Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!att!dptg!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!texsun!texbell!vector!telecom-gateway
From: RS%AI.AI.MIT.EDU@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu (Robert E. Seastrom)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Toll Stations
Message-ID:
Date: 9 Aug 89 05:22:48 GMT
Sender: news@vector.Dallas.TX.US
Lines: 95
Approved: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us
X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 283, message 6 of 6
From: Gabe M Wiener :
> When I was a senior in High School two years ago, I remember getting
> literature from Deep Springs College. The literature said, "To contact
> us, call your long distance carrier and ask for Deep Springs Toll
> Station #2"
Hey, I remember getting literature from Deep Springs College too!
(In fact, I was a senior in high school 2 years ago also...)
Piecing together from memory and from your post, I decided to
try this one on a lark. I tried this just before posting this
message, so the information is just about as up to date as can
be expected. Here's a transcript of the conversation:
Me: 10288-0 (no sense trying Sprint on THIS one...)
OPR: AT&T Operator, may I help you?
Me: Yes, I would like a ringdown please to Deep Springs Toll Station
Number 2, Deep Springs, California (Deep Springs College is in Nevada,
but Deep Springs, California is the nearest POP)
OPR: Do you have a NUMBER there?
Me: Yes, it's Deep Springs Toll Station Number *2* Deep Springs, California.
OPR: How am I supposed to dial *THAT* number?
Me: Well, if I were you, I'd get in touch with a California operator
and see what THEY can do for you...
OPR: One moment, sir...
OPR2: ... Inwards, may I help you? (I obviously missed out on the
first half of the ident; bummer!)
OPR: Yes, operator, this is the AT&T Operator in Washington, DC and I
need a ringdown to Deep Springs Toll Station Number 2 in Deep Springs,
California. How do I dial that number?
OPR2: Well, you need to dial another operator and she'll dial the call
for you. Dial 619-058-121 for Inwards.
OPR: Thank you, Operator.
OPR3: ...Inwards, may I help you? (DAMN! I can't believe my bad luck
with this!!)
OPR: Yes, I need a ringdown to Deep Springs Toll Station #2, Deep Springs,
California...
OPR3: One moment please...
RECORDING: THE NUMBER YOU HAVE REACHED
OPR3: What number did you want?
OPR: 2
OPR3: I'm not showing 2; I *am* showing 1, but I'm getting a disconnect
on it...
OPR: Thank you, operator.
OPR: I'm sorry, sir, but we can't seem to get your call through to
that number.
Me: Thank you; I'll call directory assistance and see if they can
be of any further assistance to me... (breathing sigh of relief
that I won't get billed for all this putzing around...)
OPR: Thank you for choosing AT&T...
(end of conversation)...
Has the modern world even caught up with Deep Springs (which is so
far out in the middle of nowhere that you can't get any radio stations
at ALL during the day)?? Does anyone out there have any CONCRETE
evidence of any non-direct-dialable exchanges left ANYWHERE?
---Rob
[Moderator's Note: The above message arrived too late to be included in the
Digest issued at 1:00 AM, but I did want to include it on the same day
for reference with the others, and it gives a good chuckle to close this
issue of the Digest. Even as little as thirty years ago, the USA was full
of places such as described here, and by John Covert in the previous issue.
Operators in the 1940-50 period would have found nothing confusing about
such a request at all. See you tomorrow! PT]