A television-inspired bill may prevent some serious phone-related headaches for you and your family. A Republican-sponsored bill may make it harder for telemarketers to get a hold of you.
It’s been a while, but the 1990s sitcom Seinfeld is back in the news. No, there will not be any new episodes and there’s no reboot. Instead, the show is providing a moment that could cut down on unwanted sales calls.
At one point, a telemarketer calls Jerry, who responds that he could call back if the caller would leave his telephone number. When this doesn’t happen, Jerry asks if it’s because the telemarketer doesn’t like to be called at home.
“Now you know how I feel,” he says and hangs up the phone.
Enter a Republican-sponsored bill in the New Jersey legislature. Telemarketers would have to provide their name and number within 30 seconds of a call. The bill may now become law as most of the state senate’s Commerce Committee voted for its advancement.
New Jersey residents may no longer have to yell "serenity now" when answering a phone call from a telemarketer. https://t.co/DspwdyyaJa
— FOX 10 Phoenix (@FOX10Phoenix) February 5, 2023
It was a funny moment in the series. In fact, some of the funniest moments of the show came over the telephone. George’s father Frank left a message on Jerry’s machine that “Mr. Steinbrenner is here. George is dead. Call me back.”
Here is an opportunity to do something that could help common people. Often, Congress considers large bills that have nothing to do with helping the working man and women.
Instead of spending and spending, Congress can now prevent harassment from telemarketers while you’re with your kids or eating. Just knowing that you are less likely to be bothered while you’re doing something is important and helps quite a bit.
All of this comes back to a show that hasn’t been on the air for 25 years. For a sitcom that saw itself as a ‘show about nothing,’ perhaps here is a good start to making it about something. It’s also a real example of life imitating art.
And if you don’t get the name and telephone number of the person on the other line, you may be able to copy what Jerry Seinfeld did on the show and just hang up.
