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From: drilex!carols@husc6.harvard.edu (Carol Springs)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: COCOT-in-Violation Label File
Message-ID: <13055@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 4 Oct 90 20:17:06 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 713, Message 8 of 11


Here's why I agree with Mark Brader that blocking the coin slot on
COCOTs is probably a bad idea:

Outside 911 land, there is probably only one way to make a free
emergency call from some (most?) COCOTs -- dialing the operator and
asking to be connected to {police, ambulance, etc.}.  Assume that the
person in trouble knows the number of the appropriate agency and has a
coin.  Assume also that seconds count.  Do you really trust that the
operator whom the person reaches will make the appropriate connection
as fast as the person could by dialing directly?  Remember, this is a
COCOT.

Within 911 land, even at phones where free 911 works, many people
don't realize that the call is free and will try to deposit a coin
anyway.  Seeing the coin slot blocked, and being too distraught (or
too illiterate) to read the label, someone might give up on trying to
reach help from that phone.  I wouldn't want to be responsible for
such a situation.  Would you?

Covering the coin slot is a tempting idea.  In practice, there are all
kinds of reasons not to do so.


Carol Springs                      carols@drilex.dri.mgh.com