Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!linac!att!bu.edu!telecom-request From: floyd@ims.alaska.edu (Floyd Davidson) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Tracing Unlisted Numbers Message-ID: Date: 21 Feb 91 08:50:30 GMT Sender: news@bu.edu.bu.edu Organization: University of Alaska, Institute of Marine Science Lines: 52 Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 11, Issue 143, Message 4 of 10 In article David Lesher writes: > David Mason asked why it cost so much to trace an unlisted number. > Mr. Moderator responded with what I regard as absolute nonsense about > a database subscription. > Look, the PI did what I used to do: Call a friend in Repair. Ask her > the "who and where" you need. (The difference is, he likely bribed the > "greenie" with cash. I used a box of chocolates, myself.) > Repair/Cable or whatever Outside Plant is calling itself MUST know > where an assignment terminates. How could they track down complaints > on noisy pairs, or avoid reassigning an 'in-use' one if they did not > have end-to-end records? > The only thing an unlisted number gets you is a few obstacles to > getting the name from the public end of the LEC. And please, spare me Yes of course the telco has those records available for internal use. > [Moderator's Note: Fine ... no morality speech, however I would like > to say that most ethical PI's won't use that approach since if they > get caught/convicted they might well lose their license -- something > far more important to them than one client looking for a phone number. > I'd like to think that *most* telco employees are not so easily > bribed. We did have a story in the Digest a few months ago about an Pat is right, except maybe in refering to an "ethical PI" ;-) The telco employee stands to lose too much. It is much easier to call your local friend in the police department, who has the same info, and isn't quite as legally restricted. Floyd L. Davidson | floyd@ims.alaska.edu | Alascom, Inc. pays me Salcha, AK 99714 | Univ. of Alaska | but not for opinions. [Moderator's Note: It isn't even ethics so much as plain common sense at times. Let's say you've worked for telco for twenty years. You have a nice easy job; a lot of benefits and seniority; and some authority in the company. Then one day you blow it all away by violating the trust you have been given. You get called up to the Personnel Department where a guy from security is waiting, along with the head of Personnel and the union steward. You are asked to relinquish your company identification and keys; handed your final paycheck -- paid up to that minute along with unused benefits you have coming -- and then walked downstairs and out the door to the sidewalk with a friendly warning not to return to the building or be on company property for any reason. There is nothing the union can do for you. It is up to you to go home and tell your wife and children what happened, of course. PAT]