cantor@NUHAVN.DEC (Dave C., 289-1997, APO-1/C8) (11/19/85)
Tonight I tried to dial 950-0777 (GTE Sprint) from a no-coin-required-
for-free-calls pay telephone in Tyngsboro, Mass. (617-649). I got the
recorded announcement, "This call requires an advance payment. Please hang up
and deposit the required amount before redialing this number," or words to
that effect.
But 950- numbers are supposed to be free. So, I hung up, lifted the
handset, waited for the dial tone, and deposited ten cents and again dialed
950-0777. The dime was returned immediately, and I thought that the call
would go through. Wrong. I got exactly the same recorded announcement.
So I dialed "0" and told the operator what had happened. She asked me
where the 950 exchange was and I told her it was supposed to be a free call
from anywhere. She asked me to wait, and in about ten seconds she came back
onto the line and said she would connect me.
When the Sprint dial tone came on the line, I tried to key in my
authorization code, but the polarity on the line was reversed, so I flashed
for the operator with the switch-hook. The operator asked me if that tone on
the line was normal, and I said that it was, but I needed to be able to use
the touch tone pad to enter data. She said all she had to do was to get off
the line before I attempted to key in numbers, and she connected me again,
and got off the line, and I was able to make my call.
Dave C.