Buy Machine, Screen Your Calls
Dear Ann Landers: How do telemarketers know when I sit down to dinner? As soon as we start our evening meal, the phone rings. The first thing I hear is “How are you tonight?” The honest answer is “I have a mouthful of food, and I felt a lot better before I answered the phone.”
I realize these people have a job to do, but I would like to offer a suggestion. The telemarketers should start the conversation by saying, “Hello, my name is Sue. Do you have a few minutes?” This way, if the person called is busy, or allergic to telemarketers, he or she might say, “Sorry, I don’t have time to listen right now” or “Thanks for calling but I am not interested,” and hang up politely.
Please do a great service to the people who receive these calls and print my letter. Thanks, Ann. - Larry in Spokane
Dear Larry: Telemarketers phone at dinner time because that is when people are most likely to be at home. They are not about to ask if it is a good time to call and give you the opportunity to say “no.”
People who don’t wish to be interrupted during dinner should invest in an answering machine and screen the calls.
Dear Ann Landers: Our 19-year-old son, “Luke,” a classic underachiever, has been a source of grief to my wife and me for most of his life. He was into drugs in high school, his grades were terrible and he barely graduated. He wrecked two cars we had given him and has been fired from just about every job he’s ever had. He now sports the “grunge” look - dyed hair, pierced ears and a nose ring, and a scraggly goatee. My wife and I are embarrassed to be seen with him in public.
Luke still lives at home but never tells us where he is going or when he will be back. Last night, he didn’t come home at all. He is enrolled in the local junior college but rarely shows up for his morning classes. His grades are terrible.
My wife and I are seriously considering throwing him out. Our main concern is the message he is sending to our other children, ages 14 and 10. We are totally frustrated and wonder if you have any recommendations. - Miserable in Texas
Dear Miserable: Your son could still be on drugs. He has all the classic symptoms. If he is still taking drugs, you must get him into a treatment center immediately. It is important that you salvage your son rather than punish him.
If he is drug-free, and the problem is disobedience and lack of ambition, he might benefit from vocational instead of academic courses, or he might find a career in the military more to his liking. I suggest counseling for the whole family.
Dear Ann Landers: I am a 15-year-old boy. Two years ago, my dad married a woman with two girls, ages 3 and 5. Now, all I do is baby-sit her kids.
I get stuck watching them all day on weekends and after school on weekdays. I cannot go out with my friends or have any after-school activities. If I don’t show up at home on time, I have privileges taken away. These kids are OK, and I don’t mind being with them, but I don’t think it’s my place to baby-sit all the time. What do you think? - Mike
Dear Mike: Talk this over with your dad at once. I think you have a legitimate complaint. If that doesn’t work, discuss the problem with an adult - perhaps your school counselor or a neighbor - who could intervene on your behalf and make your father understand that he is being unfair to you. In the meantime, I suggest that you ask around and see if you have a classmate who might be interested in a regular baby-sitting job.