Re: Just for discussion.

[Bob La Londe <none@none.com99>]

On 7/21/2020 11:20 AM, ABLE1 wrote:
> On 7/21/2020 2:10 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:
>> On 7/21/2020 9:01 AM, ABLE1 wrote:
>>> On 7/21/2020 11:18 AM, Bob La Londe wrote:
>>>> On 7/20/2020 4:06 PM, ABLE1 wrote:
>>>>> On 7/20/2020 12:12 PM, RTS wrote:
>>>>>> On 7/20/2020 7:19 AM, ABLE1 wrote:
>>>>>>> On 7/20/2020 12:51 AM, Jim Davis wrote:
>>>>>>>> On Sunday, July 19, 2020 at 1:20:58 PM UTC-4, ABLE1 wrote:
>>>>>>>>> Hello all, no matter how few!!  :-)
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> The other day I received a call from a customer that said that
>>>>>>>>> morning a police officer showed up and asked if there was a
>>>>>>>>> problem.
>>>>>>>>> The office manager said; "No, I just got here at the office 20
>>>>>>>>> minutes
>>>>>>>>> ago.  The officer said; "County Control received a call from a
>>>>>>>>> phone
>>>>>>>>> number here with no one on the other end when answered."
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Turns out the number that called 911 was their Fax number.  I
>>>>>>>>> was called
>>>>>>>>> to investigate what may have happened.  The Fax number is also
>>>>>>>>> used for
>>>>>>>>> the Line #2 to the Fire Panel.  The line used is a POTS line
>>>>>>>>> and there
>>>>>>>>> is an outside Demarc.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> After it was determined that it was the Fax the Office Manager
>>>>>>>>> turned
>>>>>>>>> the machine off.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> When I arrived I checked the line and all was as it should be.
>>>>>>>>> Only
>>>>>>>>> two devices connected to the line, Fax and Fire Panel.  I tested
>>>>>>>>> the line to my cell to verify the number.  I checked the Demarc
>>>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>>>> all looked and worked as it should.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I connected my Butt Set at the Fax Machine and put on speaker.
>>>>>>>>> Turned
>>>>>>>>> it on and nothing.  Then sent a Fax to my office, Ok.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I called the County Control Center and talked to a Supervisor who
>>>>>>>>> verified just one call at 7:51am.  He had their Tech Guy call me
>>>>>>>>> later.  Basically we determined it to be an unsolved mystery.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Although I did express a theory that would fit the scenario.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> ===============================================================
>>>>>>>>> A teenage snot that just wanted to have fun took a old corded
>>>>>>>>> phone and opened up the Demarc box and plugged into the first
>>>>>>>>> port.  Dialed 911 and after the first ring hung up. Closed
>>>>>>>>> the box and hid behind a bush snickering.
>>>>>>>>> ==============================================================
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> The Tech Guy liked that 'maybe' but then told me a true story
>>>>>>>>> about
>>>>>>>>> a tomato.  Officer was dispatched a house with a active number
>>>>>>>>> that
>>>>>>>>> called 911.  Approached and asked the lady of the house who was
>>>>>>>>> out
>>>>>>>>> in her garden if everything was ok??  She said yes, why??
>>>>>>>>> Officer explained and they went into the house to check the phone.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> What was found was a tomato sitting on the window sill far to
>>>>>>>>> long,
>>>>>>>>> had started to leak juice.  The juice trail went down the wall and
>>>>>>>>> onto the phone sitting below.  Juice got into the phone and
>>>>>>>>> shorted
>>>>>>>>> out the 9 & 1 on the DTMF pad and made the call.  WOW!!!
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Tomato and phone were placed in the trash bin.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Ok, that is the start of the discussion.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Anyone care to contribute??
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Les
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> One question leading to one very remote possibility is:
>>>>>>>> Does the CS telephone number have nines and or ones in it?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Another question leading to another remote possibility is"
>>>>>>>> I'm thinking that if it's a DTMF line that it probably also has
>>>>>>>> rotary dial capability.
>>>>>>>> Land lines are becoming more and more of a problem as the telcos
>>>>>>>> ignore them and as they try to switch everyone to fiber or
>>>>>>>> cellular.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Maybe an intermittent connection (?) coincedently and ultimately
>>>>>>>> dialed 911. Any crackling or static on the line?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> And ya know?  I've always had this bad feeling about tomatoes.
>>>>>>>> Ya know?
>>>>>>>> Just something about them -------
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> But celery on the other hand -------
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Hi Jim,
>>>>>>> I did not hear any crackling or static on the line.
>>>>>>> But, then again I am on the deaf side of things with high frequency
>>>>>>> hearing loss.  However, it is something I should check with a
>>>>>>> different ear sometime.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I did ask the question about the back numbers to 911.  Was told that
>>>>>>> there were at least 10 or so that would get there.  Was not told
>>>>>>> what they were.  Either way with just a Fax and the Fire panel
>>>>>>> connected to the line it does seem a bit odd for a 3 digit or a
>>>>>>> 10 digit number to be dialed in some way to get through.
>>>>>>> Tomato or no tomato.  ;-)
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Les
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> I'd blame the local telco,
>>>>>> I had one here which cross connected over a hundred lines from 2
>>>>>> different towns.
>>>>>> Talk about old style party lines......
>>>>>> It seemed that the 2 towns were serviced by the same telco switch
>>>>>> house..
>>>>>> An in-house cable upgrade was the cause,  they had cross connected
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> lines when changing out the old cable and the tech "forgot" to remove
>>>>>> the old cable from the ckts..  (or so they said)    LOL
>>>>>>
>>>>>> RTS
>>>>>
>>>>> Yes, good point Rocky,
>>>>> I have been in buildings that have had phone company punch down blocks
>>>>> with Teclo lines there that were for another building.  The numbers
>>>>> were
>>>>> totally unrelated to the in house business.  Telco just used it as a
>>>>> splice block for the area.
>>>>
>>>> I've been in a lot of businesses like that.  Where the entire cable
>>>> down an alley is brought into every building on that street.  Its
>>>> annoying as hell, but it does allow for easier redistribution of
>>>> resources as businesses change.  It also allows for savy people to
>>>> eavesdrop on conversations and/or steal service with little effort.
>>>> I don't recall the details, but some couple decades ago there was a
>>>> federal regulation change that phone companies had to make it easier
>>>> for fed to execute wiretaps.  I don't recall all the details, but
>>>> that was around the same time I stared seeing a lot of 50 and 100
>>>> pair cables looped into new buildings and new plant improvements
>>>> projects. I always thought the two were connected.  With the newer
>>>> digital CO switches I always wondered why they just didn't have a
>>>> data link into the COs.  Some rural exchanges still had mechanical
>>>> switches at the time though.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> Hi Bob,
>>> Thanks for the extra Tidd Bits, I just knew you would contribute
>>> some good stuff!!  It would seem that we ALL have seen the loop holes.
>>> I had a day "waaaaay back" that I was out in the country and no
>>> payphones around and I needed to make a phone call.  I was soooooo
>>> tempted to pop open Demarc on the nearest house, hook up my Butt Set
>>> and make the call.  BUT, I controlled myself!!!!  I am sure I wasn't the
>>> first to have the thought.  I am sure it has happened..... somewhere!!
>>>
>>> Les
>>
>>
>> It doesn't help of course that you can buy a butt set at Home Depot or
>> Lowes these days.
>
> Absolute agreement!!!
> Which adds to the scenario I posed being a possibility!!  :-)
>
>

There is another more sinister if probably unlikely possibility.  The
cops wanted a look around and made it up.  How legit is the client?

Remember it is not against the law for them to lie to you.