(cartoon: www.cartoonstock.com)
傳銷電話接得多，通常只要說聲：「吾好意思，冇興趣。」對方便會知難而退。日前收到的傳銷電話，手法不單猖狂，而且甚具惡意、滋擾成份；過份到我最終要報警收科。
當日下午放假，在巴士上手提電話響起，是把二十多歲的女聲：
「先生你好啊，呢度系XX公司打黎…」
「吾好意思，冇興趣。」收線後電話即時響起。
「先生，你都未聽我講，點解話冇興趣。」
「我話冇興趣就冇興趣，請你吾好再打黎，如果吾系我會投訴你。」收線後電話即時又再響起。我沒有接聽，但繼續響（一直是同一來電顯示）。因為覺得太煩，所以決定跟她來個了斷。
「先生，我地打黎吾系推銷，只不過有野想話比你知…」心想她可能須向上司交待成功做「講解」的數，姑且給她交差機會。
講嗄講嗄，她說有張五百元百佳禮卷送給我。
「對吾住，我吾要。請你吾好再打黎，我覺得好滋擾。」我很嚴肅的跟她說。
她沒有說粗口，但語氣跟態度跟爛仔沒有大分別。出自女子口中就更加令人驚訝。
「嗄？我地送野比你喳喎，點算系滋擾啊…我地送野比你你點可以吾要啊？…你有電話就預左人打比你架喇。」
我嘗試不聽她繼續打來的電話，她留言，事後發覺全是空白留言。
「請問你乜名？」我問。
「咁你叫乜名啊先生？…如果你吾比你個名我，我核實吾倒你個記錄取消，我會繼續打黎架。」
我試圖發難：「我話你知，你咁講我覺得有D驚。」
「嗄？你驚啊？我等你冇咁驚我咪再打黎囉。」她收線後不久果然再打來。
「請你吾好再打黎，我問過警察，拒地會受理滋擾電話投訴。」
「你報警啊？你同警察講乜啊？話有人送野比你系滋擾你啊？你浪費警力喔！」
「系咪浪費警力警察有分數。」
事後翻查電話記錄，短短四十五分鐘內，她打了十五個電話，留了五個空白的留言。
就業市場是否真的這樣嚴峻？此妹竟要如此「爛」同「無賴」、兼出賣自已的人格，當一份薪酬一定不高的工作。她既然括了出去，又擁有此「無賴」技倆，倒不如乾脆加入「社團」，待遇一定更好。
朋友說我根本不善打「爛仔仗」，以我性格，我應該把電話關上，事情一早就會告一段落，我也不用跟無謂人勞氣。
雖然我高興朋友對我的了解和關心，但我沒有後悔跟此「無賴」糾纏：道理在我的一邊，我無須放棄使用電話的權利；再者，我覺得面對如此恐嚇惡意滋擾電話，不應迴避或就範。
在報案室落口供時，警察問：「如果警方日後提出檢控，你願吾願意出庭做證？」
我堅定的回答：「冇問題。」
Like many people in Hong Kong, I receive telephone marketing calls from time to time. To tell those marketing people off, I always say, “I’m sorry but I am not interested.” Usually they will give up on me. But the call I received the other day was outrageously aggressive, mobbish and intimidating. I had to resort to the Police for help in the end.
I had an afternoon off. At about 2:45pm, I received a telephone marketing call when I was on the bus. The person at the other end of the telephone line was a woman apparently in her early twenties.
Hello. I am calling from XX Company…”
I’m sorry but I am not interested.” Immediately after I hung up, my mobile rang again.
Sir, I’m not finished with what I wanted to say yet. How can you say that you are not interested?”
I told you I was not interested. Please don’t call me again. Otherwise I may complain to the Authority.”
My mobile rang again immediately. I ignored the call. My mobile kept ringing with the same caller display. I picked it up again, thinking that I could tackle it once and for all.
Sir, we are not trying to sell you anything. We just wanted to let you know something.”
I decided to let her continue with her marketing script in the hope that she would stop harassing me when she had done her job.
We want to give you a freebie: a $500 worth supermarket coupon…”
Thanks, but I don’t want it, Miss. Please don’t call me again. I feel harassed,” I firmly told her. She started to provoke me by talking in a very thuggish tone.
What? How could you say that I was harassing you when I was trying to give you a freebie.”
Sorry, I don’t want it.”
You can’t say no to a freebie give-away, can you? You have a phone number. You can’t stop people calling you.”
I’m not interested. Please don’t call me again.” I hung up the phone.
My mobile kept ringing and I ignored the calls.
Picking up the phone again, I said sternly, “Please let me have your name,”
YOU give me your name,” the woman responded. “Or I will keep calling you.”
In an attempt to scare her off, I said, “Let me tell you. I feel frightened and intimidated.”
Why do you feel intimidated? Why? How come you feel frightened? What? You’re frightened? OK. I’ll call you again when you feel less frightened,” she said in a provoking manner. She then hung up the call.
I called a Police Station for advice. The officer encouraged me to go to a report centre to file a complaint. While I was speaking to the officer, the woman kept leaving empty messages in my voicemail box.
I picked up the call again. “Stop calling me! I’ve called the Police. They said they would deal with it.”
You dared to call the Police? What did you tell them? Don’t tell me you told them you were bothered by someone trying to give away something to you. You misused the Police’s resources.”
The Police will decide whether or not I misused their resources. They will get in touch with you,” I told her.
After the telephone exchange, I checked my mobile phone call logs. She called me 15 times and left 5 empty voicemails within 45 minutes.
I am beginning to be convinced that the job market is really grim. This woman had to sell her dignity to make such thuggish telephone marketing calls in exchange for a believably meager income.
I mentioned this episode to a friend afterwards. He said I was partly responsible for this unhappy experience. In his view, my character does not make me a good fighter in confrontation with thugs. I should have just switched off the phone and that would be the end of the story. I could have saved my breath.
I am pleased about my friend’s understanding of me and his concern. But I do not regret that I stuck to my guns in face of this thug: I had done nothing wrong by rejecting unwanted telephone calls which amounted to gross nuisance.
I have every right to have my telephone line available for normal calls. More importantly, in face of malicious telephone calls, I don’t think I should submit or evade. The perpetrators are at fault and their mischief should be stopped.
Interviewing me at the report centre, the police officer asked, “If the Police decide to prosecute the respondent in the future, will you act as witness in court?” I replied firmly, “I certainly will.”
