Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!ames!netsys!vector!telecom-gateway From: DREUBEN@eagle.wesleyan.edu) (DOUGLAS SCOTT REUBEN) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: re: Caller ID and crank calls Message-ID: Date: 23 Mar 89 05:20:38 GMT Sender: news@vector.UUCP Lines: 38 Approved: telecom-request@vector.uucp X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.uucp X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 108, message 7 of 9 I've been reading the postings about Caller ID, and find that the main argument FOR implementing caller ID and/or not having caller ID blocking is to prevent crank calls. Now while I think caller ID may stop SOME annoying calls, it will not in any way affect the majority of them. The phone company itself (SNET, NYTel, N.E. Tel, etc.) states in their literature that most crank calls are made by people who know you, and generally they did not just pick your number out of the book. Crank callers usually call for a reason, thus may not be very readily deterred, and may even be MORE motivated to call if discovered. Hence, once a crank caller discovers that you have caller ID (either you tell them or the Telco contacts the crank and asks them to stop or whatever they do) they will move to another phone. Thus, while being discovered may make some crank callers hesitate from calling back again, I am afraid many will simply go to a payphone, put in a dime (or whatever) and call you from there. And if you block that specific payphone, well, there are plenty of other coin phones around. Of course a crank caller can also call collect from another LATA (this happend a few times to me, but I was never billed for it even though people at my number accepted the call - I guess the operator realized it was a crank call). Or, as was mentioned previously, the caller could use a non-Bell Calling Card (Sprint, MCI, etc) and make the call that way (although that will, with some effort, give the crank caller away if someone pursued it far enough). Hence, the only way to prevent annoying calls that I know of is to get an unlisted number. Having Caller ID may be cute for a while, and may deter some annoying solicitation calls, etc., but as a practical way to get rid of crank calls, very doubtful. Anyhow, that's my opinion... -Doug DREUBEN%Eagle.Weslyn@Wesleyan.Bitnet DREUBEN@Eagle.Wesleyan.EDU