Indiana Avenue

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 129 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

When I saw this little box on Sandy's blog I had to click through to find out how many people in the US have my name. I believe there are at least three of us in Philadelphia.

For the past several months, I have been getting phone calls from collection agencies looking for someone with my name.  The conversations are always the same and I am so tired of saying the same things.

Angry Collection Dude: Is this Rainbow Chills?

Me: Yes, that is my name.

ACD: I'm calling about a debt.

Me: I think you're looking for someone else. I think you are looking for a Rainbow Chills who lives on Indiana Avenue.

ACD: This is Rainbow Chills in Philadelphia?

Me: Yes, but I don't live on Indiana Avenue.

ACD: But your ssn ends with: ****

Me: No it doesn't. You are looking for a different Rainbow Chills.

There have been times when I have come home to phone messages from men who are practically screaming into my machine about how I MUST CALL THEM BACK. VERY IMPORTANT. NEED TO SPEAK TO ME TODAY! And then I call them and they start to get nasty and ask me how I plan to pay off the eleventy three kajillion dollars that I owe on my CitiBank card. And I tell each one THAT I DON"T HAVE A CITIBANK CARD. And by the way, I have excellent credit!

Every time the calls stop, I forget about them and get lulled into a false sense of financial security. And then a few weeks later, a new collection company will call and the process begins anew. Good grief!

A few weeks ago, I was paying for pizza delivery with my debit card and when I told the girl who was taking my order what my name was, she said, "I have a niece named Rainbow Chills." It took everything in me not to ask, "Does your niece live on Indiana Avenue?"

Comments

[Chrissie]

Interesting link! There are only 4 people with my name.

[Paula Furman]

I think I have one to top that -I lived in an apartment, one in which the previous tenant was apparantly less than an upstanding citizen. I came home one day after work to find a notice posted on my front door, where ALL the neighbors could see, from the sheriffs office saying that if I didn't turn myself in to the magistrate's office I would be arrested in the next 2am raid. Only the name on the notice wasn't me. Too bad none of my neighbors knew what my name was. They probably all thought I was a raving loon!

[ann]

Oh man, how frustrating. Just think how frustrating it must be to be the one on Indiana Avenue, too! I have a similar issue... the guy who lived in our house 2 owners before us is always behind on his child support, so we're always getting registered letters for him etc. You'd think after 2 years of me refusing his mail and sending things back marked "no such occupant" they'd stop... but no.

[dhd]

This is a pretty funny post! I mean frustrating for you, but you wrote it from an entertaining angle.

Interestingly, I went to the link and tried both my maiden and married names and it told me that 0 people had either name. So, zero, other than me? Or are they challenging my existence entirely?

Hmm....

[brenda in toronto]

argh! i've been in the same position and this stuff drives me crazy. what makes me extra-annoyed is that they never believe you!! you appear to be way more patient than me :)