Posted on 09/04/2008 9:08:45 AM PDT by MplsSteve
The federal government says it has no choice but to reluctantly keep distributing to millions of waterfowl hunters a toll-free phone-sex-service number that features a breathy woman promising callers that they can "talk only to the girls who turn you on" for $1.99 per minute.
About 3.5 million federal "duck stamps," featuring artwork by a Plymouth artist, are affixed to a card that bears the misprinted number, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Wednesday.
All waterfowl hunters age 16 and older must buy and carry the current Migratory Bird Conservation and Hunting Stamp, commonly known as the duck stamp. Sales of the stamp, which is produced by the U.S. Postal Service for Fish and Wildlife, raise about $25 million each year to fund wetland habitat acquisition for the national Wildlife Refuge System. The agency annually sells about 120,000 federal duck stamps in Minnesota. The stamp isn't valid for routine postage.
Rachel Levin, a Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman, called the misprint, which connects callers to a phone-sex service, "an unfortunate typographical error" that her agency "really regrets." She adds that the agency will keep selling the $15 stamps with the naughty number because reprinting the card would cost too much.
The correct number, 1-800-STAMP24 (1-800-782-6724), is for people wishing to order additional duck stamps. Levin said two digits of the phone number are transposed on the card that holds the self-adhesive version of the stamp. That incorrect number, 1-800-872-6724, translates to 1-800-TRAMP24. Callers to "Intimate Connections" are warned that they must be 18 years or older before proceeding.
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
But it's amusing in how a small unintentional (well OK, it was likely unintentional) typo can lead to such a big problem.
Comments or opinions - anyone?
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OK, you owe me for a new monitor..I about spit Coke all over my screen!!!
That’s really foul...
Wow.The Fed is finally advertising what they’ve been doing to all of us.
The government really must change its policy of only hiring the unemployables. I mean really...out here in the west, the forest rangers start fires, costs millions to put them out and nobody ever gets fired...jeesh.
“Yeah but this ones eating my popcorn!”
Do you have to lick these, or are they self-adhesive?
Low bidder got the contract, I guess.
“She adds that the agency will keep selling the $15 stamps with the naughty number because reprinting the card would cost too much.”
If I tried that with MY business it would not last long.
I guess you are going to take up Duck Hunting in Minnesota as a hobby??
Well it is actually a news-worthy story, because it illuminates our government’s complete lack of inventiveness when it comes to dealing with a problem. A private business would have:
1. Used a Sharpie to black out the number.
2. Stuck a piece of white tape over the number.
3. Bought a package of labels for the printer in each office, and printed up a small label with the right number.
4. Cut the section with the number off the card.
5. Bought a bunch of rubber stamps with the right number.
or any of a number of other possible solutions that didn’t involve spending a fortune to print up new cards and stamps.
Admitedly, the proposed solutions would have involved some additional work for the federal employees distributing the stamps, but... huh? Oh. Never mind.
“Can I get me a duck huntin’ license here?”
-John Francoise Kerry
Does it take you to the spoof United Airlines ad?
The one with 2 united ducks and says fly united?
yep, federal gubmint employees-that’s who I want providing my health care, afterall What could possibly go wrong?
Reminds me of the joke about the little boy and girl taking a bath.
The punch line is ,
little girl “No you’re not, you can’t even pronounce it”.
Well, the phone number is sort of wildlife related.
6. Buy out the phone number.
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