Illegal Telesurveying  − 30 March, 1994

My first job was at a place called Campaign Tel, Ltd. It was a phone surveying/political marketing business located in a bank building at Merle Hay Mall. My friend Donovan brought me along to apply, and we both signed up, and were herded into a conference room with a number of other high school kids, and older people.

We started working almost immediately, sitting at a computer with a phone dialer, calling people to give them political messages encouraging them to vote Republican. On my first call ever, the computer had abbreviated my caller's first name, William, to "Wm.", something I'd never seen before. I stumbled trying to say his name, my squeaky teenage voice hesitating. The caller laughed at me. I don't remember how well I got my message (urging him to vote for a Republican representative in northern Iowa), but I'm sure I did try.

I worked there for over a year, earning enough money to purchase my first car, a 1984 Cadillac Eldorado that I was lusting after. While there, I "broke up" with my best friend, witnessed a coworker have a stroke, impersonated a supervisor on the phone, drew pictures for my coworkers, and used fake names on the phone based on characters from Star Trek and movies and TV.

When I bought my car, the person at AAA selling me insurance offered me a job working as his personal assistant, and I accepted. Another year later, Campaign Tel was indicted for violating Federal campaign marketing rules; to avoid prosecution, the business closed up shop and ran out of town, leaving its employees unpaid for their last two weeks.