DTC <me@nothingtoseehere.zzx> wrote in news:kurKj.481$%41.348
@nlpi064.nbdc.sbc.com:

> My tower construction took me all over the place, I had both
> an eleven MTS/IMTS phone on SWBell and a seven channel RCC.
>
> If I didn't answer my phone, the RCC operators would call all
> all the places they knew I hung out playing Defenders video game.
>

Great phone service, wireless or otherwise, has gone all to shit with
the invention of the computer controlled by corporate greed.

When I was growing up in Moravia, NY, in the 1950-60s, we had a manual
phone system run by operators. Our number was 22-M (Circuit 22, M=40 Hz
ringing frequency so it wouldn't disturb the neighbors who were 22-J (80
Hz, I think, anyway a different ringing frequency). Private numbers
like Rob Munn's was 6....his whole phone number.

(Lift Receiver)

"Number Please...."

"Six"

(ringing buzzes as she pushed the lever to ring Rob's phone.)

When there was trouble, this system was second to none.

(Lift receiver)

"Number please....."

"Blanche, Tucker's barn on Mill Rd is on fire."

Having the fire siren switch on her console, it was winding up for the
first call before she said, "Thanks. I'll put out the alarm. Shall I
send Doc Yarington (humans) or Doc Sweathouse (vet)?"

Blanche knew the exact location of all important, and not-so-important
people of the town at all times. Her relief operators all did, too.

"Blanche, my mothers awful sick, where's Doc Yarington?", would result
in you speaking to whatever farm house the Doc was visiting at this
instance. Blanche would call for the doctor to the phone you were
already connected to so she'd know where he was going, your house or his
office (our only medical facility) first. She'd stay on the line
listening to see if the Three Town Ambulance needed to be notified.

No "system" has worked that good since. It was installed in the town in
the 1920's. The basement had mercury vapor rectifiers and massive
battery banks of Edison Cells (Nickel-Iron-Calcium Hydroxide) to power
it when the rectifiers went dead. The hum went away when we had no
power...(c;

Moravia was one of the last manual systems on NY Bell and went straight
to TouchTones (r) in the late 1960s or early 1970s after I went in the
Navy. The town never had a rotary dial telephone system!

........."Doc is taking a nap. If this is important I'll wake him,
now"....(c;

What a great place to grow up in....(c;

Seven stores got broken into by some thieves passing through. They got
almost 17 dollars!

Ok....back to arguing over the stupidest sellphones....

Sorry.....