levin@bbn.com (Joel B. Levin) (02/21/90)
From: Ken Levitt <levitt@zorro9.fidonet.org> >I just received a beeper with what seems like a rather unique phone >number. The phone number is 617-230-xxxx. Calls to this number are >free when dialed from anywhere in the 617 or 508 area codes (except >from COCOTs). When I first got the phone number, I wanted to confirm >with New England Telephone that this truly was a toll free call. > . . .I called the operator and asked about this special >exchange. She knew nothing about it and told me to call the business >office. . . . >I was finally able to confirm the toll free status of this number by >going to a "real" New England Telephone payphone. It really worked >without having to deposit any money. . . . NET has a number of special exchanges they play games on. In Massachusetts, there was a special number (on 525? Isn't that currently the equivalent of 976 elsewhere?) when the lottery started where one could find out the previous day's number for $.25 a throw. There are the reserved MEridian-7 and WEather-6 which give time and weather regardless of the last four digits dialled (regular charges applied, however). In the '70s both NET and AT&T Long Lines (for instance) could be reached at the SHerwood-3 exchange, supposedly toll free (though I never was sure about that). There was a free number (no message units) for dialling the mobile or marine operator (I forget which); it turned out that its NNX was completely equivalent to another NNX which, however, cost message units; the exchanges were interchangeable regardless of the last four digits and the free exchange could be used to call other numbers on the equivalent exchange for free. Finally, in New Hampshire, the telco business office for residence service throughout the state is reached at 1-645-3700 but is toll free. I just found some funny business about the numbers for business service in the phone book, but the details are too messy to go into. (If you call the above number from out of state you are supposed to call it collect. If it is answered by machine at a busy time, the recording starts out with an instruction to long distance operators that the call will be accepted. I don't suppose that will help much if you call from one of the NET pay phones with the new automated collect calling service (-: ). /JBL bbn@levin.com | "There were sweetheart roses on Yancey Wilmerding's ...!bbn!levin | bureau that morning. Wide-eyed and distraught, she (617)873-3463 | stood with all her faculties rooted to the floor."