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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!harpo!decvax!mcnc!duke!ucf-cs!giles
From: giles@ucf-cs.UUCP (Bruce Giles)
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Bell [non]Operating Companies
Message-ID: <1326@ucf-cs.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 17-Jun-84 02:07:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: ucf-cs.1326
Posted: Sun Jun 17 02:07:00 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 21-Jun-84 02:26:16 EDT
Organization: University of Central Florida
Lines: 42

Am I alone, or is local telephone service in this country rapidly
approaching the quality of its postal service?


Not once, not twice, but at least three times in the last two weeks
I have dialed a local number, had the phone ring once or twice then

	***BEEP*** 
		   THE NUMBER YOU DIALED MUST BE PREFIXED WITH
		   A `ONE'.  PLEASE HANG UP AND REDIAL THE 
		   NUMBER.
	***BEEP***

All subsequent attempts reached the same message immediately, and of
course, when I try dialing the local number with with a preceeding
`1', I get

	***BEEP*** 
		   THE NUMBER YOU DIALED MUST NOT HAVE A 
		   `ONE' BEFORE IT.  PLEASE HANG UP AND REDIAL
		   THE NUMBER.
	***BEEP***

Finally, out of exasperation, I called the operator and told her I
was getting the above messages (sidenote: first time I received a
`yeah, sure, I know you're really a lazy bum...' response; last
time it was a `oh, that #*!$ machine is acting up again!!!').
They always split after the first ring, not waiting in case the
message sneaks up on me (like the first time), but fortunately
I have gotten through.

On top of this, I have also had uncountable misdirected calls
(for example, I call 234-5678 and reach 234-5679) and other minor
annoyances that rapidly add up to a major headache.

Over all, I would say BellSouth is still above USNail, but rapidly
closing.  It can best be said as:


I WANT MY MAMA [BELL]!!!!
bruce giles
{decvax, duke}!ucf-cs!giles