're on the air!"

[Gatefan1976]

I am not allowed to answer the phone for many reasons, things like

"Bobs Bait Shake, Bob Speaking"

Or

"City Morgue, you stab 'em we slab 'em"

And my personal favorite

"Hello, you're on the air!"

City morgue, you slay e'm, we lay e'm
I love that line (and your one as well) Been using that one for decades

EDIT: Some more for you
Hello, city morgue, you slice them we ice them
Hello, city morgue you kill them, we chill them.
Ahh Rhyming metric slang, very much an Australian past time

[Wraithworshipper]

OMGs! I'm going to have to use the "on the air!" My dad already uses the morgue answer. He also says, "Duffy's tavern! Duffy ain't ain't here! What can I do ya for?"

[Falcon Horus]

Ah, the days my uncle and I managed to get the whole family hanging up on us for thinking they had called the wrong number.

I recently made a colleague think that she wasn't talking to me. She'd started the call asking if it was me, and I replied, "No, she's not in today." ... she bought it. She nearly hung up too but I started laughing so ... luckily she too was amused.

[Wraithworshipper]

Good one!

[BruTak]

Tempted to buy an airhorn and keep it next to the landline, just in case the cold callers get annoying.

[Falcon Horus]

Tempted to buy an airhorn and keep it next to the landline, just in case the cold callers get annoying.

You may get sued for telephone terrorism... ...burst eardrums or some such.