S.D-REUBEN%KLA.WESLYN@WESLEYAN.BITNET (Doug Reuben) (05/04/87)
Message-ID: <12299594081.15.S.D-REUBEN@KLA.WESLYN>
In the last issue of the Telecom Digest which I received, I noticed that
David A. Cantor said that he had received a re-order, or "fast-busy" as
operators like to call it, when he attempted an 800, and then 0+ call.
This happens a lot in generally less populated areas which do not have
a great number of trunks from the local office to a "higher" office (toll
center is the term that the telco representative used.)
Besides 0+ calls, I think 800 and 950 calls are routed over the same
trunks, and thus, they should all return a re-order if they are tried when
the trunks are overused.
Also, 1+ dialing in a rural or suburban area which requires a 1+ for
calls beyond a small, local calling area should also experience the same
problem (At least it does for me). I believe that calls beyond the local area
from a payphone must be routed over to the operator, or operator equipment, if
its available, which tells you how much money you have to put in. (IE, "One
dollar and fifty cents, please. Please deposit one dollar and fifty cents for
the first minute.", and if you don't put the money in on time and operator
comes on the line and tells you herself.). So if the 0+ lines are jammed, I
think that it is for the same reason that that the 1+ lines are jammed.
In my area (Connecticut), repair is just 611, not 1+xxx-6111 or whatever
it is in Mass. Therefore, when I dial repaid to complain (although they can't
do anything immediate about it anyhow), it goes through, probably because its
not a 1+ call. (Although wouldn't the local office know that a 1-xxx-6111 call
is not an ordinary toll call?)
Therefore, dialing dialing 0+weather number, and then keying 0 for the
operator at the Calling Card tone was just luck. You dialed your call after one
of the trunks became free. If you are in a situation like that again, then
probably the best thing to do is dial
"0-#", which will immediately connect you to an operator, if the trunks are
free. (If not, it will return a re-order immediately, so you can try again
faster, and "beat" the other people trying to make 0+ calls to it...)
(Dialing 0-# also works if you just want to reach the operator quickly and
don't want to wait for the equipment to see that you are not dialing any digits
after the 0. I think this only works in ESS areas, since on my crossbar you
have to dial 01 or 00 to get the operator quickly.)
If I'm wrong about this (any of this) please let me know, so I can
yell at SNET for having the problem so often and giving me some silly and bad
excuse for it!! :-)
-Doug
Reuben@Weslyn.Bitnet
Reuben%WESLYN.BITNET@WISCVM.ARPA
...seismo!weslyn.bitnet!reuben (UUCP)
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