Spam is bad, why is telemarketing not treated the same way?

We all know that spam is just bad and wrong and plagues us daily with useless garbage. Why don’t we feel the same about telemarketing?

I recently got a new cell phone and was going to transfer my regular phone number to the new cell, but then thought about how many telemarketing calls I get a week. On weekends sometimes I get 2 or 3 on Saturdays alone. There is constantly messages left on my machine too. These are not places I do business with either. It’s always a survey, or I have been selected for a really great interest rate, or if I could just give a few moments of my time. No I can’t give any of my time. My time is important to me, especially on the weekend. No you can not have one moment of my time, if you are my client and you want to pay me for my time then fine, I’ll hear you out, otherwise buzz off and stop calling me. I am always as polite as I can be, but I do interrupt them as soon as I realize it’s a sales pitch. I usually cut in and say I’m very sorry I’m not interested and could you please take me off your call list. I do not allow the conversation to go beyond this point, but usually as I’m putting the receiver down I can still here the sales person on the other end pleading for one more moment of my time just before the click of the receiver.

Again, my question is why do we get so bent out of shape about spam, even make it a crime, but then when it comes to harassing me on the phone, which is far more intrusive and still wastes my time, it is considered okay? It shouldn’t be, you should not be calling my number for any reason other than to tell me something about an account or business transaction I have initiated with you or if you are my friend or family. Otherwise you have no business wasting my time.

These so called do not call lists don’t seem to work either. Canada is getting a new one soon; although I already signed up for one in the past and it obviously didn’t work. I really hope my new number does not get called, because not only are you wasting my time now, but you are wasting my minutes too. Does anyone else feel the same way about unsolicited telemarketing? I loath spam, but to me telemarketing is no better.