msmith@topaz.rutgers.edu (Mark Robert Smith) (04/04/89)
The other night, I got a call at 3am, that I wasn't expecting. So, I let
the phone ring twice, and poof, the number 560-0846 appears on my CallerID
box.
I didn't recognize the number, but I answered anyway. The person on the
other end proceeded to say any number of obscene things. I interrupted,
saying: "Did you know that your phone number is 560-08[click]". He
hung up before I could finish. So, I called him back.
Caller - "Hello?"
Me - " Why did you just call me?"
Caller - silence
Me - "I know your phone number, it's 560-0846, and if you ever call back
here again, I'm going to report you to the police."
Caller - "All right [click]"
His "All right" was very sheepish-sounding.
I next called the operator, to see if she could do a reverse-directory
listing check. She passed me to her supervisor, who told me that she
couldn't, and I should call either the police, or the business office on
Monday. I told her the story, and heard a room full of people
laughing in the background, hysterically. She said, "I wish I could
have seen his face when you called back...."
So, I called the business office on Monday. They refused to do a
reverse directory lookup, because that information is private. The
best I could have done, is pay $1 to do a Call*Trace, after which I
would have to contact the police and press charges, before I could
find out who it was.
Does anyone out there know of another way to do a reverse lookup?
Mark
----
Mark Smith (alias Smitty) "Be careful when looking into the distance,
RPO 1604; P.O. Box 5063 that you do not miss what is right under your nose."
New Brunswick, NJ 08903-5063 rutgers!topaz.rutgers.edu!msmith (OK, Bob?)
msmith@topaz.rutgers.edu
[Moderator's Note: Try the Haines Criss Cross Directory; available in the
Business/Technology or similar reference department in many public libraries.
Sometimes if you call the library on the phone and ask for the reference
department the librarian will do the look up and give it to you; other times
they say you have to come in the library and do it yourself. PT]