Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!cup.portal.COM!Kenneth_R_Jongsma
From: Kenneth_R_Jongsma@cup.portal.COM
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: "Party Lines"
Message-ID: <8805080903.1.124@cup.portal.com>
Date: 7 May 88 12:35:52 GMT
Sender: daemon@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU
Organization: The Internet
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Approved: telecom@xx.lcs.mit.edu

I think it's interesting the way the phone companies are selling
something that used to be free.

When I was in high school, it quickly became known when one of the
local telco's recorded announcement machine was broken.
Everyone would call{hGy a non-existant number and have a giant party line. Ther
no charge of course and it was quite a bit of fun to see
who you cv:ould get to give their number or school. Now the
local telcos are charging .20 a minute?

Along the same lines, it wasn't well known, but most telcos would give
you a number if it wasn't in use. You did not have to take the one they
assigned to you. Mountain Bell is now charging $50 for this!