Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!mailrus!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request From: john@zygot.ati.com (John Higdon) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Public*Phone Message-ID: <9479@accuvax.nwu.edu> Date: 8 Jul 90 05:09:38 GMT Sender: news@accuvax.nwu.edu Reply-To: John Higdon Organization: Green Hills and Cows Lines: 35 Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 468, Message 3 of 8 An amusing COCOT incident: Needing to reach Pac*Bell over some matters with my residence phone, I spotted what looked like a standard Pac*Bell pay phone. It turned out to be a [Public*Phone] (tm) with colors and logos that are borderline actionable in their resemblance to Pac*Bell. They have blue rectangles in the upper left corner and an embossed logo on the coinbox cover that from more than ten feet away looks exactly like the puckered asshole logo of Pac*Bell. Anyway, I dialed 811-5700 and was told that I had dialed an "invalid number" by the grainiest digital excuse for a voice you have ever heard. Then I dialed 211 and explained that I couldn't reach 811-5700. She asked me to hold and then I heard a touchtone digit which made the phone go dead. A moment later she came back and said that the phone did not indicate any money lost. I told her I didn't put any money in and that 811-5700 should be a free call anywhere in the state of California. She went off the line again, and then came back and said that I would have to use another phone. I explained that there were no other phones anywhere in the vacinity and that I was going to express my displeasure over the inconvenience with the store proprietor. Suddenly, her tone changed and she said, "just one moment." The next thing I heard was "Pacific Bell, may I help you?". So, as the guru and mentor would say, "what have we learned, my children?" Perhaps, the COCOT robber barons are just a bit sensitive about suckers--er, customers complaining about their one-arm bandits to those who might have the power to have them removed. John Higdon | P. O. Box 7648 | +1 408 723 1395 john@zygot.ati.com | San Jose, CA 95150 | M o o !