Not sure if you are talking about a landline or a cell phone or both. I used to screen all of my calls via answering machine when I had a landline. I'd come home from work and be amazed how many hang ups we'd get because the more sophisticated out dialing systems can detect a fax machine or an answering machine. Don't hate me, but I used to sell that technology before I retired. LOL. DH and I pulled the plug on the land line (literally) and now he and I only have cellphones. We have distinct ringtones programmed on our cell phones for most of our close friends/businesses and a generic ringtone for anything else. That helps us decide how motivated we are to pick up. Most of our friends and family text more than call. If I don't recognized the number, I rarely pick it up. A legitimate business will leave a message and rarely has to speak to you that very minute. If someone is calling me repeatedly from the same number, I'll add them to my contacts as TRASH so that number will appear in the CLID next time around. But that doesn't really work if a machine or even a real person is calling you and their system is pushing out random or spoofed numbers. Same as sushipup said...............for us, they seem to come in spurts. It really hasn't been anywhere near as prevalent to us as it was with the land line. And I realize yanking a land line is not a good option for everyone.

Rachelh, I know that it *does* depend on where you live. I'm in an urban area just outside Boston, and the cable almost never goes out. I can't remember the last time I had an issue with cable service. Many of my neighbors and friends use VoiP phones, and I never hear anyone complain that they lost service. I'm sure it happens somewhere around here, I've just been lucky. It's definitely a case of how risk-tolerant you are. I agree that the most risk-free course is to stick with a wired land line, but I'm not willing to pay $30 a month (for the cheapest phone service I could find, plus taxes and other charges) as insurance for the chance that both cable and cell phones will be out at the same time that I have an emergency. That insurance might be worth $5-$10 to me, at most. Even at that, I probably wouldn't buy it.:)

I've been a loyal Telus customer since before they were Telus. They used to be AGT. I use them for both my cell phone and home line. I very rarely make long distance phone calls. With Skype, I talk to my parents face-to-face online. When I talk to my daughter, we have free calls through our cell phone contracts (she's one of my 'my five'). My parents don't own cells.... I used to buy into those long distance plans where you pay X amount of dollars for 'free' calls every month, until I realized I didn't make long distance calls every month so I was throwing away good money. A long distance call is only 4 cents a minute for me through my land line. I can talk for an hour for $2.40.

Hi calpat, I was crying about getting 40 or so spam a day - until I talked to my neighbour getting over a hundred ... A DAY! She let that box drop and is opening another. I've told some people unwilling to do legitimate surveys to get a different e-mail box - just for them. So if they get connected with a spammer, they just let the box go. Hardly any making these wonderful offers ever have a real address that they send from. By the way - had any offers of a potion to enhance the size of some of your female/male parts? Some of the over a hundred or so that I've got offer guaranteed overnight results. I've replied saying that I'd be afraid that would be painful. If I were a working person - I'd want to take it on the weekend - so I could stay up all night to watch the growth. If I subscribed to all of the hundred or so offers - how would I deal with the monster - backpack? Not big enough, wrong location. Kid's stroller? Can't put it on escalator in stores. Sling? Would be too heavy for my shoulders. Shopping cart? Too deep. Wheelbarrow? Now - that might just be what the doctor ordered! Need a *full-siized* van, of course, for longer trips. But - where could I find a partner who could accomodate my needs? Probably need to seek a mare, elephant, etc. Would need a pad to keep track of when they came in heat - they wouldn't want to talk to me at other times. Do the guys selling potions - also sell stepladders? I sometimes reply trying to sell them my newsletter about money management, as I've become concerned over the years in the personal financial planning business that so few know much about money management, that I'm keeping the letter going after retirement. Single copy free to anyone with e-mail address, they can subscribe if they wish. Should save them hundreds, more likely thousands, in their lifetime - unless they have one foot in the grave, now. Often people who get something at no cost give it little respect, this letter distills many years of experience, expensive training, etc. so it would be a mistake to give it away free, though I could afford to. I don't like to be arbitrary - so price of the newsletter is negotiable. Having been a number of years a clergyperson, I've tried not to be greedy, either - so will likely ask them to contribute most of the fee to charity, especially worldwide ones, as there are huge needs in many countries, these days. They can negotiate to send my newsletter to their friends, relatives, colleagues in community, sport, church, at work, etc. Will build their group of friends, make them famous - and help them raise some money, as they keep some of the (negotiated) fee, send most to charity - and send some to me, of course. This story is real, as a matter of fact - and it's all true. As for all of these guys who have these great money-making ideas ... what kind of business is such that the fellow working there, who wants to encourage you to do the same, is so proud of it that he tells you almost nothing about it in the original message - apart from how much one may possibly make? A company that keeps their door locked, and has an unlisted phone. Most of them don't give me an address to which I can send a message, go to ask a question, etc. - their front door is locked. Few give a phone number to call - and most who do have it lead to an agency. The email address that they use when sending the message is false - unlisted phone. Not only is the phone unlisted - the guy who sent the message is a liar. The only way that I can contact them - is to fill in a form, telling quite a bit about myself ... ... to leave your resume in the mail box, please ... Which quite a few may use to assemble a database - that they then sell - to other spammers. What chance does such a recruiter think that he may have - of getting me interested in his offer? About one chance in 19,999. Have a happy spring/summer weekend, all. joyful guy/Ed