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From: briang@eng.sun.com (Brian Gordon)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: "Independent" Coin Phones
Message-ID: <telecom11.133.2@eecs.nwu.edu>
Date: 19 Feb 91 23:04:37 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 11, Issue 133, Message 2 of 11
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In article <telecom11.129.3@eecs.nwu.edu> peter@taronga.hackercorp.com (Peter da Silva) writes:

<In article <telecom11.128.2@eecs.nwu.edu>, IZZYAS1@mvs.oac.ucla.edu
<(Andy Jacobson) writes:

<> found the whole place wired with Ultra-Rip-Off (TM) phones, that
<> wanted $1.75 for a call. I had to go miles, like three, to find a real
<> Pac*Bell phone that would charge me only $0.40 for the same call

<And how much did that three mile drive cost you, in time and
<inconvenience?

<Sometimes I feel like John Higdon, amazed at the trouble people will
<put them to to save a nickle or make a point. But then I dutifully
<clip coupons and comparison shop and go out of my way to find a free
<automatic teller. I'll make a special trip at lunch to get diskettes
<for $7.00 instead of $10.00 a box.

Well, on the phone bill we got on Friday, there were two calls to the
same number, one for four minutes and the second, a half-hour later, for
seven minutes, both made on an AT&T Calling Card from pay-phones by
dialing 0 803 xxx yyyy.  The four minute call went through a brand X
carrier and cost just under $4.  The seven minute call went through AT&T
and cost under $2.  On a half-hour call, the difference would
presumably be spectacular.  A problem is that it's hard to predict
WHAT the difference will be!


Brian G. Gordon	  briang@Sun.COM (if you trust exotic mailers) 
		...!sun!briangordon (if you route it yourself)