🚀 go-pugleaf

Merlin Dorfman wrote the quoted material below:

"     There is also, of course, GTE in areas not served by Pac Bell,
" such as Los Gatos and areas of West Los Angeles.  If you think Pac
" Bell is bad...

My classic story was of a phone call I made from a GTE phone booth in
Santa Barbara to a friend in Santa Monica (also GTE territory).  The phone
booth had touch-tone, as is required by the state PUC.  After I dialed,
the button tones were translated into fast dial pulses.  

There was a pause as GTE connected to the long distance network, and then
I heard the phone number translated *back* into touch tones for the LD
network to use.

Then there was a pause of about 10 seconds while the LD network tried to
connect back to GTE at the other side.  Finally, the touch tones were
convered *back* again to pulses to be handled by GTE's ancient switching
system.  (Ancient at the time anyhow.)  

Finally, after about 25 seconds of elapsed time, my friend's phone
rang.  He picked it up and said hello.  And said hello again.  He couldn't
hear me.  He hung up.

I then went through exactly the same calling process again.

Once again, after another lengthy connect time, my friend answered.  We
talked.  Each of us could hear the other clearly.  Great!  I was in the
middle of getting directions to his house when the line went dead.  

In all fairness, though, GTE's service has improved a *lot* in recent
years.  


-- 
(C) 2000                          Safeway Stores is related by founders or
David Kaye                  mergers to PayLess, Alpha Beta, Piggly Wiggly,
                                           Lucky, Skaggs, and Albertson's.