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From: optilink!cramer@uunet.uu.net (Clayton Cramer)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: The Wrong Way to Keep Phones on the Hook
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Date: 18 Dec 90 18:48:21 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 889, Message 5 of 10


In article <15406@accuvax.nwu.edu>, djcl@contact.uucp (woody) writes:

> "THE WRONG WAY TO 'FOIL BURGLARS'"

> "Leaving the telephone off the hook may alert burglars that you're not
> home. A continual busy signal is a give-away. Lights activated or
> turned on and off by a timer are better ways to discourage break-ins."

> Now let's see if this comes through straight ... a "continual" busy
> signal (whatever that means) will indicate to someone that you're not
> home, as opposed to an unanswered series of rings on just one dial...

I used to see it claimed that professional burglars (of which there
are darn few -- most are teenagers supporting drug habits) would call
a home they intended to burgle to see if anyone was home.  A busy
signal, of course, would be interpreted as, "Someone's home -- let's
not break in."  I can see how a permanent busy might be interpreted by
a burglar as "No one's home, and the phone's off the hook", but it
could also be interpreted as "teenager at home".

My solution?  Well, you can always leave the following message on your
answering machine: "Hi, we're not home right now, or if you're a
burglar, we might be home, sitting in the living room in complete
darkness, with a shotgun.  'Do you feel lucky today, punk?'"  (Not
applicable in Canada or Britain).


Clayton E. Cramer {pyramid,pixar,tekbspa}!optilink!cramer
You must be kidding!  No company would hold opinions like mine!