[Mpls] Annoying Phone Calls

[Nikkicarlson001 at aol.com]

Barb, here's my story:

Once a month, the State DFL has a conference call for all the party unit 
chairs. It was last night at 7 p.m. I phoned in at 7 and everyone went through 
greetings. Then at 7:04 my phone started to beep indicating a call on the other 
line. It beeps very loudly two times. Caller ID indicated "MARKET CENTRAL 
910-937-9419."

It would pause for about a minute, then beep again, always the same number. 
After 20 or so of such calls, I became more and more and more and more 
irritated. I couldn't concentrate on our discussion of increasing citizen and 
volunteer participation. It looked like a telemarketer but the persistence didn't make 
any sense. I figured it was a friend of one my teenagers who had no 
understanding of phone etiquette. Then, as it continued, 5 or 10 more calls, I began to 
be afraid. What if it was one of my kids, calling from a cell phone, a friend 
or relative using one of those overseas dialers from Iraq, a real emergency?

Finally, I disconnected from the conference call, and picked up this line. A 
cheerful young woman said, "Hi! I have an important call on behalf of Mayor 
Rybak." I told her she had interrupted an important call with the DFL. She said 
her call was very important too, and that they used auto dialers. She said 
Mayor Rybak valued my opinion, and wanted to know what was most important to me, 
"Affordable housing, environment, public safety or education." Something like 
that. I said they all were important to me. She said, "Great, then can Mayor 
Rybak count on your support in the convention?" I asked her if she was a 
volunteer on the campaign. She told me she was a professional telemarketer. I said I 
had to go as I had a call coming in on the other line.

I really did want to call back in to the conference call, but my other line 
was beeping. It was a real volunteer for the Rybak campaign, asking me when I 
wanted to volunteer for phone banking. I said I was too busy to volunteer at 
the phone bank next Tuesday or Wednesday. So she persisted, and asked my when I 
could find time in my schedule. I told her I was simply too busy. She said I 
should make it a priority as R.T just had to win the endorsement. I asked her 
why, since he didn't plan on respecting the endorsement. She said he respects 
the endorsement, but he just wanted all the voters to have a chance to voice 
their opinion.

I thanked her and went back to my conference call, which was awesome by the 
way, productive and informative. I don't know what I missed during those 10 
minutes.

Nikki Carlson
Linden Hills