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"My name is Barry"
My telephone rings this afternoon and a clearly Asian voice says, "Hello, my name is Barry ..."
"No it isn't," I interrupt.
"My name is Barry Richards."
"Now that's patently not true is it?" I mean really, this chap had a really quite thick Indian accent and I can count the number of Indian men I know, or know of, with completely western names on the fingers of one elbow.
"My name is Barry Richards."
"Now, see, you've started this conversation with a lie; your name is patently not Barry Richards."
"Yes it is."
"No, it isn't."
"What would you say my name was then?"
"I don't know what your name is, I don't need to know what your name is. All I'm saying is that you started this conversation with a blatant lie and therefore I have to assume that the remainder of this conversation will be no more truthful. Since you are calling me to advertise something ..."
"This is not an advertising call sir, it is a promotional call."
"Ah, promotional, yes, that's quite a difference. Well regardless, since you started this 'promotional call' off with a lie I will not be accepting any part of what you are offering because I have no assurance at all that anything else you may say to me is the truth."
It was at this point that my oven timer sounded and I was reluctantly forced to terminate the call.
Why do people imagine that hearing a thick Indian accent with a western name will magically make the recipients of the call more likely to accept whatever 'promotion' they are trying to sell? Honestly, I don't care who they are or where they live ... I am not going to buy anything over the phone. The fact that they assume that I am stupid enough to be taken in by such a ruse, not to mention racist enough to be won over by the thought that I'm talking to a caucasian, frankly makes me quite cross.
It was a fun phone call though.
In other news, I really liked Torchwood last night. It looks very much as though they may have learnt the lessons of the past and turned over a new leaf. And let me tell you that, as someone who has been forced to sit through 42 years of watching straight people snogging on TV; I did not feel that the couple of man to man snogs last night was in any way excessive or 'preachy'. I am, very much, looking forward to seeing how the Ianto / Jack romance develops ... hopefully they'll take their time.
"No it isn't," I interrupt.
"My name is Barry Richards."
"Now that's patently not true is it?" I mean really, this chap had a really quite thick Indian accent and I can count the number of Indian men I know, or know of, with completely western names on the fingers of one elbow.
"My name is Barry Richards."
"Now, see, you've started this conversation with a lie; your name is patently not Barry Richards."
"Yes it is."
"No, it isn't."
"What would you say my name was then?"
"I don't know what your name is, I don't need to know what your name is. All I'm saying is that you started this conversation with a blatant lie and therefore I have to assume that the remainder of this conversation will be no more truthful. Since you are calling me to advertise something ..."
"This is not an advertising call sir, it is a promotional call."
"Ah, promotional, yes, that's quite a difference. Well regardless, since you started this 'promotional call' off with a lie I will not be accepting any part of what you are offering because I have no assurance at all that anything else you may say to me is the truth."
It was at this point that my oven timer sounded and I was reluctantly forced to terminate the call.
Why do people imagine that hearing a thick Indian accent with a western name will magically make the recipients of the call more likely to accept whatever 'promotion' they are trying to sell? Honestly, I don't care who they are or where they live ... I am not going to buy anything over the phone. The fact that they assume that I am stupid enough to be taken in by such a ruse, not to mention racist enough to be won over by the thought that I'm talking to a caucasian, frankly makes me quite cross.
It was a fun phone call though.
In other news, I really liked Torchwood last night. It looks very much as though they may have learnt the lessons of the past and turned over a new leaf. And let me tell you that, as someone who has been forced to sit through 42 years of watching straight people snogging on TV; I did not feel that the couple of man to man snogs last night was in any way excessive or 'preachy'. I am, very much, looking forward to seeing how the Ianto / Jack romance develops ... hopefully they'll take their time.
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However, my first question would have been "Are you ringing from the UK?"
If he said yes, I'd then happily point out that we're registered with the Telephone Preference Service and that he was risking a £1000 fine for his company by ringing me. And then ask the name of his company.
They've usually rung off by then.
(If he says no, I put the phone down without hanging up and go and make a coffee. If he's too stupid to notice the lack of response, let his company pay international phone rates).
In all seriousness, register with the TPS. We get almost no spam calls now.
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Someone phoned Grandpa a couple of days ago and said "I would like to speak to you about Sky TV" to which he replied "I'm terribly sorry but I wouldn't like to speak to you about Sky TV" and politely hung up! He is far to sweet sometimes! hehe!
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Richards