Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!newstop!texsun!texbell!vector!telecom-gateway
From: ganzer@cod.nosc.mil (Mark T. Ganzer)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Toll Stations
Message-ID: 
Date: 9 Aug 89 21:11:15 GMT
Sender: news@vector.Dallas.TX.US
Reply-To: "Mark T. Ganzer" 
Organization: Naval Ocean Systems Center, San Diego
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X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 285, message 5 of 11

>[Moderator's Note:
>                                 ... Toll-stations are mostly a Nevada
>phenomenon, but a few exist in western Utah; in Arizona; in the desert area
>of California; and the northwestern rural area of Idaho...places where the
>entire population of town is six people.  PT]

Interestingly, until 4-5 years ago, one of our lab's test facilities was
served by a toll station. And it wasn't in the desert area of California,
but only 5 miles north of the greater Los Angeles basin in the San Gabriel
Mountains, in an area served by GTE (our phone book listed it as San
Gabriel Canyon Toll Station 32). What surprised me was that there was quite
a number of residences a few miles up the canyon, as well as a
Forest Service Station.  Except for the leased lines from San Diego,
not many people knew how to dial into the place (and when I had to, not
many operators knew how to either...). As I recall, the complaints from the
residents were enough to finally force them to install a microwave link up
there, and run a line down to us.

I kind of miss that old system. It's a pain to drive 130 miles only to
get stuck with a phone in your ear all day...something I could have stayed
in the office and done.

--
Mark T. Ganzer                    Naval Ocean Systems Center, San Diego
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