For this post, I’ll be judged as arrogant, stubborn, grandiose, grudging non-eligibility for knighthood etc… spare me the adjectives – I know them all and I use a thesaurus regularly.
Get this – I’m called by an automotive insurance company representative, at a pre-arranged time, a few moments ago. They ask me name, first line of address and date of birth – fine. No trouble there – at all!!
Then it turns ugly – wait for it.. hold your breath.. it won’t be long.. trust me. Sit down.. I don’t want you to get hurt.
Ready? I’m asked to state my “contact number”!!! Are you doing a double take or did you miss the point? Or have you collapsed?!!
For those still awake – the jackass is calling me on my number, has identified me, and is asking me to repeat my contact number?!! So what happens next? Oh bugger don’t tell me I’m not who I am until I say my contact number. Bollocks!!
It then goes like this:
Me: Are you having me on? You’re calling me on my number and you want me to repeat the same number?!!! That’s ridiculous!
Jackass: Sorry sir – it’s only for data protection.
Me: Utter nonsense – it isn’t for data protection at all. You’ve called my number and you’re speaking to me, I’m not repeating any number. You can put down the phone.
Jackass: I can ask you another …..
Me: No – don’t ask me another.. [ I hangs up the phone! I’d had enough.].
NO!! You hold on. I’ve read Data Protection Law – I’ve studied it quite a lot more than most people, as it is a requirement of my work and I’m legally qualified. No meat robot spouting some script lifted from a computer screen is gonna infantilise me into being another meat robot. Sure – they have a job to do – and I have a job to do as well. My job is not to submit to that which I think is utter garbage!!
I refuse to play certain ‘games’ that I see as stupid even if the ‘law’ says I need to be ‘stupid’ – like the one where to work in Canada, New Zealand and Australia I need to take an English Language test – even though I grew up in a former English Colony, was educated only in English all my life – got an A in O’level English – won several prizes for my essays in secondary school all in English – speak only English!! No play – I won’t – I’d rather starve!
What disadvantage has my abhorrent arrogance and defiance in the captioned situation put me at? At the moment – it’s about £9 but I’d have to pay that to cancel the policy anyway. I could well be £100 – and really I do not care! That is the price I’m willing to pay – even if it makes no difference. It is my stand – and I will stand alone against all insults about my attitude. It reminds me about a situation about 4 years ago when I was comparing two automotive insurance policies. Yet another meat robot on a phone selling me a policy that was cheaper by £150 than one I had been quoted elsewhere. So I reject her offer – and say, “Thank you very much…I prefer the more expensive policy offered by the other company”. And then she says in an argumentative tone, “But I don’t understand….” And I cut her up cuz I’m not into a debate – I went “It’s my money and I find the value is better on the more expensive policy.. thank you and good bye [I hang up].”
Now – you calm down! I’m fully aware of my state of existence. I’m very hot on consumer issues. It’s my money and I spend or waste it how I please. But I will not be a ‘meat robot’ submitting to this kind of ‘imperialism’ that is designed to make us into fools! Some like me are willing to pay extra to get the message across that the buck stops with us – in the minority – prospect of knighthood or not!!
Update: 14:24 PM
I call them back to cancel the policy. I go through the same security details – identical – nothing more. But wait for it!! You still there. I am not asked for my contact number!! You don’t get it. You’ve missed it! Look, I’m asked for all the same less my contact number. That would suggest that if they’re calling me they really require extra security. But if I’m a terrorist who has hijacked my details and am calling in from Australia – it is not a problem for the personal contact number part of the security.
It gets better. They’ll charge £27 as a cancellation charge – but I’m not bothered, as the new insurance company are willing to refund this cancellation charge. Now you’re thinking how do I know all this is gonna be honoured. It is all recorded without their consent! Oooo….that’s illegal innit? Send the cops after me!!! Rat to all insurance companies that I’m putting the phone on speaker and tape-recording what the plonkers say! Bring it on!! And study the law sometime too!
