I want to talk to a person not a machine!

If that's what you shout whenever you call a bank or some other large nameless faceless institution - like a cable company, phone company, software company or government agency - then the website below is for you.

Your know the ones I mean. You call and get this: "Hello. Welcome to the xyz Bank. Your call is important to us. (yeah right). We have a number of options for you. If you want to find out about payments, say 'payments'." -- payments -- "I'm sorry, I did not understand. If you want payments say payments. " - - PAYMENTS. "I believe you said payments. Now here are more (freakin') options.

AAAAAARRRRRRRRGHHHHHH

But, check out this gethuman website. It tells you secret ways to get around those annoying computerized answering machines (on steroids) built to steer you away from talking to a human being.

I heard about it last month during a CBC Radio One interview on the program As It Happens. There are very few ways to get around the system. At least this gives you some tips on poking at it a little.

This is my first in a series of "That's a great idea, why didn't I think of that!" websites.