I usually talk to everyone who calls me, even with telemarketers. If it is a computer voice, I push the button to get to a live person. But, I don't return calls from numbers that I don't know. And, I never press the do not call number button they offer. I never give out personal information. If a charity calls, I tell them that I never give to a charity that calls on the phone because I know that most of the money goes to the telemarketer, not to the charity. I actually talked to one young woman in Texas who told me that only 20 percent of the charity money she collected went to the charity. I know this is not what most people do, but I think that, if more people took these calls, they may get tired of wasting their time. I have more free time than they do, so I don't mind wasting their time because they are not operating an honest business. Sometimes, I tell them that they should consider getting a real job.
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