People asking for your mobile number

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So lets suppose you were in a situation, like at college or after meeting someone new. They ask for your mobile number, but because your a private person and you don't want people to know things about you/your details due to you being so vulnerable due to your ASD, you don't give it to them. Then they start getting a tad bit pushy and won't leave you alone about it, as if trying to coerce it out of you. In that situation, what would you do?

I've had very bad experiences with giving people my number, one was a former friend who severely bullied me and would call me up with the incentive of food or a drink, as well as mind games "eh, why are you just sitting in the house by yourself" as a way to get me to come out with him, just so he could victimize/manipulate me like the scum of the earth that he is. Even after I blocked all contact with him, he still tried to call once or twice and left a weird voicemail; avoiding picking up the phone, he eventually stopped contacting me, but still lives in my town about a quarter of a mile away, so I have to avoid certain areas at certain times.

And there was one or two other occasions as well with other people.

So you might be thinking, why not just avoid giving to them? Really it's because I easily give in to pressure, so if someone is pressuring me for it, or more often, if I'm in a situation like at college where one of the parts of signing up is giving over a number, such as on the enrollment form, I feel like I have no choice to give it over, and I really don't know what to do.

Do you relate/what are your experiences?

I tell them that I don't want any more robocalls than I have already been getting. If they persist, then I tell them to 'sod' off. Simple.

You make me feel almost jealous - nobody has ever pressured me for my number before, or even asked for it unless there was a good reason. Nobody's ever tried to gaslight/psychologically manipulate me before, either - I suppose because they know I wouldn't let them.

Yeah good for you. I need to learn to wise up to what is going on around me, and learn to say no.

Stand up straight with your shoulders back and wear a stern facial expression. Also develop a breezy, confident gait. All these things come naturally to me, so that it's only recently that I clocked that they're the reason people leave me alone.

I walk past gangs of louts all the time and they never say a word. I'm not physically intimidating at all, at 5'6 and 120lb, but exude confidence, firmness and a willingness to defend myself if necessary - all of which things are true, but presumably it would work either way.

You could give the person a fake number if you really don't trust em.

Yeah like my old mobile number on my old phone without a sim.

Last edited by hellhole on 19 Jun 2019, 6:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Or the local crematorium...

I wish people WOULD ask for my mobile number.

Can I have your number? (Joking. Don't give numbers in here... It is not safe).

I don't have a problem giving most people my number offline cuz almost noone ever asks for it. I mostly keep to myself, my girlfriend, my family, & girlfriend's family. I currently have one friend & he was my former supervisor. I haven't worked in like 10 years so I don't really meet people. I really should look for a part time job but we're on waiting lists to move. Anyways I do sign lots of online petitions & take surveys for things & I sometimes have to enter a phone number. I should give a fake number that doesn't look obviously fake but I've been having my current phone number for probably at least 15 years & don't remember my old one. Plus it might of been reassigned by now. I don't want to give a fake number that may be assigned cuz I don't want someone else to have to deal with the phone calls & texts. Most of the phone calls I get are usually political or robocalls trying to sell me prescription drugs or scam me. I've gotten in the habit of never answering my phone if it's a nonprogramed number unless I'm expecting a call.

I don't know if you keep up with this or not Fnord but the senate just passed a bill to crack down on robocalls. It passed 97 to one or something like that. I was expecting Mitch to refuse to allow a vote on it since some businesses make robocalls trying to solicit or something so I'm shocked that it passed, especially with such huge bipartisan support. I don't know if your in the US or not but if you are, you could try contacting your house rep to encourage their support on that bill. I forget what the bill is called. The FCC is expecting half the calls made this year to be robocalls so this is definitely a problem that affects most people with phones.