Useless Facts- Cable Operators

[Dante Bunny]

This is my way about saying about cable operator after the way they treated me today. I was asking about when do we get our channels in our half of our town and I was going to ask a contracter of the cable company and there is an operator that hangs the phone up, and the next time I called there, and she told me to "Quit calling here no damn more!" I have the right to call back and give her an attitude that she never forget. I was just asking about those new channels and those new channels carries the Cartoon Network. If the next time an operator blows you off on the phone, just call back and tell her " sorry, wrong number!" in a mean and rude way!


G.I. D'oh! (if you think that I made the Tiny Toon webpage, it was A.G.I. not me.)

Cable operators should be captured and trap in the island or hat village so they can't remember who they are doing the Smekavovien dance!!! No offence to the other cable operators or other operator.

[Danielle]

I had (almost) the same experience. I once called 411 for the #s of 3 people. I told the guy that I had three numbers, and he answered back (quite rudely, BTW. I know I was wrong, but SHEESH!), "Don't you mean three names?" "Uh, yeah." I needed the number for Sarah Levinson. "May I please have the number of Sarah Le-" "Last name, please." "I was just about to tell you." "Well, say the last name first. It makes my job a whole lot easier." Wanna know what would make it a whole lot easier? If he were fired. "Levinson." "First name?" "I told you that already." "First name?" "I don't want to repeat myself." "First name?" "Sarah."

Then he gave me the number. And he didn't even bother waiting for the other two. Not that I was angry; the lady I called after was much nicer.

[Calhoun07]

These operators are under pressure to turn over calls in an unbelieveable short amount of time, especially 411 operators. I forget the exact time they need to be turning calls over in, but it is mere seconds. I am sure when you said three names, the guy was stressing out on how to keep the call in that allotted time. Of course, it is no excuse for him being a jerk. Next time, deliberatley take up their time! Make it as hard as possible for them to find the name! Keep them on the phone too long, and maybe they will get fired!

[DR. BELCH]

This is why I just look up phone numbers online. It's easier than dealing with uppity and incompetant operators (though I'm sure most of them aren't like the [expletive deleted]s you dealt with). A few of my favorites are http://www.555-1212.com/, http://www.anywho.com/, and http://people.yahoo.com/ .
Which reminds me: I once tried to get some phone records from ASU on a particular person who had been calling my room so I could figure out where they originated (the number they gave was a fake; long story). I was told they don't keep those kind of records onhand because it would eat up too many resources and hours. WTF? Suppose there are terrorists or killers or conversations about drug deals going on in the rooms? One would think having some record of incoming calls for each room would be an indispensible resource! Mind you, I'm all for privacy, which is why some rule would have to be set up that the information can only be accessed by the recipients of the phone calls or by the police with a proper warrant.
I have another one about my sister-in-law who had some choice words for a bothersome telephone solicitor, all having four letters or less, but perhaps another time....

[Sharklady]

> Suppose there are terrorists or killers or conversations about drug deals going on in the rooms? One would think having some record of incoming calls for each room would be an indispensible resource! Mind you, I'm all for privacy, which is why some rule would have to be set up that the information can only be accessed by the recipients of the phone calls or by the police with a proper warrant. <

This is one of the classic 'Delicate Balances' in law; Privacy Vs. Security. At what point is a citizen's right to privacy overridden by the need to control criminal activities?

I don't believe there are any easy answers. But I'd say, when you're hearing equal volumes of complaints from both sides of the argument, you're probably near the best achievable balance.