Random Babbling Thread 120

Happy New Year!

 

Here's a rant. I am SICK of these robocall scammers, often saying they have some medicare benefit, or from "patient care services" that call early in the morning and hang up if I question them.
What I'm just as sick of is the people who condescendingly tell me "just don't answer the call from an unknown number" as if I'm a dumb little kid and the solution is obvious.
That is NOT a workable solution.
My mother is dying, and I have to be available to take calls from doctors or the hospice service. They often call from a personal cell phone instead of a recognizable number, especially since she was moved to the hospice. I don't recognize most of those numbers. For that matter, at least two scammers have spoofed an 847-618 number from NorthWest Community Hospital (NWCH) (NWCH has the entire 618 prefix in the 847 area code. They have had those numbers for over 40 years back before they started rationing numbers) but hung up when I asked too many questions.
For that matter, I've only had temp jobs since COVID, and I just finished one before Christmas. Until my mom went in the hospital the Thursday before Christmas I was actively job searching for a full time job.
I never know when a recruiter is going to call me for a job interview, and considering how it is when you apply on a website, it will always be an unknown number.

So I'm sick of people telling me "just don't answer calls from an unknown number." I don't know if the unknown number is a robocall scammer, a recruiter looking to hire me, or the hospice telling me to get over there NOW if I want to see my mother alive again because she's going now.
I find that bit of advice about as useful and realistic as "Just ignore the bullying and it will stop." Works about as well too.

So any other advice on dealing with these damn robocallers, one of whom thought it was a good idea to call me at 7:30am on a Saturday to try to send me some back support device that medicare will pay for, they just need some information. Oh, and I haven't been sleeping well because of the depression over losing my mom.

 

If any call is important enough people will leave a message. The job thing not answering might be a bad idea, so not much advice here

 

Sometimes putting your number (yet again...) on the do not call list will help. I've had to resubmit my number to the list a few times.

The problem comes that if you inquired about some medical item, the companies can bypass the do not call list. I have had to tell each caller to add me to their do not call list. That can take a few weeks and still may not take care of the issue.

 

I'm wondering if I'm starting to get too dependent on my smart phone, or leaning too much on it as a crutch.
Today it was dark and extremely foggy around O'Hare airport. I was doing a gig job in Norridge, IL, which is on the opposite side of O'Hare from me.
When I was driving home, I was having trouble reading the road/guide signs, so I left my phone's navigation going with Google Maps and relied on it to tell me which lanes to use to stay on I-90. I would have relied on it to tell me when to get off, but the fog ended abruptly as I was passing Elmhurst Road and thus was able to follow the signs to get off (at the next exit).

Is that being smart so I don't wind up in Rockford or go onto I-94, or is that being too dependent on the phone? Again, the fog was so thick near O'Hare that I had trouble reading the green guide signs until they were really close, and only had a second or two to read them.
Normally I turn off my GPS as soon as I get on a major road I know like I-90, I-290 or I-355.

 

Well, I sort of did that for some jobs in Chicago for Huntingon Bank last spring and summer. Instead of carrying bus schedules and written directions I was completely dependent on my phone to tell me which buses or CTA trains (the El) I could take to get me from the [Metra's Ogilvie Transportation Center] train station to the site and back.
Considering that I needed the phone to connect to a "bridge line" to perform the server upgrade, as well as send before and after photos, and to punch in and out with the timeclock app, I'd be screwed either way if my phone was OOC. Yes, I carried a charger to the site just in case.
I'm not even sure if you can get paper maps and schedules anymore. I know you can't find road maps of the local area in gas stations anymore. I was trying to find an updated one of Mt. Prospect & Elk grove back in 2021 so I could try to figure an alternate route to avoid horrible road construction since all the roads I knew or could coax out of Google Maps were under construction, but I couldn't find one.

I swear I've spent as much time in Chicago since COVID started as my entire life before COVID with some temp jobs.
That said, I rarely go to Chicago proper and do not really know the city that well, and I certainly don't really know the CTA system. The only part of the Metra system I know is the train line near my home, I don't know the other lines.
My grandfather tried to teach me at one point, I vaguely recall spending an entire day back when I was around 8 with him playing tour guide as he showed me the El system with a couple of all-day passes and we rode all over Chicago, but that was over 35 years ago. I honestly don't recall using the El again from the 1980's until early-mid March of 2020 when I was sent to help prepare a building for The Shutdown (that's what a lot of people in Chicagoland like to call the "Shelter in Place" order that started in mid March 2020 and basically shut down most businesses in the State). Busses a few times, but not the El.

The point was that I neglected to bring alternatives to the technology to reduce the amount of stuff I had to carry on the streets since I already had to bring some tools and a drink. If the phone failed, I would have been screwed unless somebody could give me directions to Ogilvie.
On the other hand, worst case scenario I could probably call a cab (I don't know how to use Uber without a working phone) and they would know where the train station was.

 

Strange that it didn't give you a warning. I have my phone on (connected to a screen in my car) and I'll see exits in Chicago and suburbs in advance. I also get the warning of "stay in the right two lanes to exit...." at least a quarter mile in advance. I use an iPhone but Google maps should be the same.

Perhaps it was just a poor signal at the time so you didn't get the proper warning.

 

I'm not sure what you mean, I was saying that I was relying on the phone telling me exactly what you just said due to the heavy fog making it difficult to read the guide signs until they were practically directly overhead.
So it would say "Stay in the left two lanes to remain on I-90".

 

Playing IWD2 with the Enhanced Edition mod lately and having a blast. Thought of you guys. Glad to see this place still around like a comfy old bar.

 

Good to see you too! I was just reading our IWD2 guide for nostalgia's sake. Where can I find these great discussions?

 

Comfy old bar, heh
Having lamest B-day ever

 

It's your birthday Sorv? Happy birthday. Mine is in a few days.

 

Have a Happy one!