How I Foil Chronic Unwanted Phone Calls

Even my 2010 pre-smart phone can do it. Phone rings. I see it is not a number I have put in my phone, and those are limited to family, friends, and people with whom I have a business relationship. Caller leaves no voicemail.

I save the number to my list of contacts under the contact name dna1 – dna8 so far (dna stands for “do not answer”). My phone holds five numbers per contact: business, home, two cells, and fax. I have so far assigned five numbers each to dna1 – dna8. 40 dolts go unheard! I imagine a dna9 will ring soon, and I’ll have room for four more numbers under that contact. Each dna contact is assigned my phone’s best ringtone: No Ring. Soundless. I would not even know the dna called, but for the vibe, which is brief and innocuous. Dna also shows up in Recent Calls.

I presume dna people are persistent, and their proliferation may be due to their acquiring more and more numbers. It doesn’t matter. Each will only be heard once, and it will not be answered.

I find my method preferable to the National Do Not Call list. For one thing, they require your phone number and email address to register. I may be cynical, but I have to wonder to whom they sell these. My other reason is reliable hearsay, that people who register say they receive more unsolicited calls than ever.

The method I use to silence unwanted calls has worked well enough for me to want to pass it on. Every scrap of peace we can get seems very important these days.