Path: utzoo!telecom-request Date: Tue, 25 Jun 91 20:58:51 GMT From: rees@pisa.citi.umich.edu (Jim Rees) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Stupid Payphone Tricks Reply-To: rees@citi.umich.edu (Jim Rees) Message-ID: Organization: University of Michigan IFS Project Sender: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu 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 491, Message 6 of 8 Lines: 18 I thought COCOTs were bad until I ran into a GTE payphone the other day in a bar in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The info card originally said that long distance service was provided by AT&T, but this had been crossed out and "MCI" had been written above it. 700 numbers were not accepted but I found that the default carrier was neither AT&T nor MCI, but Sprint. The funny part came when I tried to place a call with my calling card to Clare, Michigan. I got a recording saying that my card number was invalid. So why did I get a recording saying my card number was no good, even though I know that it is? Turns out the problem was that Clare is a local call, not long distance. Depositing two dimes solved the problem.