Do Not Bug

This past weekend I have gotten over a dozen phone calls from "Out of Area" with no number shown (we have Caller ID). Naturally I haven't answered these calls, although I was curious about what annoying telemarketer kept phoning, despite our registration on the Do Not Call list. So this afternoon I was washing dishes and the phone rang yet again. This time I decided to answer it, just to get them to stop calling. Unfortunately, in the process of getting to the phone, I stepped on Arlo and kicked the crap out of Ruthie. Sorry guys.

And who was on the phone? The Police Benevolent Association. And because they are a charity, they don't have to pay any attention to the Do Not Call list. Gggrrrrr. They called 2 different times last year and both times I told them to remove me from their list. I asked the guy today if they've been calling me all weekend and he said that, yes, they are calling people within my number range this weekend. I asked him if they will remove a person's number when asked to do so. He said absolutely. I informed him that I have twice requested that they stop calling me and I am requesting it again. And he immediately, wordlessly hung up on me.

I always get the icky feeling that I am going to be harrassed by the police or arrested for jaywalking (virtually impossible in NYC) because I don't want to support the PBA. In the midwest everyone has those stupid PBA stickers on their cars, totally believing it'll keep them from getting pulled over or that they'll be let off easy if they are pulled over. But just like those ridiculous (and fabulous!) Ziggy stickers you get in the mail courtesy of the March of Dimes (is that the one?), they mail you the PBA stickers unbidden. So what's to stop someone from just slapping the stickers on their car even though they don't donate any money?

Thank God I don't actually drive in this town. They probably have some big list somewhere with the names of people like me on it. Sassmouths who keep F*#k tha Police queued up at all times, just waiting for the PBA to call.



Addendum:
Just saw this. Looks like the myth of the PBA was just that.