Deleted thread about the Labour Party telephone canvasser

[Crossfitmyarse]

Yes, this is a TAAT, so do your worst.

'We don't usually delete whole threads but we do so when it is to protect a poster's privacy.'

Aah, poor wee poster got flamed bang to rights on an AIBU so you delete the whole thread? BASED ON WHAT?

Seriously MNHQ? SERIOUSLY? Which one of you is she related to? I can't physically roll my eyes back in my head far enough to express my cynicism and weariness over this.

What is going on around here these days? Who/what are you scared of, exactly?

But Limited, you say yourself that you had almost no calls until 6 months ago. And now you're saying you have told the grand total of the British Heart Foundation to go away.

So you have almost no experience of persistent callers or of trying to get rid of them.

"Just being clear" does not work. I know, because I've tried it.

My current Arsehole of the Month award goes to a company which called four or five times in as many weeks despite being told very clearly not to (politely the first few times). Their most recent call just played a machine at me: their bid for more profit wasn't worth their own time speaking to me - but they thought it was worth my time dashing to the phone and listening to them.

Oh and I've been registered with the TPS for 10 years.

Yes, PaschalFancy, the TPS helps but is not the be-all and end-all.

While we are at it...don't feel oblidged to give your poling number or your details to the tellers who stand outside the polling station - unless !of course, you want to

I never do.

Sorry for random exclamation mark

Empress I don't think that's true - the Chalet School lauds champion butter inners.

I agree with Jux, it's basically an assessment that inconveniencing people is outweighed by the advantages of the information canvassing gives.

But Elisaveta, what advantage is there for the people you inconvenience? It's already become apparent that TPS doesn't always work. I might engage with you or might not, but you seem to be saying it's worth bothering people for the Labour Party's own selfish reasons, and as others have said it's not about how polite you are. Canvassers bother people as soon as the phone rings.

I understand the distress that this might cause.

As I've said, my father suffered from Alzheimer's from an upsettingly young age but mercifully short time - 68-72, with the worst time happening in the last year.

I'm not going to bore you with it, but it was quite worrying at the time and a huge strain on my mum.

What I will say is that IME junk phone calls weren't the biggest worry for us or her. In fact, getting hold of my dad was probably more confusing for the caller than for him.

Conversely, my mum lived till 90 and a half and was as sharp as a needle until about 12 hours before her death.

Both of them relished sharing their opinions and so do I.

You couldn't stop my mum and I am my mother's daughter.

So for all those people saying it's intrusive, where does that leave us?

You can make contact yourself, why do you have to wait for someone to ring you to have a chat.

Was that to me bruffin?

I've been doing this for more donkeys years than I care to consider - glutton for punishment. On literally a handful of occasions people have been annoyed at being called away from watching Eastenders disturbed doing really important things. At least once every street however, people complain that 'you lot only come round when there's an election coming, why aren't you interested in my views the rest of the time'. From which I infer that several posters on this thread are very much in minority in society, and many many more people would like more opportunities to discuss their views.

many many more people would like more opportunities to discuss their views.

yes Limited, you said

So for all those people saying it's intrusive, where does that leave us?

If you are so desperate to give your opinion, call them yourself, maybe the parties should set up free hotlines for people to ring them, rather than them bothering people

and Eelisaveta you are not listening just because people are too polite to show they are bothered doesnt mean that they are not bothered.

I'll talk to anyone bruffin. I mean look, I'm talking to you.

On what do you base your certainty that loads of people are really bothered though Bruffin? I'm listening, ever so hard, and all I hear is anecdotal assertion of your own viewpoint.

the fact the TPS exist should tell you something Elsaveta. The response to the original thread tells you the same thing

That people on here are unrepresentative of the wider community?

I agree with a pp - posters were being utterly vile to the op

I reported several

I posted on that thread

I've never said "fuck off" to a cold caller and never would

I also didn't say "fuck off" to the OP

From what I remember hardly anyone said "fuck off" to the OP, they did say that they would say fuck off (depending on the circumstances in very many cases) if they were cold called

A lot of people were cheesed off that the OP just wouldn't listen.

If it had been a general thread on cold calling (or chuggers) it would have held the same sentiments

I think many people, like my Ex, don't appreciate the distinction between not listening, and not agreeing. I often listen very closely, I could repeat back exactly what's been said to prove it - but don't agree. The fact that someone won't change their views doesn't mean they didn't listen.

I wouldn't mind giving my opinkon if they actually cared about it and didn't do it at election time only paying lip service to people.

The op of that thread said they know people don't like to be disturbed as they are not stupid - but still did it anyway. I wouldn't tell a cold caller to fuck off but I am abrupt when i get the what seems like a hundredth call in a week from someone who has called to ask me personal information.

If you are so desperate to give your opinion, call them yourself, maybe the parties should set up free hotlines for people to ring them, rather than them bothering people

And about this ^^

if I was in the mood bruffin, I'd find the suggestion that my parents and I, especially the one who had Alzheimer's, were so desperate for human contact that we resorted to calls from random strangers rather than loving contact from our friends and family, grossly offensive.

But I imagine you weren't thinking straight.

I forgive you.

I'm guessing you live in a key marginal Purple?

Nope the OP was not agreeing AND she wasn't listening, she was missing big chunks of what people were saying

Although really the words reading and typing should have been in my post if I wanted to be more precise

In my opinion obviously

I've many times read a post and thought "WTF " written a very scathing post....and then deleted it as I've realised what the poster actually meant thank god I type slowly that's all I can say

I did mean that at all limited But both MIl and Dm were sharp as well they just didnt like being bothered by strangers asking about personal details.

Elseveta do i really have to spell it out to you. The TPS does not have anythong to do with MN. Cold calling is seen as enough of a problem that it was set up to stop unsolcitated phone calls inclding from political parties. T

Sorry I didnt mean that at all limited was typing on my phone