Md. father uses robocall to get revenge on school officials

[The Straight Story]

Md. father uses robocall to get revenge on school officials

Awakened at 4:33 a.m. Wednesday by a ringing phone, Aaron Titus jumped out of bed in a panic. Maybe something terrible had happened, he thought. Even if nothing was wrong, his heart raced with other considerations: His five children, ages 5 and under, including his week-old daughter, were mercifully still asleep, and he wanted to keep it that way.

In a blurry rush, Titus answered the phone halfway into the second ring, listening in disbelief to an automated caller tell him what he already knew: It was a snow day. School would open two hours late. In other words, he and his family could sleep.

...


Titus arranged for an automated message of his own.

He found a robocall company online, taped a message and listed every phone number he could find for nine school board members (sparing the student member), Superintendent William R. Hite and General Counsel Roger C. Thomas.

At 4:30 a.m. Thursday, phones began ringing with 29 seconds of automated, mocking objection:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/13/AR2011011306555.html

[blondeatlast]

1. IMHO--dumb response. How would he have reacted if he'd taken the kids to school

because he didn't get the call?

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

7. He probably would have taken them back home?

Or he may have tried to hurl his children through the windows of the schoolhouse... I don't know. Hopefully he just takes them back home. :shrug:

Personally, I just watch the little school-closing information ticker on the morning news. Hell, if it's even remotely snowy outside you know the kids are GLUED to the morning news waiting to see their school's name flash across the screen.

[X_Digger]

2. Okay, I LOL'd n/t

[Xithras]

3. I have my kids schools robocall numbers on ignore.

They use it for the stupidest crap, so it gets shunted straight to voicemail. I'd be fine if it were only used for emergencies like school closures, but I do NOT want my phone rigning at 5AM with a "friendly reminder to parents that the silent auction to benefit the band department will be held today at 3PM."

When I called to opt-out, I was curtly informed that doing so wasn't an option. Luckily, my phone system gives me another solution.

[hamsterjill]

4. Hey, I like his style!

No harm, no foul. He was simply making a point. He brings up a good question, too, about whether the parents should be able to opt out of those messages.

I'm a light sleeper myself and I don't like to be awakened by unnecessary phone calls. (Unnecessary for this parent because he states that he already knew about the snow day the night before). When I am awakened, I rarely am able to go back to sleep.

Sometimes a little harmless payback makes a big impact.

[CBGLuthier]

5. Self-aggrandizing douche. Wonder what else he overreacts to.

If I were a school board member I would file harassment charges against this loser.

I love the part about him jumping out of bed in a panic. Oh my god. A phone is ringing. Crybaby.

[Renew Deal]

12. Why is it an overreaction?

Especially since you think it's no big deal?

[Shagbark Hickory]

6. So he violated federal law to get revenge? Brilliant.

[Renew Deal]

11. Which federal law?

[Renew Deal]

8. lol

:rofl:

[Kalyke]

9. Our school system's robocalls come in at 6:30-7 a.m.

And, yes, they have awakened me when I already knew schools were closed (or that my kids wouldn't be going because I would drive in that stuff - I have a rear-wheel drive sports car. It doesn't go in snow very well).

But, in any case, I didn't waste my time and money on revenge. Geesch.

[woodsprite]

13. Ours come at 5am. I have 2 kids, so I get 2 calls and 6 emails.

Since one is in middle school and one is in high school, they're separate lists. :(

[Mariana]

28. You expect a call to announce a closure at 6:30-7:30 am.

That's reasonable. Not at 4:30. Calls at 4:30 am are almost always bad news. I understand why he's pissed.

[WinkyDink]

10. Families get CALLED?! We have to watch local TV!

[Jamastiene]

23. We do too.

I guess in some areas it is different.

[Iggo]

14. Good.

The school established their effective business hours by calling him at 4:30am.

If it's okay for the school to call you at that time, then it's okay for you to call them.

[devilgrrl]

15. We listened to the radio to see if our school district was announced.

Robo-calls?

Man, I'm out of the loop.

[Mariana]

29. Me too. They read them in alphabetical order

and my town's name started with W. Man, that was a LONG list and it took them FOREVER to get to us.

Now, we get robo-calls (at a more reasonable hour) but we can't count on them; sometimes they don't call. They still read closings on the radio, though, and it's on TV, and it's also on the school district website.

[Matariki]

16. Ha! That's hysterical.

Teach by example.

[yellowcanine]

17. So he punished innocent people for somebody's screwup?

I don't see how this solves anything. If he had complained and the school officials hadn't corrected it that is one thing. But this looks like a mistake made by a staff person. People make mistakes. This was a severe overreaction. Furthermore, how do you know the school officials are even going to answer their phone? You might just be harassing family members.

[slackmaster]

19. It's called "accountability"

The school officials are responsible for the screwup.

[yellowcanine]

24. Yes but still not the appropriate way to handle it imo. Just because someone is accountable

doesn't mean they don't deserve some due process. An administrator can't anticipate every mistake in advance. Besides, the school board is not responsible for day to day management of the school system. So their accountability is not even over the staffer directly. The guy never gave them a chance to be accountable. He went directly to the nuclear option. It's as if he just wanted to smack someone and used this as an excuse. Like I said, an overreaction and a poor example to his kids about how to deal with people.

[Blue_Tires]

18. i understand the father's perspective, but it's still kinda petty and dickish...

[Bunny]

20. I think the guy was being pretty dickish.

We get those early robocalls too, and it doesn't bother me. If I knew before I went to bed that school was delayed or closed, I'd
turn the ringer off on my phone so I wouldn't be bothered. Other parents may not have been aware of the closing and might need to be notified early in the morning so they have time to make child care arrangements.

So the guy missed some extra sleep. Well, boo hoo poor you.

[Edweird]

21. Maybe they could implement a 'robo text message' instead of a recorded call.

The message goes out and will be available to the parent at their convenience.

[Goblinmonger]

22. We get texted.

That option exists from my school district as well as the local TV station.

[jdp349]

25. Effective way to make his point

+1 for theatrics

[CraftyGal]

26. Actually I can understand his reaction.

if I get a call that early in the morning it had better be an emergence. I have some family members that are either seniors or ill. I have a strict rule as I have issues with sleeping not to call after midnight unless it is an emergency. Works well for us. I got these calls all the time form my sons school and it drove me nuts. I actually would have loved it if the school had called in an actual emergency but that is another story.

CraftyGal

[Mariana]

30. I understand it. This very morning I got an early call

(but not THAT damn early) and sure enough, it was news that my dad's in the hospital getting blood transfusions. I knew he hadn't been recovering well at all from a surgery he had recently, so you can bet my heart started racing when the phone rang that early. If I got a call at 4:30am for something like a school delay I would be PISSED.

[Liberal_in_LA]

27. Seems like the school felt they were providing a service - calling early, before folks got kids up