Re: Just for discussion.

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

On 7/21/2020 12:35 PM, ABLE1 wrote:
> On 7/21/2020 3:07 PM, Bob La Londe wrote:
>> 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.
>
> LOL Really??  The cops will/can actually do that??
> I see the makings of a new movie..................
> I guess anything is possible...............
>
>
> BTWÂ  This Fax (number) is in a local town borough office.
>
> Les


Yep.  They can and will although usually you only hear about it in an
interrogation.  Sometimes they will do it to try and get you to doubt
your own memory.  "Oh, I've been with the department since 19xx, and no
officer by that name ever existed.  Certainly not at the rank and
position you claim."  No shit.