[comp.dcom.telecom] I Can't Wait For Caller ID to Start in Chicago!

rborow@bcm1a09.attmail.com (03/27/91)

I had a brief but interesting chat with my Illinois Bell rep a few
days ago regards Caller ID. Specifically, I had asked her: when she
expected it to become available, will it have any type of blocking,
and what's the status of the ICC filing regards CLID.

According to her, IBT intends to file for the CLID without any forms
of blocking. No surprise there. However, she went on to explain that
Illinois Bell is "strongly against" any form of blocking and as such,
will make all attempts to implement CLID without blocking regardless
of what the public AND the Illinois Commerce Commission say. Hmmmmmm.
Sounds like they could be setting themselves up for a messy battle
here in the Land of Lincoln.

Personally, I am eager for CLID to begin -- and with no blocking
whatsoever.  Why? I have been getting tons of annoying, gross,
disgusting phone calls. And yes, I HAVE thought of getting my number
changed gratis; however, because of the business I run, and because so
many [legitimate] folks have my number (meaning I can't change it, to
tell you the truth), I'm stuck. Well, I guess that's to be expected
for a number which ends in "6969" (seriously!) :-)

BTW, I had a trap put on my line last autumn because of all the fun
calls (oh, the perverts out there! And all guys!! Yech!!!). Result? I
nailed a few folks: basically, two numbers which had repeated calls to
my number. Several calls came from a LAW firm in Evanston, others from
a residence in Riverside, the town next door to mine. Turns out that
after I pieced together several of the messages which were stupidly
left on my voice mailbox, the SAME chap who called from the Riverside
house called from the law firm in Evanston! Enough on this, though. If
anyone wants to find out the rest of this ongoing and *fun* story,
e-mail me -- unless, of course, Pat wants me to elaborate.


Randy Borow   AT&T Communications   Rolling Meadows, IL.


[Moderator's Note: Yes, certainly tell the outcome of the matter.
Without making any comment whatsoever on the sexual orientation of the
person(s) who made the calls, like yourself, I find calls of that sort
to be annoying at the least and very disturbing and sick as a worst
case scenario when they are directed to someone who has not invited
such calls. I've had my numbers for years, and in the past when
incidents of this sort occurred, service reps have said they would
change my number ... which I have NO INTENTION of doing, and I told
them so. I find it more worthwhile and productive to catch the SOB's
and sue them, or refer it to the prosecutor for criminal charges.  PAT]

owens@gargoyle.uchicago.edu (Christopher Owens) (04/01/91)

In comp.dcom.telecom rborow@bcm1a09.attmail.com writes:

> Personally, I am eager for CLID to begin -- and with no blocking
> whatsoever.  Why? I have been getting tons of annoying, gross,
> disgusting phone calls.

So, what's wrong with the solution of allowing blocking, but allowing
your line to be set up to reject calls that originate with CLID
blocked?  Seems like that would please everybody.