From: robinson@stout.geo.brown.edu (Darrin Robinson)
Newsgroups: alt.rhode_island
Subject: Re: Phone lines in RI
Date: 6 Jan 1993 17:34:46 GMT
Organization: Brown University, Providence RI 02912
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: stout.geo.brown.edu

In article <1if26oINNkgi@cat.cis.Brown.EDU> plutchak@pilsner.geo.brown.edu (Joel Plutchak) writes:
>
>   You're suggesting the 'phone company should voluntarily reduce its
>revenue?  There are three chances of that happening: fat, slim, and none.

Yeah, the PHONE company (well BOCs and LECs mostly) change RI into one
big local calling area... not likely.  This would most DEFINATELY raise
the base service costs to ALL customers as this new program would have to
subsidized by something else... the only people to benefit are the ones
that make a LOT of long distance calls... besides... AT&T was always jumped
on saying that long distance charges subsidized local (base usage) charges...

Well, they were right... when AT&T split in 1984, long distance rates went
down (about 46% to date), and LOCAL rates have gone THROUGH THE ROOF!  The
LECs are trying to survive in a post-AT&T-monopoly world... not to say  that
NYNEX isn't a well-endowed company!  ;->

>In fact, according to a flyer in my most recent telephone bill, they
>are making it easier to make long distance calls without being aware
>of it.  Yes, indeed, certain long-distance calls within Rhode Island (at
>least from the Providence area) which previously required dialing a "1"
>will now not require the "1", but will still be charged long-distance
>rates.  That's how the 'phone company defines "progress."

Ah... I got bit by this in Los Angeles when my Hotel bill was ~$125 more
than I estimated... well, they had ~130.00 worth of LONG-DISTANCE calls on
my bill (I was dialing into compuserve)!  I protested and finally (three
months later), the LEC (PACtel - Pacific Telephone) found that my calls
were indeed local and the hotels PBX was messed up.  Nonetheless, there
were calls that were still charged as long-distance and I was only talking
to my brother who was across-town (at Venice Beach, I was on Sunset Blvd
8400 block).  I think they're going to GENERATE more revenue with the
"1" being taken away!  All in the name of "there's not enough telephone
number left and we need to do something."

>   And while I'm whining about "invisible" charges, what is the purpose
>of Providence's "no overnight parking" ordinance?  Just a easy way to
>generate money by ticketed unwary visitors?

How about Newport's "Residential Sticker" program... just about all of
the downton and mid-town side streets are "RS" places and they give out
a LOT of tickets... must be some sort of revenue generator against unsuspecting
tourists/visitors who don't read the ONE sign on EACH street!

Darrin


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