Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!uwm.edu!lll-winken!telecom-request From: johnl@iecc.cambridge.ma.us (John R. Levine) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Collect and Third-Party Billing Message-ID: Date: 14 May 91 14:23:07 GMT Sender: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Organization: I.E.C.C. Lines: 22 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 363, Message 8 of 10 In article is written: > The system used in the UK to prevent collect calls to > payphones is that they send alternating tones for a few seconds when > answered which the operator will recognise and presumably treat as > though the call had been refused, In the good old days in the U.S. when men were men and telephone exchanges were soldered together from relays, a common way to identify a pay phone to the operator was to use a special line relay with a weight on the end of the contact. When the line connected to the operator, the weight would make the relay bounce and produce a distinctive sound she could recognize. Apparently, it was possible to make a collect call to a pay phone. The called party put the appropriate money into the phone. Regards, John Levine, johnl@iecc.cambridge.ma.us, {spdcc|ima|world}!iecc!johnl