{"id":5825,"date":"2018-09-16T15:50:45","date_gmt":"2018-09-16T14:50:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bodhicharya.org\/manyroads\/?p=5825"},"modified":"2018-09-16T15:50:45","modified_gmt":"2018-09-16T14:50:45","slug":"your-policy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bodhicharya.org\/manyroads\/your-policy\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Policy"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/h3>\n

[How to let a reader know from a one-sided conversation on the phone what the person at the other end is saying.\u00a0 The obvious ploy would be to have the recipient of a phone call continuously repeat what the other is saying. But this may abrade the reader with such an obvious and redundant repetitive strategy.\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/h3>\n

I recall Bob Newhart and his sketches about the driving instructor and Sir Walter Raleigh\u2019s introduction of tobacco and potatoes to Queen Elizabeth I.\u00a0 He had a subtle way of crafting his monologue by letting the listener infer and predict what is going on at the silent end of the conversation<\/em>.]<\/span><\/h3>\n

*<\/h2>\n

[Scene]<\/h2>\n

First you pay attention to the buzzing of your phone against your thigh.\u00a0 The phone\u2019s in your pocket.\u00a0 You\u2019re sitting at your computer and really don\u2019t want to be disturbed.\u00a0 Ah!\u00a0 That\u2019s the reason, it\u2019s on silent.<\/h2>\n

Stand up.\u00a0 Remove from pocket.\u00a0 Look at the screen.\u00a0 Sit down.<\/h2>\n

This is an unidentified call.\u00a0 Danger!\u00a0 Danger!\u00a0 Must be a stranger.\u00a0 A Nigerian gang are after your bank details; or an Indian girl with a sweet voice wants to tell you there\u2019s something wrong with your computer and to switch it on; or<\/em> it could be a friend of a friend with some bad news \u2026 so better to answer.<\/h2>\n

<\/h2>\n
    \n
  • \n

    That\u2019s me.<\/h2>\n<\/li>\n
  • \n

    No, I don\u2019t think so. She didn\u2019t mention speaking to you.\u00a0 Yes, go on.<\/h2>\n<\/li>\n
  • \n

    She did mention speaking to someone from the bank the other day.\u00a0 Oh, it was you.\u00a0 So, you\u2019re Doris.\u00a0 OK.\u00a0 Go on.<\/h2>\n<\/li>\n
  • \n

    I\u2019m not on the system! What system?\u00a0 My date of birth?\u00a0 27 01 59<\/h2>\n<\/li>\n
  • \n

    Hold on or phone me back? … Eh! \u2026 phone me back.<\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    *<\/h2>\n

    Switch off call.\u00a0 Back to your computer screen.\u00a0 Now, what were you doing? \u00a0Let\u2019s see.\u00a0 Napier University.\u00a0 Published writing \u2026 that was quick.\u00a0 Phone buzzing again on your desk.\u00a0 Unknown call.\u00a0 It\u2019s Doris.<\/h2>\n

    *<\/h2>\n
      \n
    • \n

      Yes, it\u2019s me. Hi Doris.<\/h2>\n<\/li>\n
    • \n

      Per month?<\/h2>\n<\/li>\n
    • \n

      No, I don\u2019t have my home insurance policy handy. Nineteen pounds and thirty three pence \u2026 per month?\u00a0 I\u2019m not sure how much I\u2019m paying.<\/h2>\n<\/li>\n
    • \n

      A cooling off? A cooling off from what.\u00a0 No don\u2019t send me the policy.\u00a0 I can tell you now I don\u2019t want the policy.<\/h2>\n<\/li>\n
    • \n

      You mean the money is taken out of my account if I forget to cancel? What if I forget to tell you within the fifteen days that I want to cancel the policy?\u00a0 I\u2019m a bit absent-minded. Can you not just send me the policy and I\u2019ll consider?<\/h2>\n<\/li>\n
    • \n

      No, I don\u2019t think so. I don\u2019t think I like this method of selling.<\/h2>\n<\/li>\n
    • \n

      Give me your number and I\u2019ll check it out online and if I\u2019m interested I\u2019ll get back to you.<\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      *<\/h2>\n

      You don\u2019t bother to write the number down.<\/h2>\n

      One week later.<\/h2>\n
      *<\/strong><\/div>\n
        \n
      • \n

        Yes, this is Mr McHaggis.<\/h2>\n<\/li>\n
      • \n

        No, you didn\u2019t speak to me and I don\u2019t think you spoke to my wife. Someone called Doris called and spoke to me.<\/h2>\n<\/li>\n
      • \n

        Why did she put me on the system?<\/h2>\n<\/li>\n
      • \n

        Yes, she gave me a quote but I told her I wasn\u2019t interested in the sales method and that I wanted the details in writing before I make a decision.<\/h2>\n<\/li>\n
      • \n

        Why don\u2019t you do that? Oh, you don\u2019t do that.<\/h2>\n<\/li>\n
      • \n

        No, I don\u2019t want a cooling off period. I\u2019m feeling cool just now \u2026 and what is there to cool off from.\u00a0 Should I be feeling hot?\u00a0 Do you want me to feel hot?\u00a0 I have an idea, why don\u2019t you improve your conditions of sale and get back to me in about five years and I\u2019ll consider your offer of a policy?\u00a0 Oh, and take me off your system.<\/h2>\n<\/li>\n
      • \n

        No, don\u2019t contact me at a later date.<\/h2>\n<\/li>\n
      • \n

        No, I\u2019m not interested. I have to limit my interests at my age.<\/h2>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        *S<\/h2>\n

        You hang up feeling less cool than you did five minutes ago.\u00a0 You are more than a little rubicund.<\/h2>\n

        Ah yes.\u00a0 Bar that damn number.<\/h2>\n

        \"\"<\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        [How to let a reader know from a one-sided conversation on the phone what the person at the other end is saying.\u00a0 The obvious ploy would be to have the recipient of a phone call continuously repeat what the other is saying. But this may abrade the reader with such an obvious and redundant repetitive […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":153,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_caption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_nocaption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_hide":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[162,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5825","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles","category-fictional-stories"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nYour Policy - Many Roads<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bodhicharya.org\/manyroads\/your-policy\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Albert\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bodhicharya.org\/manyroads\/your-policy\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bodhicharya.org\/manyroads\/your-policy\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Albert\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bodhicharya.org\/manyroads\/#\/schema\/person\/d65113da84d62fbc945e6ee35f823e2a\"},\"headline\":\"Your Policy\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-09-16T14:50:45+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bodhicharya.org\/manyroads\/your-policy\/\"},\"wordCount\":692,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bodhicharya.org\/manyroads\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bodhicharya.org\/manyroads\/your-policy\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/bodhicharya.org\/manyroads\/files\/2018\/06\/Phone-300x94.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Articles\",\"Fictional Stories\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/bodhicharya.org\/manyroads\/your-policy\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/bodhicharya.org\/manyroads\/your-policy\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/bodhicharya.org\/manyroads\/your-policy\/\",\"name\":\"Your Policy - 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