Last time they called, I asked for website/callback info, because it sounded preposterous. Supposedly, it is this survey, in which Nanny is checking to see if you're a good little girl or boy, and wear your seat belt, and refrain from smoking and eat all your beans and fresh fruit and, and, and....
And no. They called back Sunday night and I told 'em I wasn't answering their questions, which are invasive of my privacy. "Mark me down as 'refused to answer,'" I told the guy, who replied, "Even the question about wearing your seat belt?"
I guess that's supposed to be something everyone does; in my opinion, you're a fool if you don't -- but if you don't and reply honestly, in this state, you just confessed to committing a crime. Or something even more complicated, since sometimes I am operating a motor vehicle in a lawful manner and not wearing a seat belt: motorscooters don't have seat belts. I just told him yes, I would not answer even that question.
(They also have questions about alcohol use, mental health and a worryingly-specific section about both "race" and a series of leading questions about if you feel you have been treated unfairly because of it. Yeah, what was the last well-meaning government that tracked the "race" of citizens, and remind me how that turned out? "Survey" refused; maybe CDC's use of that data is innocent as can be, but once gathered, who else will make use of it, by and by? When did this become okay again?)
The young survey-pusher told me I'd probably get another call. The answer is still no. Go ask questions of someone who wants a Nanny. Go ask questions of someone who trusts that governments never, ever turn on their citizens, either individually or in conveniently-labeled groups.
Don't be surprised if you're marked for special attention by the IRS and added to the no-fly list. Because you know that the Obama administration has a greater fear of domestic terrorists than it does of Muslim terrorism.
ReplyDeleteJust who'm I supposed to be terrorizing, then?
ReplyDeleteNannies?
ReplyDeleteHmm, this seems germane:
ReplyDeletehttp://hotair.com/archives/2014/08/03/terror-study-group-finds-sovereign-citizens-and-militiapatriot-groups-among-greatest-threat-to-us/
I love Caller ID. If I don't recognize the number, that call goes to the answering machine.
ReplyDeleteIf I were to have a weak moment and did answer, and got one of these survey callers, my response would simply be "None of your flippin' beeswax, Skippy."
I'd have the same attitude if my doctor asked me if I kept guns in the house.
"I love Caller ID. If I don't recognize the number, that call goes to the answering machine.
ReplyDelete+1 on that. Especially since I only have a cell phone, and no landline - I'm not going to waste my minutes on telemarketers, surveys, and wrong numbers.
In fact, I go one further - my message specifically tells callers "If I don't recognize your number, and you don't leave a message, I will NOT call you back."
Don't talk to strangers. I don't have a land line and when I still had one about all I received were junk calls. When the caller would tell me that we won something I would reply that no we lost and my wife and I are still disappointed that we lost. When the caller would argue I would insist that they refer to their supervisor and confirm that we lost and we were not happy at all that we lost. With that kind of crap going back upstream they just sigh and give up.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to this spooky government stuff, and I clicked over and read one of the questionnaires, a person would be nuts to participate. The few times I get calls that desire information and tell them to mail the stuff to me because I never respond to unsolicited phone calls and neither should anyone else.
First time I have heard about this - I wonder who/what is behind it?
ReplyDeleteMerle
Survey calls can be annoying, at least CDC wasn't asking if you had a firearm in the house as part of their public health role.
ReplyDeleteNo need to worry though, at least until the CDC calls with a survey that asks:
1. Do you have red eyes and
2. Are are you bleeding from orifices from which you do not normally bleed?
At that point it's time to get worried cause it's not like the CDC might accidentally release something that causes a real public health concern.
It will be interesting to see if you get a knock on the door in the near future...
ReplyDeleteI have the ringtone for unknown number set to "silent" on my personal cell phone, so I never even hear it when they call. I just need to clear the call log once in a while.
ReplyDeleteFamily and friends know to leave a voice mail or text me if calling from a different phone.
Skew the results.
ReplyDeletegive random word answers to the questions...
I wonder if this is just for Hoosiers, or if it's going to pop up all over. (Like an epidemic...)
ReplyDeleteIf they're trying it here, we won't know because, like those above, we have caller ID, which is tied into the satellite service, so we get nit displayed on the boob toob screen. handy, that. We can ignore rude strangers without getting out of our chairs. Allowed us to set the ringers on all landlines to silent.
Not answering one's home phone is something only those who are not in call can indulge in. My employer's phone system grabs the first open outgoing line, so "didn't recognize the number" isn't a reason to not answer. I can let it go to the answering machine but that just means confusion when I do pick up.
ReplyDeleteSalt mines use my cell number for "on-call" type of things. Fortunately, they are (barely) smart enough to leave a message, as we rarely do "on-call" types of things, so I rarely have the cell phone on me at home...
ReplyDeleteIn fact, not issuing some kind of ethereal communicator to the on-call strikes me as both cheap and quaint
ReplyDelete