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From: nstar!watcher@ndmath.math.nd.edu (watcher)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Finding Your Own Phone Number
Message-ID: <12536@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 24 Sep 90 07:37:08 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 674, Message 4 of 11


This brings to mind a funny story. I lived with two roommates, and we had 
two phone lines (voice/data, just like anybody :-). Somebody needed the 
number of the data line to update our newsfeed, since it was wasting lots fo 
time not being able to get through. As it so happened, I knew what the 
number was, but I happened not to be home at the time. Both numbers were 
unlisted. so, my roommate called the Pac*Tel operator and told them who he 
was (side note: for purposes of dealing with the phone company, we  would 
all simply use the name on the bill, that of the third roommate, whether we 
were him or not ... once I was home when the installer came, and when he 
called the CO, he said "for all intents and purposes, I have Phil here..." 
anyway) and that he wanted to know the (unlisted) phone number. 

After being bounced up a couple levels of incompetence ("you'll have
to talk to my manager about that..."), he was told that they would
call him back to get his permission to give him his phone number.
(They wondered why he didn't have any of the old bills laying around,
but of course they'd all been tossed after being paid, not too
bright.) Half an hour later, they called him back to get his
permission. About forty minutes later, they call and tell him that
they can't give him his own phone number, even though he is the
customer, because it's UNLISTED! Shortly thereafter I arrived home,
and peals of laughter could be heard as the story was related. I could
not believe it. Anyway, I told him the number, and he told the admin
of our newsfeed, and life was happy again since we could read the
Digest :)