larry@uunet.uu.net (Larry Lippman) (05/21/91)
In article <telecom11.358.7@eecs.nwu.edu> "habersch@husc9.harvard. edu"@husc3.harvard.edu writes: > Has anyone encountered resistance from the telephone company when > requesting a standby trace to identify repeated nuisance calls? Any > magic words recommended to help enlist institutional cooperation will > be appreciated! The "magic words" are: "I have already reported the matter to my local police department, I am prepared to press charges of aggravated harassment (or equivalent crime in your state) if the perpetrator is identified, and here is the name of the police officer to whom I made the report." You are virtually assured of obtaining *no* cooperation from the telephone company (BOC, at least) without going on record by *first* reporting the matter to your local law enforcement agency. Also, if a call trace effort is successful, the telephone company will generally identify the calling party only to the law enforcement agency -- and *not* to you as the complaining subscriber. In my opinion, the above "requirements" by the telephone company are not unreasonable. Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp. "Have you hugged your cat today?" VOICE: 716/688-1231 {boulder, rutgers, watmath}!ub!kitty!larry FAX: 716/741-9635 [note: ub=acsu.buffalo.edu] uunet!/ \aerion!larry
Kim Greer -- rjj <klg@george.mc.duke.edu> (05/21/91)
In article <telecom11.384.8@eecs.nwu.edu> kitty!larry@uunet.uu.net (Larry Lippman) writes: > In article <telecom11.358.7@eecs.nwu.edu+ "habersch@husc9.harvard. > edu"@husc3.harvard.edu writes: >> Has anyone encountered resistance from the telephone company when >> requesting a standby trace to identify repeated nuisance calls? Any >> magic words recommended to help enlist institutional cooperation will >> be appreciated! > The "magic words" are: "I have already reported the matter to > my local police department, I am prepared to press charges of > aggravated harassment (or equivalent crime in your state) if the > perpetrator is identified, and here is the name of the police officer > to whom I made the report." > You are virtually assured of obtaining *no* cooperation from > the telephone company (BOC, at least) without going on record by > *first* reporting the matter to your local law enforcement agency. This obviously varies by local telco: I had the "opportunity" to request tracing by local GTE because of repeated nuisance calls about a year ago. GTE indicated to me that I first must go to GTE and fill out a simple form that had, in essence, the "magic words" on it, and then sign it. Signing it indicated that I would press charges. I never had to contact the police (but mainly because the calls stopped the very day I filled out the form, after going on +- daily for 6+ weeks ... pretty "convenient", huh?). > You are virtually assured of obtaining *no* cooperation from > the telephone company ... Surprisingly, GTE made it very simple, straight forward and fast. I literally spent more time just standing in the line to get the form than it took to fill it out and talk with their security rep. - I know because I was watching the clock trying to get back to work in a hurry. Excluding the time standing in line to get the form, the whole thing took less than 15 minutes. There was no effort by them to try to talk me out of it or try to put up with it a little bit longer to let it resolve itself -- they just went ahead and did it. Perhaps other telco's handle the details differently, but here was my experience with them: 1. called them up for specifics of where to go, who to see, etc. *after* having read the instructions in the phone book on how to handle such calls 2. went downtown to main branch, stood in line with other people who were paying bills, requesting service, etc. and asked for the form to fill out 3. filled it out (name, address, phone #, etc.), signed it (to indicate that I would press charges) and then went to the courtesy phones and dialed the security rep. She indicated that I would have to: 4. keep a date and time log of each nuisance call on a form they provided, simply to let them match my log with theirs (GTE would take whatever action after three matches). The logging was effective for two weeks (I think) before it would have to be reinstituted. and, 5. agree to let *GTE* handle the situation. I have to give the local GTE credit for the way they handled it. Good luck! Kim L. Greer Duke University Medical Center klg@orion.mc.duke.edu Div. Nuclear Medicine POB 3949 voice: 919-681-5894 Durham, NC 27710 fax: 919-681-5636