So last night I was minding my own business in my own home, and the phone rang. People tease me about how I answer the phone, with a tone in my voice that suggests "should I be answering this thing?", but this is the exact kind of crap that makes me as phone-phobic as I am:

The caller asked for me by my first name, which of course typically suggests that it's someone I know. He sounded young-ish, like it might be a friend of mine. His tone was informal. I figured it was a friend and I just didn't recognize his voice over the phone. So I let down my phone-guard a bit and said, "hey, what's up".

The guy mentioned a name and asked if I knew him. Again, very casually and matter-of-factly. I did recognize the name. He used to be my next door neighbor, but I'm fairly certain he moved at some point. I'm not 100% sure because I mainly mind my own business at home, and I don't really have neighbors who I socialize with much.

But the guy caught me off guard, and before I could even think twice, I said, "yeah, he used to live in my building but I don't think he does anymore."

Now, while my simple lizard brain was starting to formulate the words "..and by the way, WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!??", I said I didn't know the guy and I couldn't be counted on for specifics.

Then the guy said, "I have a program that locates people and it has a function for those who live nearby, and your name came up."

I said, "that's weird" and I hung up on his ass.

Is this kind of thing LEGAL?!? It's creepy and offensive to me. I'm thinking of finally breaking down and getting caller ID very soon.

it's amazing and scary how much info is available on us on the internet.

some of it could be considered an invasion of privacy but the laws simply aren't in place to stop it

fyi i got a similar call once.

I am getting this way about the phone too. Whenever it rings...I'm like "who the hell is calling" and it could be a perfectly normal hour. I have been getting loads of crap calls and I am on that dang do not call list too.

Normally if people call me I answer with a low attitudish voice "Yeah". And once I know who it is, I soften up a bit.

superspaceboy said:

if your on the do not call list and you're still getting calls from telemarketers, you should report them, they're fined heavily for that. i'm on that list and haven't recieved one call (from a telemarketer) since being on it.

XxAxX said:

i know it's scary! i do a search on my name periodically just to see if anything comes up that shouldn't. What's scarier is that there's a guy who lives in the same city as me and with the same exact name and only a year difference in age who has all kinds of garbage associated with him.

sinisterpentatonic said:

i'm guessing that the call i got last night was from a credit agency headhunter weasel.

sinisterpentatonic said:

i get a call every now and then for the guy who lived in my apartment before me. i relish in abusing those callers.

Anxiety said:

Now that sounds like something i'd do.

Anxiety said:

i was thinking it was some guy that had the hots for you. That's weird he called you by your first name tho.

sinisterpentatonic said:

hell, in my neighborhood, who knows.

but that would be a messed-up way of stalking me...asking for info about my old neighbor?!

Anxiety said:

Maybe it was your old neighbor.

superspaceboy said:

ok, now you all are getting all hitchcock and shit on me.

I once did a Property Check on my house. I wanted to know how old my house was...blah blah blah. It came back with phone numbers and names of my next door neighbors and people who used to live in my house and in my neighbors' house. Scary!


M