to think that 'blasting' a whistle, down the phone, into the ear of someone in a call centre is abusive?

[twinklingfairy]

An old school friend has delightedly put this as her status. That her husband had the whistle ready and BLAST = call centre caller with tinitus, lol ??
How is that funny!?
My DH had someone scream into his ear, as a teenager, and has tinitus to this day. That's over 20yrs later!
I wrote a reply giving this story but omitting that it was my DH and was told to , calm down. She has been putting up with the abuse of the constant call for months etc. And that she had suffered it herself, after a rock concert.
hmm not quite the same, I think, as having a high pitch put straight into your ear that could abuse Long Term damage.
But it would seem I am a kill joy
DH says leave it, but I can't help feeling very angry on his behalf. Not to mention the poor soul, though I don't deny the calls are annoying, no one deserves abuse like that when it could cause lasting problems.

[pjmama]

I wouldn't be surprised if this is classed as an assault. Cold callers are bloody annoying, but that's a shitty trick to do to someone who is just trying to earn a living.

[McFarts]

YANBU - I agree the calls are annoying, but im in total agreement with you. The poor person is only trying to earn a living, how hard is it just to say no and put the phone down?

[OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos]

Abuse? YABU for that alone.

It's just one if the downsides to the job. Most jobs have them.

I understand you being unreasonable about something that has affected your dh though. I get the same when people talk about the thing that affects my dh. It happens because I love him, not neccesarily because I am right.

[RedBlanket]

YANBU I don't get why people are so rude to call centre staff. When they phone me and I'm not interested I say 'no thanks, take me off your list'.
They're only doing a job and a pretty shit and poorly paid one.

[SuperTressy]

Agree with pjmama. That's classed as assault and not something to be bragging about.

[WhenSheWasBadSheWasHorrid]

Not sure if one blast could give someone tinitus but it would give them one hell of a shock.

If they are that annoyed they should get an ex directory number and use the telephone preference service (I know it doesn't stop all calls but it should improve things).

[LineRunner]

Shitty trick, I agree.

If I get persistent calls I put the phone down gently in a kitchen drawer for ten minutes, so they can talk to the spoons.

[Snowboarder]

I agree. What's wrong with just saying 'no thanks' and quickly putting the phone down??

It's really not a nice way to treat some poor soul on minimum wage just trying to make a living.

I am signed up to the telephone preference service which stops most sales calls but the odd one I get rings off pretty sharpish when I mention that I'm registered with TP.

[McHappyPants2012]

I suffer with it due to alotof ear infections and a hole in the eardrum.

It horrible to hear a buzzing noise and not be able to sleep due to it. But to do this to someone doing a job is terrible

[yellowraincoat]

God. What a twat.

Just put the phone down. Or don't have a landline. I haven't had one for years.

[Napdamnyou]

YANBU. It's abusive and vicious, and certainly not funny as a FB status update.

[amothersplaceisinthewrong]

Hmm, I was called by a cold caller on my mobile today, so not sure not having a landline is a guarantee. I asked to be taken off the list, but as that was not part of her script I think she was rather confused.

[Hassled]

It's not going to stop that particular company from ringing again, is it? I doubt they have some little X again the names in the phone book who are known to have whistles and aren't afraid to use them.

[littleweed10]

We had horrid nuisance calls when I was a kid. They were swearing threatening nasty. My dad whistled down the phone.
Justified, they were arseholes.
Call centre operators are just doing a job, one aspect they dislike IME is cold calling.
YANBU - she is being cruel to someone doing a thankless task.

[CelstialNavigation]

A woman in Germany was convicted of causing bodily harm a couple of weeks ago, and fined 800 euro for doing exactly this - the caller had longterm ear damage.

Your friend should probably bear in mind that the company calling obviously have her contact details if they wish to make a complaint.

[Aboutlastnight]

I work in a call centre. I have the volume up to maximum as often people are not easily heard on mobiles or in the car etc.

If someone did that to me during a 9 hr shift I think I would vomit. It's not easy taking call after call, hour after hour, what with the disturbed vision, migraines and all.

Op YANBU. I hope this dirt of thing doesn't become fashionable.

[diddl]

Horrible thing to do.

I have tinnitis-wouldn´t wish it on anyone.

I say "no thanks" & put the phone down.

[LeNinthWave]

I work in a Government contact centre and this is classed as assault - it can cause Acoustic Shock.

[AKMD]

YANBU. Whistling is what you do when the guy on the other end asks what colour your knickers are.

[OutragedAtThePriceOfFreddos]

The problem with just saying 'no thanks' or putting the phone down is that it doesn't stop the same companies from calling. They phone back, even when you ask them to remove your number from their system.

Obviously the people making these calls are just doing their job and don't deserve to be left with tinnitus, but if you are going to do that job, you know that someone blowing a whistle at you might happen. I had it happen when I was volunteering for a helpline and some twat with a whistle phoned. It wasn't nice, but it wasn't the worst kind of prank call either, and it didn't stop me volunteering.

[Tinkerisdead]

That would be classed as an industrial injury for noise interference/acoustic shock. The person at the other end could genuinely suffer hearing damage and its a shitty thing to do. Just hang or even better join the telephone preference service.

Yanbu.

[twinklingfairy]

whenshewasbad, it only took one scream in my DH ear and, over twenty years later he is never in silence.
If he blew it with enough gusto, which it sounds like he did, then that is clearly enough to do serious damage.

She clearly doesn't realise the damage that can be done if she thinks 'BLASTING' a whistle directly into someones ear is comparable to rave music ( I made a mistake there, not rock concert, but a rave) she suffered it in 1996, she said. ah yes, but you no longer suffer it.
My DH does and so could that call centre employee.
And, for them, they couldn't even jerk their head away. Headphones on, they were trapped.
Nasty!
And there she is laughing away, with 5-6 responses congratulating her, saying they will have their whistles at the ready!

And, for me, having only experienced tinitus for a matter of days was enough to have me realise what an awful awful thing it must be to live with day in day out.

[FunnysInLaJardin]

just the sort of thing my Dad would do, mind you he is 87 and very cantankerous

[NoOnesGoingToEatYourEyes]

That is a disgusting thing to do and I hope the company pass her details on to the police.

DS is going through a phase of shrieking really loudly when he gets over excited. It makes me feel sick and dizzy if he's too close when he does it so I can't imagine how much more painful it would be for that poor person to have a whistle blown at them down the phone.

I am deaf in one ear and still sometimes get idiots who think it's funny to shout in my deaf ear when I explain that I have hearing problems. Apparently shouting "so you can't hear this then" right down my ear is a very funny joke but even though I can't actually hear it in that ear, I can still feel it and it bloody hurts. It used to happen a lot at school, someone would sneak up on my from behind but on my deaf side and then shout before I even knew they were there. Still happens sometimes now I am 37. Loud noise in your ear is agonising, whether or not you can hear it or just feel it.

Your friend and her husband are both twats and I'd seriously consider ditching them as friends. Actually forget the police, I almost hope the call centre worker was able to keep their number so he or she can ring them back one day and blow a whistle of their own when the phone is answered.

[cory]

I never get the chance to put the receiver down; they always slam it down on me before I am halfway through the phrase "I am sorry, but we are on the BT preference scheme". But I wouldn't whistle.