Monday, March 07, 2011

Will the real Robin please stand up?

kw: local events, irritations

Let's see, is it Robin or Robyn; is it Blythe or Blyth?

A few dozen Facebook pages are attributed to Robin Blythe, and several to Robyn Blyth. Thousands of hits on Google and Bing return for any combination of these names. I suspect the one I am looking for is none of the above.

Over the past three years, I've received a phone call almost every week from a computer voice that begins by saying, "This is an important message for [pause] Robin [pause] Blythe. If you are [pause] Robin [pause] Blythe [pause] please press one now." The first time it happened, I hung up at that point. The tenth or so, I waited, and was asked, "If Robin Blythe [with pauses] does not live at this address, press two now." I pressed two, and a few clicks ensued, then a different computer voice, "Please hold, and someone will be with you shortly." I hung up. Thereafter, I've hung up by about the word "important".

Today, a person called, claimed to be named Mike, from a firm name I didn't catch, and asked if someone would be present so a process server could deliver papers for Robin Blythe. I made it clear that there was no such person at this number, nor at our address (which I did not state), nor had been for all the years we had lived here. He apologized for troubling me and hung up. Less than a minute later, another "Mike" called and began the same rigamarole. I cut him off with, "If you're after a Robin Blythe, there has never been one at this number." He apologized and hung up.

Is this the end of the matter? I suspect someone out there used an assumed name and number to "give information" after something like an auto collision. I wonder if the matter will ever be resolved.

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