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From: ran@ho95e.UUCP (RANeinast)
Newsgroups: net.consumers
Subject: Re: Phone-line-grabbing junk callers
Message-ID: <242@ho95e.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 6-Nov-85 08:57:46 EST
Article-I.D.: ho95e.242
Posted: Wed Nov  6 08:57:46 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 7-Nov-85 06:07:58 EST
References: <29f04efc.a51@apollo.uucp>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ
Lines: 43

> From (Mark Rosenthal @ Adaptive Optics Assoc., Cambridge, Mass. USA)
> > These machines are especially obnoxious since they refuse to release your
> > phone line until they are done with you...
> 
> This practice is not only obnoxious, but also potentially dangerous. One night,
> I got such a "junk" call during my Girl Scout meeting. The recorded caller
> did not relinquish my phone line for over six minutes. (I timed it.) I had
> nineteen kids in the house. What if I had to call the paramedics or the fire
> department? Six minutes can be a LONG time in an emergency.
> 
> w. christensen

As far as I know, this is NOT true.

When you as the called party hangs up, the local switch
does a timeout (for around 20 seconds) before releasing
the line.  This is to allow you to hang-up, run to another,
more convenient phone, and continue the conversation.
The line is not held beyond that 20 seconds, though,
and there's nothing the calling party can do to continue
to hold the line.  This is a *feature* of your telephone service.
(There's nothing like this for the calling party, when they
hang-up, they're gone).

I suspect what happened to you was you hung up, then picked
up the phone to see if they were still there (yes, 20 seconds
hadn't elapsed yet), then tried again (still there, clock
got reset), etc.

I realize that there is some ambiguity in the above postings.
The non-release has nothing to do with the the bastard
dialers re-dialing as soon as it detects your hanging-up.
This technique really can tie up your phone for extended periods.
I'm only addressing the actual "release" of the circuit.

I learned the above in some telephone course I took, but
can't find the source right now.  Sorry.

-- 

". . . and shun the frumious Bandersnatch."
Robert Neinast (ihnp4!ho95c!ran)
AT&T-Bell Labs