Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request From: Blake Farenthold Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Southwestern Bell Humor (My Phone Bill) Message-ID: <10510@accuvax.nwu.edu> Date: 6 Aug 90 19:51:09 GMT Sender: news@accuvax.nwu.edu Organization: TELECOM Digest 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 545, Message 15 of 15 I received my Southwestern Bell Long distance bill today :-( and discovered that the Vice President in charge of page three is not speaking to the Vice President in charge of page four! At the bottom of page three the following message appeared: STARTING SEPT. 9, 1990 YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO DIAL "512" WHEN CALLING LONG DISTANCE WITHIN THE 512 AREA CODE. THIS CHANGE IS NEEDED BECAUSE THE COMBINATION OF AVAILABLE TELEPHONE NUMBERS IN THE 512 AREA CODE IS RUNNING OUT. YOU MAY BEGAN DIALING THE AREA CODE ON ALL LONG DISTANCE CALLS TODAY. At the top of page four the following message appeared: DO YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY A FAVOR. GET AN ADDITIONAL PHONE LINE WITH A SEPARATE PHONE NUMBER. GET PEACE OF MIND FOR LESS THAN YOU THINK. CALL YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE TODAY. ... well I thought it was kinda funny.. My two other phone bill observations.. Why all caps? and Why can't AT&T/SWBell bill tell me how much EACH Reach Out America costs instead of giving me the FULL AT&T rate with asterisks, percent signs, and octothorpes to indicate it is a ROA call. UUCP: ...!crash!pnet01!pro-party!blake Internet: blake@pro-party.cts.com Blake Farenthold | Voice: 800/880-1890 | MCI: BFARENTHOLD 1200 MBank North | Fax: 512/889-8686 | CIS: 70070,521 Corpus Christi, TX 78471 | BBS: 512/882-1899 | GEnie: BLAKE