t891368@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au (Mark) (03/23/91)
Sean Williams writes: > It finally dawned on me that it was acting just like 112 - making a > long distance call! So I went and tried it from a pay phone - bingo! I > even got my dime back. Only catch was that only one person in town > could use it at a time. So, when word got around about this, the > circuit was constantly busy. Finally, it stopped working, and I heard > through the grapevine that someone had been ordered off the circuit by > a rather gruff craftsman. To this day, I have no idea why that > circuit was ever set up. Perhaps it was a mistake. > If you think that switch was strange, wait 'till I tell you about its > replacement! > [Moderator's Note: Please do tell us about it! PAT] If it is related dumb Telecom stories then I have one I guess. Recently I had cause to make a call from a phone box in my area. Problem was there was a queue of about three people. They all dialed an international number several times and eventually connected. No money as well. Further investigation revealed that the phone had been out of order for about *TWO* years and I haven't seen it unused in the two/three weeks I knew about it. Apparently they had tried to fix it every now and then (last time was a month ago) and apparently felt it was working. Then one day (while ten people were queued for it :) along comes a Telecom guy who proceeds to test the coin sorter again and again and eventually gives up as it works every time. He turned the phone off and its been off since. The reasons behind such a long period are vague and I don't pretend to know of them. The exchange is a pulse only crossbar type, very *dumb* and old. (They had to modify to allow international). I'm not sure about that exchange but normal Telecom proceedure to the best of my knowledge is to check the coinage and meters collate on pay phones to ensure abuses are caught. How this one got by I have *NO* idea. At Aust$1.19 or Aust$1.60 a minute for international calls that meter must have been red hot. Somewhere in that payphone is a dead piece of equipment that once every ten or so attempts ignored meter pulses. I have the SN of the cabinet so if it is moved... :) Please note everyone at trl.oz.au (Telecom Reseach Labs in Aussie) I made local calls and paid for it :) Mark Matthewson Markt891368@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au mark@gnu.ai.mit.edu P.O. Box 487 Essendon Australia 3040