Returning an Unrequested Verizon Phone Book

By kohler | Sep 14, 2008


Why are email spammers thrown in jail while phone book spammers are allowed to continue to carpet bomb neighborhoods of Minneapolis with unsolicited advertising? It makes no sense.

Sadly, I thought I had solved this problem only to find yet another phone book on my front steps today . . . soaking in the rain. Here’s what I did with it:

I hope they don’t remind having my phone book left on their property unsolicited.

PS: It turns out that throwing a phone book is more difficult that I expected.


23 Comments so far
  1. Sam Glover September 14, 2008 9:44 pm

    You have no idea how much I have wanted to do this. Phone book return flash mob, anyone?

  2. Aaron September 14, 2008 10:41 pm

    I have a TWO fucking Verizon phone books in my recycle bin right now: one delivered to me, and one delivered to the foreclosed house across the street. I could not find anywhere in the book as to how to contact them properly to get removed from them treating my front steps like a landfill.

  3. Karl Pearson-Cater September 14, 2008 10:58 pm

    Well done! I think you have just created the offical drop-off site for these useless books — that putt-putt space. I’ll drop mine there this week.

  4. Bill Lindeke September 15, 2008 6:04 am

    Your google ads at the end of the vid are hilarious.

  5. Nathan September 15, 2008 7:40 am

    That’s awesome! I just found one on my steps. I got pissed off and said to my girlfriend, “I shouldn’t have this. I took the Deet’s advice and opted out of receiving phone books.” So seeing that you had the same thing happen oddly brings a smile to my face. Nice work!

  6. Andy September 15, 2008 8:16 am

    Ya’ll have NO idea how many of these phone books just end up at recycling facilities, or worse, the incinerator. Thank you, Ed, for bringing some creative light to this issue.

  7. links for 2008-09-15 | I Will Dare September 15, 2008 9:01 am

    [...] » Returning an Unrequested Verizon Phone BookThe Deets - Ed Kohler's Blog God you just have to love The Deets (tags: thedeets phonebooks mnblogs) [...]

  8. [...] Here’s what I’ll be doing with them next time. Why are email spammers thrown in jail while phone book spammers are allowed to continue to carpet bomb neighborhoods of Minneapolis with unsolicited advertising? It makes no sense. [...]

  9. Jacob September 15, 2008 9:55 am

    Woo-hoo! To quote John Hoff (aka “Johnny Northside”), a strong admirer of yours:

    “We will not stop until we have total and crushing victory over phone book evil.”

    Woo-hoo, I say!

  10. John Hoff September 15, 2008 12:42 pm

    Ed–as always, you’re my hero. A couple days ago, I also noticed the Verizon phone book offensive had swamped my neighborhood in North Minneapolis. Could you post the particulars about the address in EAGAN so everybody…and I mean EVERYBODY…knows where to go?

    I was hoping for action from city officials weeks ago. I haven’t heard anything about this issue coming out of City Hall, yet.

  11. kohler September 15, 2008 12:53 pm

    Thanks John. Verizon spun off a company called Idearc Media in 2006 and that company runs the phone book business. Their local office is at:

    Idearc
    880 Blue Gentian Road, Suite 260
    Eagan, MN 55121

    The address link should show you the putting green.

  12. Derek September 15, 2008 2:15 pm

    I don’t even understand why the phone book system is still in place. Figuring the cost in compiling, printing, and delivering all those massive books, of which a sliver are actually opened, one wonders how cost effective it is.

    Clearly, advertisers are continuing to pay for space in the book, but are they getting their money’s worth anymore?

  13. The Other Mike September 15, 2008 5:25 pm

    Dang, had I known you were on the way there, I’d have given you mine. It came on a flipping Sunday morning and made it as far as the recycle bin (once I carefully separated it from its plastic bag–more pollution).

    How many yellowpages are there? One for each telecom?

  14. Eli September 16, 2008 12:13 am

    wow.

  15. The Freets September 16, 2008 8:36 am

    Ed, I love your shirt in this video. Do you perhaps know where I can obtain one?

    Oh, and my grandma called. She thinks she can out-throw you.

  16. [...] would love to do what Ed Kohler of The Deets did, but I would be mightily tempted to chuck the phone book through Verizon’s window instead of [...]

  17. wileyone September 16, 2008 9:41 am

    I think discus technique would serve well in future phone book hefting attempts. Once more around to get a little momentum then “ooomph!” all over their putting green.

  18. [...] wileyone on Returning an Unrequested Verizon Phone Book [...]

  19. [...] me onto their radio show to discuss the Yellow Pages Industry’s phone book spam policy that led to my trip to Idearc’s Eagan Campus to return an unsolicited phone book to their plastic putting [...]

  20. [...] and neighborhood activist Ed Kohler passed along this gem to [...]

  21. Phonebook Roadkill: Oh My! : The Deets November 2, 2008 9:19 pm

    [...] Let’s work together to keep America beautiful. Of course, I don’t have a problem with throwing unwanted phone books at the companies who delivered the print spam in the first place. That’s totally justified. [...]

  22. jackn7 November 20, 2008 11:28 am

    GET A LIFE!!!!!!!!!!

  23. kohler November 20, 2008 2:05 pm

    jackn7, I’ll give your anonymous feedback the respect it deserves. Have a good day.

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