Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!purdue!haven!decuac!netsys!vector!telecom-gateway From: zygot!john@apple.com (John Higdon) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Discerning Your LD Carrier Message-ID: Date: 20 Aug 89 20:02:18 GMT Sender: news@vector.Dallas.TX.US Organization: Green Hills and Cows Lines: 24 Approved: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us In article , morris@jade.jpl.nasa.gov (Mike Morris) writes: > I still feel that long distance information should be free to residential > customers, and local should be charged _only if it is in the book_. > Why should I have to keep 4 feet of shelf space reserved for the LA phone > books? And have to pay for the books out of my area as well? I am the last person to stick up for "the Phone Company". But I'm sure you will agree that providing you with phone numbers via information (or even via directories) costs the provider money, right? There are some, myself included, who seldom require any directory assistance. We return calls from numbers provided by our callers. We remember our friends numbers (or write them down). We use private publications and directories (for marketing purposes). Only on rare occasions do I find it necessary to consult an out of town directory (or directory assistance) to get the number I wish to call. For those occasional events, I am more than willing to pay the fifty cents. Why is it fair for the costs of DA to be shared by everyone (which is what happens when it's "free") when not everyone prefaces every other call with a call to Directory Assistance? -- John Higdon | P. O. Box 7648 | +1 408 723 1395 john@zygot.uucp | San Jose, CA 95150 | M o o !