Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!apple!bloom-beacon!mgm.mit.edu!wolfgang
From: wolfgang@mgm.mit.edu (Wolfgang Rupprecht)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: How can I restrict outgoing phone calls?
Message-ID: <12283@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU>
Date: 28 Jun 89 13:51:24 GMT
References: <43afec9f.16321@apollo.COM> <25535@agate.BERKELEY.EDU> <3237@kitty.UUCP> <8522@cadnetix.COM>
Sender: daemon@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU
Reply-To: wolfgang@BBN.COM (Wolfgang Rupprecht)
Organization: Freelance Software Consultant, Washington DC.
Lines: 40

In article <8522@cadnetix.COM> rusty@cadnetix.COM (Rusty Carruth) writes:
>My only question is why then do some people have DTMF
>access who never asked nor paid for it?  Software bug?

Yes. In Boston, Me Belle never seems to turn off the touch-tone
service in the newer ESS exchanges. We once discovered this fact after
buying the first switchable touch-tone/pulse phone.  After a month of
use we got a "strange" call from a person at Ma Belle.  She wanted me
to dial a "0".  Unfortunately I had answered on the touch-tone phone,
the dial-mode switch for it was internal, and I sure couldn't
switch-hook 10 pulses accurately enough to please the
*test-equipment*.  What did I do?  Yell, "Sorry, something's burning in
the kitchen!", and hang up.  When she called back I was naturely
waiting by the dial-phone.

The conversation continued:  

Bell: "We have been noticing that you have a touch-tone phone.  You
     aren't paying for touch-tone service."  
Me: "How much extra is that per month?"
Bell: "56 cents"
Me: "Ok, i'll take it."
Bell: "Theres also a 20 dollar installation fee." 

At this point the conversation got pretty silly.  I told them I
obviously didn't need any installation at all, and I certainly
wouldn't pay for any.  It turned out that the internal red tape
prevented them from charging me for the 56 cents WITHOUT charging for
the installation fee.

(Then there is always the time a bored friend of mine called up Ma
Belle and asked why it costs more to call western Mass. then just over
the border.  The answer is, of course, federal regulations.  The
harried bell employee claimed that it was easier to send signals
further and mumbled something about the speed of light.) ;-)

-wolfgang
---
Wolfgang Rupprecht	ARPA:  wolfgang@mgm.mit.edu (IP 18.82.0.114)
TEL: (703) 768-2640	UUCP:  mit-eddie!mgm.mit.edu!wolfgang