How did you get this number?

Outing alert: Slappy is Fenian's brother.

My typical answer is "I have my sources." Generic, yes, but better to BS than reveal sources.

 

An aside to this topic...
Last week I cancelled my subscription to my newspaper -- a product of being out of town so much and having my paper stolen a lot. Well, I just got a call from the telemarketing service my paper uses asking if I'd heard about the summer specials.
Me: "Do you know I work at the Daily Bugle? And that I'm actually standing in the sports department right now?"
Poor telemarketer: "Um, no sir, I didn't know that."
Me: "How did you get my number?"
PT: "It just shows up on my computer. Sorry. Click."

 

"Um, the phonebook."
"Oh..."

 

I'm a reporter. That's what we do.

 

We had that happen at our paper a couple of years ago and since all the numbers are sequential for 10 minutes there was nothing but ringing phones because they called at 6 p.m. after all those daysiders left.

 

Or, I'm a professional. Please do not try this at home ...

 

"From the list that the AP inadvertantly sent out over the wire a couple of years back."

 

"I just found it" works if I don't want to say who.

 

Called prep athlete, and his mom answered.
"Hello, this is Taylee from ..."
"How'd you get this number?"
"Well, it was given to me ...," I said before being cut off.
"I don't care where you got it, just lose the motherfucker 'cause we ain't never gonna be talking to you."

 

Agreed. Information is readily available. It's a matter of how hard you work to get it, phone numbers included.

 

Wait, this isn't the Obese Bisexual Party Line?

 

That was a fantastic day ...