Re: Just for discussion.

[ABLE1 <somewhere@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

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...............


BTW  This Fax (number) is in a local town borough office.

Les