The everyday blog of Richard Bartle.
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12:10pm on Wednesday, 27th May, 2009:
Anecdote
I got a phone call last night at abo0ut 6:30. Here's how it went:
Me: Hello?
Caller: Hello. Can I speak to Mr R. Bartle, please?
Me: Speaking.
Caller: Hi! I'm calling on behalf of [some insurance company] associated with AA Insurance Services. I wonder if you'd mind giving your date of birth to confirm who you are?
Me: What? You want me to confirm who I am, but I have no way of confirming who you are! Why should I tell you my date of birth? You couild be anybody!
Caller: Er, well, I, er ... Well, I work for [some insurance company], we provide insurance for AA Insurance Services, and we were wondering if you'd like to take out travel insurance with us?
Me: So ... you want me to tell you, whoever you are, my date of birth, so you can advertise your insurance products to me?
Caller: (confused) ... Er ... yes.
Me: I get it at a discount through my wife, sorry.
Caller: (relieved) OK, sorry to have bothered you — goodbye!
Judging from her reaction, I would guess that everyone else just told her their date of birth. 10 years from now, it'll be "what's your identity card number?" and they'll still give it out without question.
I wish the bit about getting it at a discount through my wife was true...
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Copyright © 2009 Richard Bartle (richard@mud.co.uk).