Dad Gets Revenge for Early Morning Robo-Call…by Robo-Calling School Board
- Posted on January 14, 2011 at 11:49am by
Jonathon M. Seidl
- Print »
- Email »
When Prince George’s County, MD father Aaron Titus got a robo-call from his local school district at 4:30 a.m. informing him that his student’s school would be opening two hours late, he was furious — he already knew of the delay. So he decided to get revenge — by robo-calling the members of the school board — at 4:30 in the morning.
He did. It worked. Eight of the 19 members he sent his robo-message to picked up. This is what they heard:
According to the Washington Post, the district has since canned the calls. In an interview with the Post, one school board member said he understands Titus’s frustration and even welcomed future calls.
“I definitely appreciate his creativity,” Edward Burroughs III said. He then added, “It’s certainly something that I welcome all parents to do – communicate with us, by any means necessary.”
(H/T: Gawker)
Popular Stories
Does Misstated Marathon Claim Prove Paul Ryan Is Dishonest? (POLL) 678 Comments
‘Jumah at the DNC’ Speaker: ‘Muslims Visited America Prior to Columbus’ & ‘It Was a Muslim’ Who Guided Him to the ‘New World’ 530 Comments
Paper Details Obama Admin’s Alleged Secret Note Sent to Iran: If Israel Attacks, We Won’t Get Involved 422 Comments
Obama: RNC Like Watching ‘Black-and-White TV’ Because Romney ‘Did Not Offer a Single New Idea’ 373 Comments
Roseanne Barr: Most Billionaires ‘Violent Pedophiles’ & ‘Heartless’ Cocaine Addicts 329 Comments
Faith
This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 275 Comments- Pakistani Muslim Cleric Accused of Framing Disabled Christian Girl in Koran-Burning Case Read More
- ‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 283 Comments
Meet the Controversial German Imam Accused of Brutally Beating His Wife & Pushing Sharia Law Read More
‘Self-Proclaimed Messiah’ & Unification Church Leader the Rev. Sun Myung Moon Has Died — Here’s His Life Story Read More
Business
President Obama Issues Major ‘Green Energy’ Executive Order 164 Comments- Germany’s Upcoming Court Ruling Will be Huge for the EU Read More
Ford Looks to Beat Toyota for Best-Selling Car in 2012 With This Model 147 Comments
Bernanke & QE3: Here’s What You Need to Know Read More- ‘Extortion’: Why Did the Labor Department ‘Drop the Hammer’ on Oregon Farmers? 300 Comments
Technology
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 275 Comments
‘TaserDrone’: Hackers Weaponize Quadcopter With Actual ‘Shocking’ Technology Read More
Ever Heard of the Wild ‘Burning Man’ Festival in the Middle of the Nev. Desert? Here’s Your Primer Read More
Stanford Develops Technology ‘Better Than Steroids’ for Athlete Recovery Read More
Have You Pretended to Know What ‘the Cloud’ Is? You’re Not Alone Read More
Submitting your tip... please wait!
Comments (105)
TombstoneJim
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:51pmBravo!!!!
Report Post »texasfarmer
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:50pmWhen I was going to school in Maryland I can guarantee that all us kids knew if school was canceled and we didn’t have but three TV stations. Never had a school delay and it had to snow in hell for us to get off. Oh Pat, we walked up hill both ways too.
Report Post »Hefsmaster
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:49pmAn old coworker did this to some telemarketing company. Set it up on his computer to call every 3 minutes. Just long enough for them or their computer to pick up the call and start charges against them. Went to work and came home and his phone was ringing, He’s thinking i left it on auto dial. It was the phone company cutting through his software and calling him to tell him not to do that again. They asked him why he did it. His reply was asking them how many times the tele marketing company had called him. Gets put on hold while the guy looks up his records. Some strange reason at this time the phone line goes dead for 3 hours and nothing ever comes of it. Yeah…
Report Post »The Bees
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:44pmAbsolutely Brilliant!!
A+ go to the head of the class
Report Post »HP_Loveshaft
Posted on February 1, 2011 at 4:35pmYeah, so brilliant he doesn‘t realize it’s impossible to call hundreds of parents all at the same time. If the calls started at 6:30, the vast majority of them wouldn’t arrive in time.
Report Post »poofster
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:41pmfantastic
Report Post »eat-more-bacon-USA
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:40pmSchools do this for children’s safety, not to annoy – and it is done early so that parents get the message in time to make the proper arrangements – Perhaps Mr. Titus should consider this. A 4:30-AM call may be annoying to him but would it not be worse if he or other parents did not know about the altered schedule and he dropped their children off at a locked school? As parents of school-age children, we need to remember that our children come first and sometimes that is not fun or convenient. As I said, the school does this for children’s safety, not to annoy – his response was designed specifically to annoy, and that’s kind of sad.
Report Post »uisignorant
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 2:03pmIf it is for safety, then how did us over 40 ever survive childhood?
Report Post »JohnnyJT
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:39pmHa Ha
Report Post »Spawnomite
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:33pmI’ve seen Terminator.
I rather have the robots ruling us than any filthy Democrat.
radioguru
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:31pmCouldn’t have done it better myself…… awesome, polite, and effective way.
Report Post »Angelfish
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:29pmAwesome! I would love to do the same thing! Glad he was so polite – Well done, Aaron!
Report Post »lainpa
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:28pmThey do this in our school district and I hate it too! I didn’t sign up for it. I want to just leave the phone off the hook before bed! At 4:30, i’m thinking death/accident/something tragic! I already get a text alert via the local news channel! It’s completely unneccessary!
Report Post »lainpa
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 1:09pmbtw – I just sent an email provided by my school district for “…have a question, suggestion, or comment about AlertNow, please e-mail us at ….” and it was just returned as undeliverable! Ha!
Report Post »soccerdad1150
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:28pm@Outsidelookingin — newsflash for ya – not everyone who disagrees with YOU is a troll. It’s called dialogue…try it some time.
I agree that 4:30 is too early, but I love the robo-calls on the snow delays/closures. They are quite helpful. This one was probably NOT scheduled that early, but due to a mistake. I have little doubt this dude would be screaming bloody murder if he somehow missed the information before he went to bed and then didn’t get a call.
Report Post »Beckaj
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:20pmThat was great. He was very respectful.
Report Post »Midwest Blonde
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:20pmSmart guy! I applaud his creative revenge!
Report Post »Dannytheman
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:11pmI have to admit this made me laugh. He was probably so busy filling out those first day of school forms that kill us all, that he didn’t notice his agreement. But I admire his humorous response. 4:30 is a bit early. 6 is more understandable.
Report Post »Liberty7
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:09pmNo doubt about it, I definitely have to say this guy is a class act!
Report Post »timej31
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:03pmifbyphone is a perfect solution to do this. I use it to multicall Verizon to tie up 100 lines with my call so I get in right away.
Report Post »untameable-kate
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 1:16pmThose of us who have to wait in line are glad to hear that you are more important than the rest of us.
Report Post »Leevamark2
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 1:46pmTimeJ31- LOL – Look up the word “Narcissist” and then….reflect.
Report Post »grandmaof5
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:02pmThat was great, good for him, and the board members that had a sense of humor.
Report Post »Lisa
Posted on January 22, 2011 at 7:43pmThe Board HAD to present a good humored response to the public. What they do behind closed doors remains to be seen. Only Mr. Titus will be able to know whether there is any sort of retribution against his children in school. It can be subtle.
No one likes attention drawn to themselves for being the approvers of a robo-system that creates anger, irritability and intrudes on one’s of privacy. He made the district look like a bunch of drunken nannies.
Report Post »inabigway
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:00pmFight stupidity with smarts ;]
Report Post »krenshau
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 11:59amI am glad the board was receptive. Normally, his kid would be thrown out of school by homeland security for threatening phone calls by the parent, and he would end up in jail for harassment.
Report Post »scott367
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 11:59amwhat an ass, I have two school aged kids and the robo calls are a fabulous way for me to know whats going on. I guess he really takes sleep seriously. My older kid is on the bus at 6:45 AM the robo call by default has to be early in the morning.
Report Post »uisignorant
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:11pmAnd a real parent would get up before their kids need to get on the bus and check TV or Radio. I guess you went to school every snow day when you were a kid since they did not have the Robo-Call.
Report Post »BLACKDIAMONDSKIER
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:11pmHilarious….yes but 2 hours and 15 min b/f your child gets on the bus. Even the school board realized it was ridiculous.
Report Post »Psytoxic
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:12pmHe already knew of the delay. One of the solutions he provides in his robo-call is to at least give the parents the opportunity to opt out of the calls. Robo-calls aren’t the only way schools provide parents with information.
Report Post »Outside Looking In
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:12pmWelcome Troll 2 to this thread.
Report Post »Please collect your bounty from Spooky Dude.
Good work!
Midwest Blonde
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:23pmI wouldn’t appreciate a 4:30 am call – and if your kid has to be on the bus by 6:45, a 6am call is early enough. Just my opinion.
Report Post »8jrts
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:29pmI drive a bus and I don’t even get a call that early!! All though, I usually get up an check the school web site or the local news that the school broadcasts it’s cancellations on. Parents should be able to opt out, but guess the lazy ones do need the wake up call.
Report Post »Grady Curve
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:34pmif you rely on robo calls to be informed you have bigger issues than communicating on this site….
Report Post »Lantern
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:37pmIf he has sleeping problems, like I do, then he would want all the sleep he can get. It’s especially hard to get back to sleep when you are angered by an inane call that you already knew about. There is a reason why telemarketers and collection companies are barred from calling before 9 AM and after 9 PM and on weekends. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and say you jumped the gun on judging him.
Report Post »J.C. McGlynn
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:44pmI think robo-call at 4:30 PM the day before sounds more logical to me.
Report Post »Cedi
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 2:32pmNice, one idiot calls you a bad parent and another says you have issues because you appreciate the schools communicating with robocalls. Real nice. You get it scott, I’m not surprised others dont.
Report Post »anniedogdoll
Posted on January 15, 2011 at 12:31amSorry! I have 2 school age kids, too. I get up in time to check the local media to see if there’s a change in the schedule. I don’t need the 5:30 a.m. robo call that I get each time. I take responsibility to check and get the information. Hey! That‘s what we’ve done for 50 or more years in this country! We survived without robo calls! I’m behind him 100% A simple, unemotional example of why this is a problem.
Report Post »HP_Loveshaft
Posted on February 1, 2011 at 4:33pmMidwest Blonde said: “I wouldn’t appreciate a 4:30 am call – and if your kid has to be on the bus by 6:45, a 6am call is early enough. Just my opinion.”
Hey blondie, as soon as you learn to bend time and space so the school can call hundreds of parents instantaneously at 6am, you let us know.
Meanwhile, the rest of us will continue to live in the real world where logic and logistics take priority over fantasy technology.
Report Post »ilovetheusa1
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 11:57amand if he didn’t get a call, he would have cried about not being informed. what a puss.
Report Post »boohoo,
Outside Looking In
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:11pmWelcome Troll 1 to this thread.
Report Post »Please collect your bounty from Spooky Dude.
Good Work!
uisignorant
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:12pmThat is a stupid statement since he said he knew before he went to bed… I guess personal responsibility is beyond your understanding.
Report Post »Vox Populi
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:21pmYou don’t understand – “the masses” are stupid cows that must be herded by our elite. So, in their minds, parents rely upon them.
It is a heavy burden – they must awaken every morning to “milk all of us cows, and shave all of us sheep…”
The fact that he says anything at all may earn him the respect of the farm animals – but I wonder if he knows that farmer is also a butcher…?
Carry on sheeple, nothing to see here.
Report Post »Midwest Blonde
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:24pmHe was in informed parent – he knew about the info before he went to sleep the night before.
Report Post »Cedi
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 1:59pmYou are exactly right. My son gets up at 6:00am while my wife gets up at 5:30am to get started on the school day. Sure this guy knew, but there was no way for the school district to know. Good lord, the poor guy was awaken at 4:30am………what a miscarriage of justice. He sounds like a big baby to me.
Report Post »stifroc
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 11:56amNice!
Report Post »sethlevy
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 11:54amGood work! Glad it ended well.
Report Post »Bill Wallace
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 11:52amAwesome.
Report Post »Cliff
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 11:58amWe need to start robocalling all our elected officials… make them understand it is WE THE PEOPLE!
http://www.mentordvd.com
Report Post »untameable-kate
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 11:59amBravo!
Report Post »Independent Tess
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:04pmLove it!!
Report Post »mhgadfly
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:07pmIn Loganville, GA a “disturbing the peace charge” would have been made and the Loganville Storm Troopers (Loganville Police Department) would have broken down this man‘s door and he’d still be sitting in lock-up waiting on Judge Brownlow to trample all over the man’s god given rights.
SEPARATION OF CORPORATIONS AND STATE
Report Post »stop freddie, fannie and the fha
SOCIALIZM IS MASS SLAVERY
don’t raise the debt ceiling
MOVETERAN
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:09pmI like it!!!!!!!!!!!
Report Post »912828Buckeye
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:09pmI’m in,if I knew how. I do have my reps. on speed dial though.
Report Post »chazman
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:11pmI like robo-calls, but at 4:30 in the morning? 6:30 a.m. at the earliest! I don’t blame this guy at all!
Report Post »Lantern
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:32pmNow I wish I could robo-call all the surveys and telemarketers that robo-call me.
Report Post »GhostOfJefferson
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:40pmHe needs to chill out.
Others may not have known. Just because he knew, was the auto-dialer supposed to know?
I get the 4:30 am call thing, being ticked off at that. At least they’re trying to alert parents though, and give them enough time to arrange something. I don’t know who remembers, but it wasn’t just ten years ago that you had to wait to hear of closings on the AM radio, which usually materialized just about 10 minutes before school was supposed to commence.
In his shoes, I’d probably have called at an appropriate time and asked them why they dialer was dialing at 4:30 in the morning. Then, attend a school board meeting and suggest that the time for auto-calling be moved up a bit.
There’s no reason to make every single event into some kind of hyper emotional Reality Television episode.
Rowgue
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 12:57pmHe was very calm and just made his point. How is he somehow overreacting and needs to chill out when all he did was the exact same thing the school did to show them how stupid it is.
There is absolutely no reason to call people at 4:30am. I’ve never seen a school that opens before 8am. I could see calls at 6:00 or 6:30, but 4:30 is just ridiculous. Besides that robo-calls are not needed for that purpose. You go stand and wait for the bus to show up. If it doesn‘t show up you don’t go to school.
Report Post »Aither
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 1:02pmThis dad really is awesome! LoL
Report Post »donnyho
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 1:07pmGreat response, however I would not opt out of a message system that would inform me of anything involving my children. Why not expand the means of disseminating information, such as IM, texting, & email, allowing each to select the method they prefer. None of these would wake you at 4:30AM but will get you the information.
Report Post »independentvoteril
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 1:24pmHas a point nothing like someone waking you up hours 2 hours before you would get up to tell you that you can sleep 2 hours longer..LOL..
Report Post »MadeintheUSA2
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 1:25pmThe school my son attends makes robo calls all of the time–at times it is near the level of harrassment. Only thing is when it says press 1 for English (and I do) the message is ALWAYS in spanish–what a freaking joke they are! I just ignore the calls now. They can email me (they have that info) if they need to inform me of something.
Report Post »snowleopard3200 {cat folk art}
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 2:01pmFitting idea, need to remember this one.
Love it!!!
Report Post »NeoFan
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 2:40pmHow dare this man question the god like leaders of a Government indoctrination center! Does he not understand that everything they do and say is sacred and he is nothing but a servant of them?
Report Post »oldoldtimer
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 4:39pmA 4:30 am call will not be unreasonable in Wise County, Va starting next year. Wise County is very mountainous. The School Bord wants to consolidate all the schools into only 3 over the objections of the majority of the parents. This will result in many students having to catch a bus at 6am. Yes I said 6 am. School starts at 8 am. No one wants it but the School Board. They refuse to discuss the transportation costs this will push on the county. Just imagine $5 a gal fuel. One might ask why? Well it seems there is coal under several of the schools and companies will pay to get it. Makes one wonder why they are pushing consolidation that will only drive up costs. Then there is the question of ownership of the land they plan to build new school on. Any time a elected body goes against the majority wishes one must always look, LOOK AT THE MONEY TRAIL!
Report Post »Kurty C Wipe
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 6:45pmI would like to opt out of Barrycare also.
Report Post »dontbotherme
Posted on January 14, 2011 at 10:38pmI like it! The Phone call was great! Polite too.
Report Post »Lisa
Posted on January 22, 2011 at 7:33pmIncredibly awesome! I’m not worthy! (bowing to Aaron’s brilliance and talent)
And you just have to laugh at the district’s response. Yeah, sure they admire his creativity. He made them look like a bunch of horses asses. I bet they all have dart boards with his picture on them …
Report Post »HP_Loveshaft
Posted on February 1, 2011 at 4:27pmRowgue blathered: “How is he somehow overreacting and needs to chill out when all he did was the exact same thing the school did to show them how stupid it is.”
This is not “the exact same thing,” genius. The school had hundreds of parents to call, and could not realistically call them all at 6:30. The school did what they thought was in the best interest of the community…the father, on the other hand, set out to intentionally annoy and harass. Hardly “the exact same thing”…
Report Post »