One thing that has always bugged me, and I'm sure it does most of you, is to sit down at the dinner table only to be interrupted by a phone call from a telemarketer. I decided, on one such occasion, to try to be as irritating as they were to me. The call was from AT&T and it went something like this:

Me:	Hello
AT&T:	Hello, this is AT&T...
Me:	Is this AT&T?
AT&T:	Yes, this is AT&T...
Me:	This is AT&T?
AT&T:	Yes This is AT&T...
Me:	Is this AT&T?
AT&T:	YES! This is AT&T, may I speak to Mr. Byron please?
Me:	May I ask who is calling?
AT&T:	This is AT&T.
Me:	OK, hold on.
At this point I put the phone down for a solid 5 minutes thinking that, surely, this person would have hung up the phone. I ate my salad. Much to my surprise, when I picked up the receiver, they were still waiting.
Me:	Hello?
AT&T:	Is this Mr. Byron?
Me:	May I ask who is calling please?
AT&T:	Yes this is AT&T...
Me:	Is this AT&T?
AT&T:	Yes this is AT&T...
Me:	This is AT&T?
AT&T:	Yes, is this Mr. Byron?
Me:	Yes, is this AT&T?
AT&T:	Yes sir.
Me:	The phone company?
AT&T:	Yes sir.
Me:	I thought you said this was AT&T.
AT&T:	Yes sir, we are a phone company.
Me:	I already have a phone.
AT&T:	We aren't selling phones today Mr. Byron.
Me:	Well whatever it is, I'm really not interested but thanks for calling.
When you are not interested in something, I don't think you can express yourself any plainer than by saying "I'm really not interested," but this lady was persistent.
AT&T:	Mr. Byron, we would like to offer you 10 cents a minute, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
Now, I am sure she meant she was offering a "rate" of 10 cents a minute, but she at no time used the word "rate." I could clearly see that it was time to whip out the trusty old calculator and do a little ciphering.
Me:	Now, that's 10 cents a minute 24 hours a day?
AT&T:	(getting a little excited at this point by my interest) Yes sir, that's right! 24 hours a day!
Me:	7 days a week?
AT&T:	That's right.
Me:	365 days a year?
AT&T:	Yes sir.
Me:	I am definitely interested in that! Wow!!! That's amazing!
AT&T:	We think so!
Me:	That's quite a sum of money!
AT&T:	Yes sir, it's amazing how it adds up.
Me:	OK, so will you send me checks weekly, monthly or just one big one at the end of the year for the full $52,560, and if you send an annual check, can I get a cash advance?
AT&T:	Excuse me?
Me:	You know, the 10 cents a minute.
AT&T:	What are you talking about?
Me:	You said you'd give me 10 cents a minute, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. That comes to $144 per day, $1,008 per week and $52,560 per year. I'm just interested in knowing how you will be making payment.
AT&T:	Oh no, sir, I didn't mean we'd be paying you. You pay us 10 cents a minute.
Me:	Wait a minute here!!! Didn't you say you'd give me 10 cents a minute? Are you sure this is AT&T?
AT&T:	Well, yes this is AT&T sir but......
Me:	But nothing, how do you figure that by saying that you'll give me 10 cents a minute that I'll give you 10 cents a minute? Is this some kind of subliminal telemarketing scheme? I've read about things like this in the Enquirer, you know. Don't use your alien brainwashing techniques on me.
AT&T:	No sir, we are offering 10 cents a minute for.....
Me:	THERE YOU GO AGAIN! Can I speak to a supervisor please!
AT&T:	Sir, I don't think that is necessary.
Me:	Sure! You say that now! What happens later?
AT&T:	What?
Me:	I insist on speaking to a supervisor!
AT&T:	Yes Mr. Byron. Please hold.
So now AT&T has me on hold and my supper is getting cold. I begin to eat while I'm waiting for a supervisor. After a wait of a few minutes and while I have a mouth full of food:
Supervisor:	Mr. Byron?
Me:	Yeth?
Supervisor:	I understand you are not quite understanding our 10 cents a minute program.
Me:	Id thish Ath Teeth & Teeth?
Supervisor:	Yes sir, it sure is.
I had to swallow before I choked on my food. It was all I could do to suppress my laughter and I had to be careful not to produce a snort.
Me:	No, actually, I was just waiting for someone to get back to me so that I could sign up for the plan.
Supervisor:	OK, no problem, I'll transfer you back to the person who was helping you.
Me:	Thank you.
I was on hold once again and managed a few more mouthfuls. I needed to end this conversation. Suddenly, there was an aggravated but polite voice at the other end of the phone.
AT&T:	Hello Mr. Byron, I understand that you are interested in signing up for our plan?
Me:	Do you have that friends and family thing because you can never have enough friends and I'm an only child and I'd really like to have a little brother...
AT&T:	(click)