Are You Committing A Crime By Blowing A Whistle Down The Phone To Nuisance Callers?

[Henrietta]

If you damaged their eardrums, could you be arrested and charged with assault or something else?

[SlackAlice]

No idea, but it works a treat.

The caller would have to prove who did it, difficult I think.

[Henrietta]

But they'd have your phone number for the police to trace you if it's classed as a crime.

How loud does it sound?

[boxtops]

Hanging up (or not answering the phone in the first place) is just as effective.

[Henrietta]

From Wikipedia

"84 BT employees suffering from depression, headaches and other health problems, are demanding compensation for injury sustained from acoustic shock at work. BT has already paid £90,000 to one worker that suffered from tinnitus"

That can't be good.

[Henrietta]

"During the exposure, most people will experience discomfort and pain. After the exposure, some people might report shock, nausea and anxiety or depression.[2] Headache, fatigue, hypersensitivity to loud noise and tinnitus may continue for days, weeks or indefinitely.[3] It has not been established how such unrelated symptoms might be caused by an acoustic exposure, or whether such symptoms are even a direct result of exposure"

[boxtops]

On the other hand, Henrietta, these cold callers are invading your right to a peaceful uninterrupted life by constantly ringing you.

[aelmpvw]

Are You Committing A Crime By Blowing A ...
had to check, i thought the next word was going to be raspberry

[Henrietta]

I suppose you could always say please don't call again as you're disturbing my whistle or air horn practice so if they did call again and you let off the air horn/whistle it would be up to the courts to decide whether you blew the whistle/air horn down the phone on purpose or did they indeed catch you during your whistle/air horn practice.

[2sp_]

I think there are different types of nuisance calls, and they should be treated differently.

First off you have genuine but still annoying cold calls. The type selling stuff that actually exists. I politely tell them I'm not interested or that I don't own my house. They usually go away.

Then there are the scam calls. I find these are usually foreign callers. I'm suspicious that these folk don't even know themselves that it's a scam. I usually hang up.

Then there is the obscene or threatening variety. I hang up and contact BT and/or the Police. (Yes, I have had to do this once.)

Don't think I would ever actually blow a whistle or even swear at someone down the phone. Not very productive and will probably only raise your own blood pressure.

[Baldric]

//A German woman, annoyed by telemarketers who called her frequently, blew a whistle into the phone to discourage further calls. The telemarketer who received the blast claims to have suffered hearing problems, and now the whistle blower has a criminal record and an €800 fine to pay//.

[Obiter]

As I have said on a related post, caller display @10p per day is good value. You soon get to recognise these dodgy numbers, especially if they flash up as INTERNAT or WITHHELD.

[sunny-dave]

Oh tut ... :)

I'm still getting mileage out of my

"Hello - Blankshire County Council Anti Terrorist Hotline

Please identify yourself

Do not hang - up we have traced this call and an international police snatch squad will be arriving with you in 2 minutes unless you give the agreed code word"


Hours of fun :+)


[ and the calls have more or less dried up too ]

[Henrietta]

sunny-dave couldn't that be classed as "Impersonating a police officer"?

[sunny-dave]

I never say I'm the police ... :)

[Obiter]

No, he is not a police officer, he's just the guy who answers the phone.

[Henrietta]

Then it's a fantastic idea though I couldn't do as I'd laugh halfway through it.