Re: Just for discussion.

[ABLE1 <somewhere@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

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!!  :-)