And Lyndon Johnson and his Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara, were hesitant.
McNamara understood.
We don't need no trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't
need no trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't need no
trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't need no trouble,
we don't need no trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't
need no trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't need no
trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't need no trouble,
we don't need no trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't
need no trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't need no
trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't need no trouble,
we don't need no trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't
need no trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't need no
trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't need no trouble,
we don't need no trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't
need no trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't need no
trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't need no trouble,
we don't need no trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't
need no trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't need no
trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't need no trouble,
we don't need no trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't
need no trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't need no
trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't need no trouble, we don't need no trouble.
This kind of advertising isn't just going on in New York.
It's happening all over the country.
In fact, all over the world.
As the telecommunications industry becomes more advanced, more such services are possible.
Some experts believe all the hype will die down after the novelty wears off, and after
the phone bills arrive.
This is how it works in New York.
There are four special exchanges, 976, 970, 540, and 550.
976 has actually been around for a number of years, and it's used for various recorded
announcements, the weather, the time, sports scores, horoscopes.
Each announcement is one minute long, and there's no interaction with the caller.
So 976 is the most primitive of the exchanges.
Then there's 970, which is used for adult-oriented messages.
It can be a simple one-minute sex message, or a more involved and more expensive interactive
message.
970 is reserved for adult telephone entertainment.
Not that there's any law against children calling a 970 number, at least not yet.
But that's another topic.
The 540 exchange is the most advanced.
On 540, you'll almost always wind up talking to a computer, which will ask you all kinds
of questions.
Your birth date, what city you want to hear a weather forecast for, what time you want
your phone to ring, or any number of trivia questions.
550 is used for teleconferences, and that's what we're focusing on today.
On 550, different numbers are used for different subjects and different types of people.
For instance, there's a line for teenagers, a line for people who want to talk about sports,
a line for black people, a line for gay people, and all kinds of variations and repetitions.
Now, the way it works is quite simple.
You just dial the number you want, and you're connected to a small group of others that
have called the same number.
The rest is up to you.
You can just sit there and listen, you can try and have a meaningful discussion with
somebody, or you can waste time and money by bantering on for hours about nothing in
particular.
What many callers don't realize is that time really flies on a teleconference, and every
minute means more money spent.
The 550 numbers you see advertised are regulated by the local phone company, New York Telephone.
Right now, it costs $0.20 for the first minute and $0.10 for each additional minute.
But in October, those rates are supposed to rise to $0.25 a minute, day or night.
That means that if you're on a conference call for an hour, it'll cost you $15.
That's a bit steep for most people.
In fact, for $15, you can call someone in California for two hours.
So the rate is high by most standards.
But $15 an hour is nothing compared to what other services are charging.
These other services are not regulated by New York Telephone, and they can charge pretty
much whatever they want.
How can you tell the difference?
Well, as we mentioned, the 550 exchange is used for those teleconference services that
are regulated by New York Telephone.
But other teleconferences use the 900 area code.
In other words, a 10-digit phone number starting with 900 rather than a 7-digit number beginning
with 550.
A couple of services also use the 700 area code, an area code capable of being used for
interactive services.
You'll probably see a lot more 700 numbers in the next couple of years.
Calls to teleconferences in the 700 and 900 area codes can cost up to $1 a minute.
That's $60 an hour for a telephone call.
That's about what it would cost to carry on an hour-long conversation with someone in Germany.
We called a few of these teleconferences to get a feeling for what was being said on them,
and here's a sample.
She's stuck on now.
That's her right there.
I'm hooking up the three.
Uh-huh.
What's your name?
Chanel.
Oh, Chanel?
And those who need a lesson...
Chanel, I talked to you before, baby.
You did when?
No.
When?
You remember me.
Who are you?
My name is Homicide, baby.
Homicide, honey.
I remember you.
What's up?
You know who this is, baby?
Who this?
Mystery.
Hey, Mystery.
Huh?
You're not down with that.
No, I'm telling you.
You down with the hooker posse?
I ain't no hooker.
Yo, any girls...
Yo, let me hold that pen.
Let me find out.
Any young ladies out there from the Bronx?
Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens.
Word.
Police.
Brooklyn, please.
No more for the Niagara Falls.
I'm not.
Nah, man.
Ain't nothing like that.
No.
Falls on the corner.
That's all I'm telling you.
We found that the conversation quality remained fairly constant.
That is, the services that cost one dollar a minute
were not ten times better than those that cost ten cents a minute.
In the end, they all sounded fairly similar.
But now that these consumer teleconferences,
also known as gab lines or party lines,
have been around for a few months,
something else has started to happen.
The bills have begun to arrive.
One man ran up a $95,000 phone bill.
According to the New York Daily News,
an 18-year-old kid from Brooklyn
who used the phone for up to 11 hours a day
surprised his parents with a bill for $152,000.
A construction worker who wound up with a $30,000 phone bill
compared his telephone addiction to gambling or having a drug habit.
In Secaucus, New Jersey,
a city worker used the mayor's phone to make calls to a conference line
and in Union City, a city hall custodian
made nearly $6,000 in calls to a conference line in just two months.
Meanwhile, Southern Bell and the state of Georgia
are trying to ban conference lines altogether.
And in England, British Telecom was forced to pull out of the chat line business
because of adverse public reaction to it.
All of this appears to be only the beginning.
According to the Washington Post,
the state of Maryland now blocks access to conference lines
unless a customer specifically asks for it.
In fact, their local phone company,
Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone,
took the unusual step of refusing to cut off customers
who didn't pay their conference line bills.
Instead, after 30 days,
the phone company deducts the payment from the conference line company.
But some of the conference line companies take on a more combative approach.
Media 4 of Oak Brook, Illinois,
handles many of the 900 area code teleconference lines.
If a customer were to call them after receiving a huge bill,
this is what they would hear.
You are responsible for all charges appearing on your monthly phone bill.
If you have current 900 billing charges that you wish to question,
contact your telephone company service representative.
The number to call appears on your telephone bill.
It is the policy of Media 4 to independently pursue collection actions
for unpaid Media 4 charges.
To avoid a collections action and keep your credit rating intact,
payment arrangements must be established
with your telephone company representative.
Remember, you are responsible for all charges
appearing on your monthly phone bill.
Hello.
Hello.
Hello.
Who is this?
This is Kenny.
Hello.
Hello.
Who is this?
This is Kenny.
Kenny?
Yeah.
Hi.
Hi.
Are you cute?
I guess.
You guess?
Are you cute?
Well, am I cute?
Yes.
Well, I think so.
Oh.
Where are you from?
Personally, I think I'm very cute.
Oh yeah?
Yes.
So where are you from?
I'm from Stanford, Connecticut.
Oh yeah?
What's your name?
Eddie.
Kenny?
Kenny.
Kenny.
My name's Dora.
Dora?
Yes.
How old are you?
What?
How old are you?
How old am I?
I'm 20 years old.
20?
Yes.
I'm sorry I can't hear, because there's, like, noise in here.
My friend's kids are, like, paying the ad.
Oh yeah?
Yeah.
So what are you doing?
Nothing.
I'm sitting here talking to you.
Oh, OK.
Sitting in my blue chair.
What are you doing?
Sitting in my blue chair, talking to you.
Your blue chair?
So what do you like to do?
Me?
I like to ride horses.
I like men.
I like to have a good time, and I like to party.
Yes.
Do you like to party?
Pretty much.
What?
Pretty much.
What do you like doing?
Just about everything.
Everything?
I like men who like to do everything.
Oh yeah?
Oh yeah?
Hello, who's this?
What?
Hi, who's this?
Dora.
Hello?
Yeah, I just got on.
Hello, who's this?
Um, this is Dora.
Hi, Dora.
This is Tom.
Oh, hi, Tom.
Dora, where are you?
What, where are you calling from?
Um, Stanford, Connecticut.
Oh boy.
How do you like that?
I'm over on Long Island, across the way from you.
Who's the other guy that's on?
I don't know.
What?
I don't know.
Hi, Danny, how you doing?
Danny, Danny.
Anyway.
Hello, Tom?
Yeah, go ahead.
Tom?
This is Tom, go ahead.
Um, what do you like doing?
Uh, well, I enjoy boating, I enjoy riding, I enjoy reading, and I enjoy good music and good-looking women.
Wow, I like all those except the women part.
You don't like good-looking women?
Of course not.
I'm not a lesbian or anything.
So what do you like?
I like good-looking men.
You like good-looking men?
Yeah.
Well, let's see.
Let's see if I fit your score.
How about 5'10", about 150, 155 pounds.
Uh-huh.
Jog, I play tennis, I play squash, and do a good bit of swimming.
Uh-huh.
And I would consider myself to be more than reasonably attractive.
Well, I like that.
You do?
So, um, tell me about yourself.
How old are you?
How tall are you?
Me?
Yeah.
I'm 5'10".
Boy, you're tall.
Hello?
Hello?
Hi.
Who's this?
Hello?
Who's this?
Hi.
Hello.
Hi.
Who's this?
It's over.
What happened to the person from Stanford?
Where are you guys from?
Hello?
This one's from Long Island.
Tom's from Long Island.
Where, where, where?
Where are you from?
We're from Long Island, too.
Me, too.
Where?
Iceland.
Oh, I used to go from there.
I live in Lubbock now.
Oh.
Where's the person from Connecticut?
From Stanford.
What's your name?
Jill.
Jill?
Yes.
Hello.
I can barely hear you.
Where's that guy from Long Island?
Where is he at?
Where do you live?
In Port Washington.
Where are you?
You're way out.
What's your name?
Amanda.
Hi, Amanda.
Amanda, where do you live?
That's where I live.
Hello?
That's where what?
That's where I live.
Get out of here.
Who's the guy from Port Washington?
Right here.
Tom.
Tom?
Yeah.
Tom, do you see him?
What?
Who's that guy we're talking to?
Right here.
What's your name?
Mike.
Mike?
22.
Mike, how old are you?
I'm 20.
How old?
17.
Where do you live?
17.
How old are you?
17.
How old are you?
17.
How old are you?
17.
Where do you live?
Hanksville.
Where?
Hanksville.
Wait a minute.
Are you really?
I can't hear you.
You want to call me?
What?
Wait, wait.
This is Tom.
You want to call me?
Seattle-based Omnicall, one of the largest conference line operators, describes the party
lines as very popular services.
A spokesperson said, people are lonely and want to reach out and talk to people.
It's somebody to talk to who isn't charging you to sit on his couch.
Ironically, many of the conference lines charge more per hour than a psychiatrist would.
Somehow the wires have crossed.
Communication's lost.
Can't even get you on the telephone.
You're listening to Off the Hook on WBAI.
If you'd like a free list of conference lines in the New York area, write to Off the Hook,
care of WBAI, 505 8th Avenue, New York, New York, 10018.
And stay tuned.
In a few minutes, we'll be having our own live teleconference right here over the air.
You'll be able to call in, and it won't cost any more than a normal phone call.
Richard Cheshire is known as Cheshire Catalyst to phone freaks, those strange people who
love to play with telephones.
Cheshire Catalyst used to be a phone freak, and he also used to write for Tap Magazine,
which was a publication for phone freaks.
He says that for years, decades even, phone freaks have been making conference calls,
and needless to say, they rarely wound up paying for them.
Cheshire Catalyst recollects one of the crude methods of making a conference call.
I remember back in the old days, back in the days of crossbars, which is an
electromechanical, good, solid, chunking machine.
When we used to talk through the busy signal, I don't think you can do that anymore with
all the electronic stuff that's going on, but through the beeps of the busy signal,
you could hear voices.
And bop, if, bop, you, bop, were, bop, to, bop, speak, bop, between the beeps,
you could actually carry on a conversation like that.
And a lot of people did.
A legendary teleconference of the 1960s and 70s was based in Vancouver.
You would dial the number for information in that city, and when the operator answered,
you'd hit the A, B, C, or D button on your touchtone phone.
Somehow, you would be connected to a crowd of other phone callers who did the same thing.
Now, you may have noticed that we just made reference to the A, B, C, and D buttons
on your touchtone phone.
You also may have noticed that your touchtone phone doesn't have an A, B, C, or D button,
but every touchtone phone is capable of producing four more tones.
By playing around with the wiring inside the phone, it's possible to activate these four tones.
In phone freak lingo, that's known as making a silver box.
Right now, though, there doesn't appear to be any commercial use for those four extra tones,
which would appear on the extreme right of the phone.
On the military phone network, however, these four tones are used,
but that's another topic entirely.
Getting back to the teleconferences,
Cheshire Catalyst outlines the different kinds of conversation you might find
on a phone freak conference.
Out on the west coast particularly, it's a lot of one-upmanship and infighting and what have you.
On the east coast, it was more information sharing because it was forbidden knowledge,
the information that the phone company didn't want you to have.
Well, number one, about how you got into these things and how these things got set up.
Some guys actually would call the frames in various places.
These are locations inside the central office where the phone wires come together,
and they would instruct the switchmen in the central offices on how to set one of these things up,
not telling them what they were setting up.
Just, hi, this is Charlie down at central, and we've got to get this thing set up,
and here's what you do.
Switchmen are lonely people.
They sit around listening to relays click, or used to back in the days of relays.
And, well, of course, you're not allowed to listen in to private conversations,
but if there was this special gadget called the conference bridge that was set up
and people called into it, and the bridge was set up strictly for internal telephone company use,
then it was kosher for them to be listening to this kind of thing,
and it was great entertainment for them.
So you call up a guy in a switching office where they don't have such entertainment,
don't know how to set it up, you tell them how to set it up,
and then you've got your own private conference session available.
Now, how would these phone freaks get the knowledge to tell phone company employees
how to run their own equipment?
Through a method called trashing,
which is literally crawling through telephone company trash dumpsters
in an effort to get discarded manuals and computer printouts.
Trashing is one of the most effective ways of getting information in the phone freak computer hacker world.
Phone freaks still have teleconferences,
and unlike the new commercial conference lines, they seem to have something to talk about.
This excerpt of a phone freak conference was recorded last year,
and the participants were spread out across the United States, England, and Holland.
What you'll hear is the incredible hunger for knowledge that these phone freaks have,
no matter what part of the world they're in.
The 1-800 number?
Yes.
I call the 1-800 number?
Yes.
And then the access code?
And then the very last four digits of the access code are what town I want.
I can have it in Chicago, L.A., or New York.
I normally pick New York because it's closest to you and I get a better connection.
Well, I have a pen and a piece of paper.
I have written down a number, but that is much too long.
That is 1-800-328-4666-5601-0907-00456100.
Right.
That can't be right.
What is what in that number?
That's right.
Okay.
The 1-800-328-4666.
Okay.
1-800-328-4666 is the...
This is the number I call to get to a phone system.
Okay?
Yes.
It's a telephone number.
Right.
Okay.
It says...
It comes up with a dial tone and then I type 5-6-0-1-0 and then it goes beep.
And then I dial 9...
Dial tone.
Well, hang on, hang on.
Dial tone and then I dial 5-6-0-1-0.
Right.
And then it will go beep.
Okay?
And then I dial 9, it will go beep again.
Beep.
Then I dial 0-7-0-0-4-5-6-1-0-0-0.
0-7-0-0-4-5-6...
1,000.
Okay?
1,000.
The last four digits, the 1,000.
You can also do 1,001, 1,002, 1,003, 1,004.
And I think 1,005.
Okay?
These are the city locations.
City locations.
Zero is New York.
Zero is Chicago.
Zero is Chicago.
One is Los Angeles.
L.A.
Two is Chicago.
Chicago again.
Three is White Plains, New York.
White Plains, yes.
This is what I'm on now.
White Plains is one of your international receiving stations.
Is it?
Yes, it is.
And 1,000, what number am I on?
Three.
You didn't mention four yet.
1,004 is in Texas.
It's Houston, I think.
Houston.
All right.
And after that, I don't think there is anymore.
I haven't gone farther than that.
Well, you know, the 1-800 number that you have now is very safe.
Yeah, okay.
You can call it from your own home because the guy who gave me the number called me from his own home, you know?
Yeah.
He said it wasn't dangerous at all.
For Barry?
Yeah.
What's going to happen when this number goes bad, too?
Well, I'm going to call the other guy, Eric, again in the USA, and he will probably give me the new number.
Okay.
So I figure this number will be dead in about a month.
Well, I think a little longer, within one and a half, two months.
That's what I think.
Because they just changed it.
Yeah?
I don't know how this guy Eric got them so fast.
Yeah, okay.
I believe they get it from an operator somewhere.
Yeah?
Okay.
You are going to see Beverly Hillcuffs, too?
Probably tonight, yes.
Is there no way somebody can copy it with a video recorder?
No.
No?
No.
Is it a drive-in movie?
No.
It's a walk-in theater.
It's a walk-in theater?
Yeah, like the Kino.
Ah.
You have a Kino in Holland, yes?
Yeah, okay.
But you can't use a video cassette recorder, you know?
Put it onto the screen and copy the film.
Not like this.
Not over here.
Now, what we heard at the beginning was a detailed explanation of how this illegal conference had been set up.
The first thing a caller would do is dial what is known as an 800 extender.
That's an 800 number owned by some company that gives you a dial tone when you call it.
Extenders are supposed to be used by employees of the company that own them.
But more often than not, phone freaks seem to get there first.
Anyway, after dialing into the extender, the caller would then have to have the proper authorization code to get an outside dial tone.
The authorization code can be anywhere between three and nine digits.
When that is entered correctly, the caller would then enter nine to get an outside line.
He would then be free to call any phone number in the world at the company's expense.
The number that many phone freaks choose to call is that of Alliance Teleconferencing, operated by AT&T.
It resides in the 700 area code, and it's kind of like a self-service teleconference.
That is, you decide who's on the conference.
Here's what happens when you call.
This is Alliance Teleconferencing Service in White Plains, New York.
You can interrupt most announcements by simply dialing the number you want.
Please enter the number of locations you need, including your own.
Dial now.
We decided that 12 would be a good number.
The maximum number of calls you can link together on this system is 59.
Your conference size is 12.
To change this request, dial star.
Dial number sign to continue.
Dial now.
Well, 12 still seemed like a good number, so we hit the number sign key,
also known as the pound key or the tic-tac-toe key.
Please dial one plus an area code and telephone number.
Wait for your party to answer, and dial number sign to add the call to your conference.
Dial star to cancel the call.
We thought it would be fun to try and link Alliance Teleconferencing to itself
and see if we could make a call that lasted forever.
But they were one step ahead of us.
We're sorry.
Calls to 700, 800, and 900 area codes cannot be placed.
We decided not to pursue this teleconference any further.
With Alliance Teleconferencing, you not only pay a fee to connect to the conference,
but you have to pay for each and every call you make.
And since Alliance can make overseas calls
and can handle up to 59 connections on a single conference,
one could very well wind up setting a phone bill record.
What's different about this kind of a teleconference
is that only one person or company winds up paying.
All of the calls get billed back to the phone number that originated the conference.
Everyone else simply experiences the joy of receiving a teleconference call.
And that's where the true value of free communication becomes apparent.
A couple of years ago, a group of East Coast phone freaks
started a teleconference that lasted for days,
and they managed to bill the whole thing back to, of all companies, AT&T.
At one point, they called a complete stranger in Australia
and told her that she was speaking to a phone freak teleconference.
For quite some time, they chatted away about the differences in their cultures.
Then the phone freaks asked the lady in Australia
if there was anybody anywhere in the world that she would like to talk to, for free.
She thought for a while and remembered that she had a cousin in England
that she hadn't spoken to in years, mostly because it cost so much to call.
Within a minute, the phone freaks had connected the two.
Of course, this phone call was far from private
since at least 15 phone freaks were on the line.
But that didn't stop the two from expressing their happiness
at hearing the other's voice after so many years.
At one point, the lady in Australia said that she wished her husband was there to say hello.
What number can we reach him at? one of the phone freaks asked.
Within moments, he too was on the line,
talking to his wife who was less than a mile away in Australia,
but whose voice was coming to him from around the world.
Such happenings don't occur very often,
but when they do, they illustrate the ease with which people can communicate in this day and age,
and also the economic barrier that forces them not to.
By hitting a few touch tones,
these Robin Hoods of the phone lines had given total strangers an experience they'd never forget.
Of course, this was all highly illegal,
but it makes one wonder what kind of effect free communications would have on the people of the world.
Alliance teleconferencing is probably the modern phone freak's biggest toy.
In this excerpt, phone freaks tied together operators from all different parts of the country.
Before they were added to the conference,
the operators were told to hold on for a test.
It's interesting to see that some of the operators
clearly enjoyed not knowing what was going on,
while others were annoyed.
A single beep indicates a party being added to the conference.
A double beep indicates a party being disconnected.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Entering the control operator call.
9-1?
Hello?
Hello, this is Seattle FTC.
Someone's doing a conference call.
They're not being very specific about it.
Yeah, okay.
The guy whom they're calling on this number is not here right now.
What?
They're, uh...
I'm sorry about that.
Okay?
Fine.
Hello, I'm still here.
Who are you?
Mark at test board.
Somebody's not doing this very good.
Okay.
Am I talking to my outside person?
No.
This is Seattle FTC.
Okay.
Oh.
This, I'm with General Telephone Test Board.
I think a guy just called in working on a line.
Was it your line he was working on?
No, he told me to wait three minutes.
Huh.
Okay.
I'll give him a chance to call in again then, okay?
I guess.
Okay, thanks.
Bye.
No, I'm on it.
You're done.
Beep.
Beep.
What the heck?
Hello?
Hello?
This is Tonya with C&P Repair Service.
Can I help you?
Tonya, this is Daisy.
I have someone on here doing a test.
Can I help you?
I think we're all on here.
We're all doing it.
There's some guy came in here telling me he's to do a test.
I've got Tonya in here, too.
Oh, is he wanting to test with all of us on?
This is Pembroke City, please.
Oh, my God.
We got Director of Systems on here, too?
Yes.
Hello.
Hello.
I'm with Repair Service.
This is Tonya.
I'm going to hang up.
Okay.
Guess we'll hang up, too.
Hi.
Supervisor, may I help you?
Somebody told me to hold the line for a test.
I'll hang around.
That's what I'm doing.
I'm hanging on.
That's what I'm doing.
Hold on for a test.
Back at it again.
Hang on.
Hello?
It's just the same line.
This is a – I don't know who you're talking to.
Is this another test?
Did someone say hold the line for a test?
Someone put me on hold and told me to hold them for a test.
Well, they're making a conference call,
checking out the emergency system.
Where are you at?
Seattle?
Are you in Seattle, Washington?
You got it.
Can I reach for Virginia?
See?
Nice, clear AT&T line, isn't it?
Go ahead.
Another repair service.
Where are you?
I'm at the Ocean Control Center in Seattle.
They got me on two phones, eh?
I don't know whether to pitch this over to my supervisor and let her hold the line or what.
Well, I hope this telephone company is really getting a good trace on this.
A trace?
Yeah.
Uh-huh.
Keep calling back.
Where are they going to prosecute?
Is this supposed to be a trace or something?
Yes, it is.
Oh.
Say pardon?
This is Seattle.
Why are they tracing?
Back.
Seattle?
Yep.
Well, that's good.
And you got Richmond, too.
Daisy?
Yeah.
You got Beverly, too.
Oh, my gosh.
We got Daisy and Beverly and everybody on this.
I'm hanging up.
No, stay on the line.
I don't think they want you to hang up.
Can I help you?
Huh?
Off the line.
If you wish to end your conference, hang up now.
Wait for an operator to reconnect your conference controller or hang up now.
The telephone keeps ringing, so I ripped it off the wall.
I cut myself while shaving, now I can't make a call.
It couldn't get much worse.
But if they could, they would.
Bum-diddly-bum for the best, expect the worst.
I hope that's understood.
Bum-diddly-bum!
and that should offer a lot of helpful hints
okay now since we have 10 people on the line at once
I'd like to try this I doubt it will work very well but I'd like to try to get a legal ID
from all of you at the same time so when I count down to one
I would like all of you on the phone right now to say and please don't scream
otherwise you'll overpower everybody just say WBAI New York
and I'm going to count down from three three two one
WBAI New York 99.5 FM
oh we have a wise guy there okay
all right well now we we have been talking about about telephones teleconferences and phone freaks and all that kind of thing we're on the air for another hour and eight minutes
and we'll be taking various questions just individual questions about phone systems and and the breakup and all that kind of thing
but uh before we wind this up uh anybody have any more comments I I
it's a dangerous question because 10 people are going to speak at once um
anyone
go ahead who's this
this is Bobby from Brooklyn
Bobby from Brooklyn
you asked everybody uh why you know you asked everybody a question about themselves you didn't ask me anything is that because I'm a female impersonator
well you know I I must have just glossed right over you I'm sorry
oh okay
well go ahead go ahead tell me something about yourself Bobby
well while everybody was talking I came up with an idea uh you know I read 2600 magazine and I know they have monthly meetings
is that right
in fact it's very interesting you should point that out we have a meeting tomorrow
do you
uh yes it's not going to be all that long uh usually they're at six o'clock tomorrow it's going to be at five
and I've got to go to the Mets game so I have to leave a little bit early so um
five o'clock in the City Corp Center uh right where all the strange people hang out in the atrium there with uh chairs and tables
and basically uh we we have copies of the magazine and we talk about uh various things and we trade information
and uh it's a monthly event usually the first always the first Friday of the month in City Corp at uh
6 p.m tomorrow it's 5 p.m
so uh yes thanks for reminding me about that I was uh I was going to mention that
you have the biggest attendance you've had in months now
um I'll be kind of scared to tell you the truth
I mean because uh what I've heard uh last couple of months it's been like
one person shows up or two people show up but they don't see each other
uh-huh
well uh I'll be wearing a brand new 2600 t-shirt
which uh which is a a new thing we're trying
are they for sale
uh well we'll be uh offering that in the magazine
so we're not offering that over the air
though it might show up as a BAI premium you never know
what's the significance of the number 2600
does anyone on the phone want to answer that
uh well I'll take a shot at it
go ahead
um it's the
okay in the the old telephone systems
there used to be a tone
which was always present on a line
this uh do you do it
I don't know
okay
it's the tone that the Captain Crunch whistle used to generate
it was used to uh
to grab the trunk line
grab control
that's it that's it
and 2600 represents control sort of
uh to every phone freak
of course it doesn't really work anymore
uh they've built systems to
to find 2600 hertz tones when they're generated
and they've built uh systems that don't respond to it
but it's still it's kind of legendary
it dates back to the 1960s
have military implications
there's a question about
not not exactly military implications
apart from just gaining control of the entire phone system
that could be used to a military advantage
one of you guys out there maybe could answer this
go ahead
what about the um
uh you know phone freaks have been around for so long
geez I remember listening to
I think it was the original Captain Crunch
on Bob Fass's show back around
I don't know
69, 70
a long time ago
but uh
we have systems these days that
that automatically record
that not
not
the number that is calling
ANI
automatic number identification
uh
well
now I think what you're referring to
is when you place a call
the number you're calling from
is identified
correct
yeah
to the
to the person
who you call
oh
that's something
I believe New Jersey Bell
is going to be offering very soon
uh
usually it's within your
the same central office
meaning your local area
uh
you will see
you can program certain numbers
not to reach you
to always get either
a busy signal
or a recording
or something
or a distinctive ringing
so that if the pest down
the block calls you
you'll know it's him
uh
but of course
there are
there are systems in place now
at corporations
integrated systems
where
the number is displayed
as soon as you call somebody
within that establishment
it's
it's nothing
all that new
but it could have scary implications
in the future
there have been pagers
that have that capacity
for quite some time too
yeah
well
the pagers
I've seen
I didn't
well
yeah
but usually the pagers
you have to punch the number
into
yeah
yeah
I have a pager
and you have to dial
the number in
it doesn't get the number
in
it doesn't get the number
that's something
it seemed to me that that was
there could be you know
serious implications
about having that capability
for some people to have
that capability
well it would take away
I mean I would have
all of your phone numbers
in front of me
if I had that system
and it would certainly
I mean I'm not going to do
anything nasty to them
but supposing I did
well I'll tell you
you know it's funny
I've been thinking about that
for a while
of course
listening to BAI
I've always been
kind of I guess
paranoid
yeah sure you know
and especially listening
to May Brussels shows
way back when
and all up through
and the ContraGate stuff
and you know
it's always seemed to me
that well gee
what's to stop
some right wing organization
from getting WBAIs
well you know
every time
on ContraGate
every time there's a problem
with the phone line
Dennis Bernstein
always thinks it's the FBI
oh somebody dropped
the phone
sorry about that
that show earlier
this evening it was
that there was a show
on that they were
talking to somewhere
Chile
Salvador
Chile that was it
Chile
Chile
excuse me
but they were talking
to Chile
and the thing was
that the people in Chile
could not hear
the people in New York
anymore
so they just hung up
but of course
the BAI announcer
immediately says
well the phone
the line was cut
the line was definitely cut
but I guess
they are having
some problems
with the communications
workers down there
so it could
fairly well be
but it sure seemed
to me like the people
in Chile
just hung up the phone
on AM radio
some years ago
when Long John Nebel
used to have a show
I used to hear him
announce when someone
would bother him
I don't know
if it was true or not
he'd announce that
somehow he had a hookup
that gave him
the phone numbers
of the people
who called in
which was a lie
oh okay
unless he had a
telephone switchman
in the central office
that would run around
every time a phone call
was made
that's very unlikely
and he'd need
police clearance
and all that kind of thing
the thing to realize
though is
if the person
you're calling
can read your number
anybody else
who's tapping
that telephone
can also read
that number
well let's see
I thought that
things like 911
and you know
if you called
your police department
they automatically
got a record
of your number
if your area
has what's called
enhanced 911
not only will
your phone number
show up
but your name
your address
and any kind
of characteristics
such as you store
all kinds of
flammable material
all over your house
that will pop up
so that they'll know
this when they go
over there
or if they say
nasty comments
about you
they'll store them
there
what's of concern
to us
that deal with
privacy and everything
is with that
information
all over the place
with that being
displayed with
every phone call
what privacy
will we have left?
we have lost
Keith from Queens
we have lost Keith
which is about 20
years ago
I once performed
a great feat
of technical
prestidigitation
at least for a
12 year old
even at that age
I was a BAI
listener
and one time
someone on the air
was calling a
famous left wing
political personage
of the time
who had an
unlisted phone number
and the person
in master control
was using a rotary
phone to dial
and I was doing
oh my goodness
so I actually
slowed down the tape
counted the clicks
and got to the end
well now there's
many people out there
that know
when you hit a touch
tone
what number it is
so I don't think
you're any safer
with a touch tone phone
I can sometimes
do that
is there anyone
here that thinks
they can do that?
I'm from Manhattan
and I'm going to
have to sign off
but before I go
I want to say
how enjoyable
and terrific this is
I hope this becomes
a regular feature
now that James
Ursay
who I've always
enjoyed
seems to have
vanished from the
airwaves
well no I can't
I can't say for sure
that he's vanished
I believe he's
scheduled to be
back here next week
but I'm not
oh well maybe
you guys can
alternate Thursdays
the way you know
some other people
alternate
well I'd certainly
like to because
it's a lot of
I'm going to conduct
a survey
how many of the
other people out
there are also
avid science fiction
readers
I am
I'm a performing
artist also
I'm David the
Magic Minstrel
in one persona
pardon
I'm David the
Magic Minstrel
sometimes like I
played my pregnant
turtles or a
serpent flute on the
air like during
marathons and
things
great
and I'm also
that or I hang
out at NISFIS
sometimes
and I wanted to
mention there's
going to be an
event that's free
to encourage
communication and
community
on Sunday
there's a
rainbow family
picnic
in Prospect
Park
in the
Nethermead
and if people
get to the
15th Street
stop
15th Street
Prospect Park
stop on the
F train
there'll be
trail markers
leading them
into the
Nethermead
of Prospect
Park
and from
noon till
dusk
there's going
to be a
rainbow family
picnic
and bring
whatever you
have to share
did you say
Saturday
Sunday
and bring
food and
juice to
share and
acoustic
instruments and
yourself
sure you're
allowed to say
this is a free
country and a
free station
go ahead
oh I usually
listen to
I'll admit it
WNYC
morning edition
weekend edition
to get my
new
let's not get
carried away
though
okay Amy you
have to go
we're going to
take another
call and
nice talking to
you
yeah it was
great talking
to you
I wish there
was some
way I know
it's too
dangerous
I wish there
was some
way we could
somehow do
this again
you know I
really enjoyed
well I have
an idea
next BAI
marathon
why don't you
all volunteer
and come down
and meet each
other
come to the
rainbow picnic
go to the
2600 meeting
okay
there's many
ways you see
right okay
thank you all
always wear a
mirror as far as
I have a
mirror and a
small ocarina
that's always on
my neck
this is David
the magic
minstrel
okay
bye David
good night
one on
take care
and goodbye
everyone
good night
good night Amy
okay we're
okay we're going
to take
we're going to
take two more
calls
just to link
them in here
and then we're
going to
disconnect the
conference
which by the
way folks
what time
did we start
this conference
about 1.30
about 1.30
it's 2.30
now
now at a
dollar a
minute
times
times ten
for the ten
of you
does somebody
have a calculator
that can figure
out what this
conference would
have gotten
the phone
company
$60 per person
times ten
that's $600
you don't need
a calculator
for that
yeah that's
true you don't
so if WBAI
was a teleconference
company we would
have just made
$600 just by
having that
conversation
well this is a
much more
intelligent
conversation
than those
other lines
let me tell
you
then there'd
be an
intelligent
surcharge
let's go to
the other
calls here
good evening
you're on
the air
I would think
there'd be
an intelligent
discount
is this a new
person saying
this
I don't know
this is an
old person
a new
location
okay what's
what's your
name
my name's
frank
frank
and where
are you
calling from
parsippany
parsippany
okay got it
i'm just curious
aren't you
people familiar
with the new
operator switchboards
which automatically
show your phone
number when you
call it
the operators
know your
phone number
so anybody
who's cranking
your local
operator they know
who you are
boys
and they have
they have
back hold too
they have a
prank an operator
and notice that
you can't hang
up your
phone
or you can
physically hang
up your
phone
they can't
control that
yet but
you pick it
up and you
don't get a
dial tone
there's no
dial tone
anymore and
the operator
is still there
either shortling
or just not
doing anything
and it's a scary
experience for every
little kid I'm
sure they've all
gone through that
at some point
my biggest problem
my biggest problem
lately is when I
set my computer
to auto dial
and I got a few
bulletin boards
I want to call
all of a sudden
my dial tone
goes away
sometimes central
offices see you
rapidly dialing
over and over
again and they
think you're up
to no good
and they sort
of suspend
your line
is it against
the law now
no it's just
that five bulletin
boards have
busy signals
it's against
the law
I believe
you're allowed
15 redials
and then you're
not supposed to
do it anymore
but when did
that go into
effect
that's called
scanning
and I don't
know if that's
really against
the law
I don't think
that's against
the law
it's just not
one of those
desirable things
that they
encourage you
I'll put it to
you this way
the last I
heard it's up
against the
edges
where people
are trying to
press for it
being against
the law
that's what
I heard
that sounds
reasonable
as far as
the 15
redials
I don't believe
that's against
the law
either
but it's
the companies
that make
these phones
that have
redial capabilities
are not allowed
to make them
redial more
than 15
consecutive times
the phone
company obviously
doesn't want you
using the equipment
when you're not
paying
unless they're
going to start
charging us
for time
off the hook
whether we
get a busy
signal or not
is it true
that one of
the banks
in the city
of New York
picked up
a whole new
central office
all by itself
a bank
picked up
what do you
mean by that
well you know
they opened up
a whole new
number
a new
set of
central office
numbers
by moving
New York
City area
to two
areas
breaking up
the two
and two
area
in effect
so there
was a whole
new slew
of central
office
numbers
and one
of them
I hear
went to
I think
it was
Citibank
it's possible
Citibank
has their
own
exchange
yeah
that's
very
possible
what's
the
difference
between
an
exchange
and central
office
today
a central
office
can hold
many
exchanges
a central
office
is the
building
where the
switching
takes
place
and
for instance
where the
279 exchange
and the
212 area code
I don't know
the other
exchanges
in this
vicinity
but there
would probably
be about
four or five
other exchanges
in that
building
sometimes
that many
sometimes
just one
if it's
a remote
area
so that's
pretty much
the difference
but an
exchange
is just
the physical
switching
box
no
no
well
each
switching
computer
handles
multiple
exchanges
and in
a physical
central
office
building
there might
be
two or
three
switches
each
handling
five or
six
exchanges
was that
true
in the
old
cross
type
switching
no
with
cross
bar
switching
usually
the most
they can
handle
like out
in
brooklyn
here
there's
a lot
of
that
usually
four or
five
exchanges
in one
machine
that's
electromechanical
switching
right
oh yeah
you should
smell the
ozone
when they
really
get going
you should
hear the
noise
too
I'm going
to bring
one more
person
in on
this
good evening
you're
on the
air
and who
are
you
Don
from
Brooklyn
yeah
and I
wanted to
tell you
people
in
Manhattan
you're
missing out
on a
great
form of
communication
we have
a couple
of pirate
stations out
here
I've heard
of those
W-F-U-N
and you
know they
play you
songs that
you want
and you
have
conversations
and they
could actually
get two
people on
a line
why don't
you have
them call
up the
station
maybe they
can patch
into WBAI
and put
some of
their radio
on
no you
see they're
very
you see
it's
illegal
so they
but the
lines don't
have to be
traceable
yeah I
know so
like everyone's
paranoid no one
uses their
name
I know but
don't advertise
a bank robbery
why don't we
set up a
pair of
lines and
just transfer
it over
there radio
on to
WBAI
it's not
illegal for
WBAI to
do it
no but it's
too much
trouble
well
whoever's
there affiliated
with 2600
you know
a good pair
a line pair
for the
station to
use
a good
line pair
for the
state
well no we
don't have
all that
much information
as to
you don't have
a techie
then
no not at
the moment
you don't have
a what
a techie
a pseudo techie
but he's busy
right now
so what's a
good line pair
between here
and Brooklyn
to call up
so they can't
be traced
do you mean
like a loop
well loops
does somebody
want to explain
loops to the
uninformed
well I'm not
good at explaining
things tonight
but I'll give
it a shot
again
go ahead
no you do
it
it's Bobby
from Brooklyn
there are old
test lines
used by the
telephone company
to test to see
if there was
noise on a line
and there are
two consecutive
numbers
and when you
call both ends
of the number
the two
parties who
call it
connected
one end
normally would
have a tone
on it
but this has
been replaced
by
now there's
clear transmission
the only problem
is noise
on the line
sometimes
I mean if
somebody's been
using a loop
line recently
and knows the
number they
could pass it
on to you
and pass it
on to the
pirate station
but in New
York City
they have like
a computer
system that's
eradicated the
need for all
loop lines
but they're still
around
not in New
York City
but you don't
have to call
in New
York City
I mean
the station
could call
a Long
Island number
and this
Brooklyn
Brooklyn
well we
could but
we're not
going to
it's just
it's nice
we'll do
radio piracy
some other
night
they only
broadcast like
from 10
watts to
maybe 50
watts
well in the
middle of
Brooklyn
that'll get
you quite a
few listeners
I'm sure
the AM
pirates get
up to around
75
sometimes more
than that
I don't know
if you've
listened to
pirate radio
a lot
I listened
to that
station
that was
on the
boat
and every
pirate station
I've listened
to and I'm
certainly not
saying that's
true of the
ones in Brooklyn
which I've
never heard
they seem to
just try to
imitate the
commercial stations
playing the
same music
and I know
if I had a
pirate radio
station and of
course I never
would because
it's illegal
I would play
the most bizarre
things possible
I'd say the
craziest things
I'd get people
interested and
just do the
things that
you're not
supposed to do
without being stupid
about it
you know
without just
saying nasty
things all the
time
well these guys
are just
guys who are
very enamored
about being
on the air
and the techie
part of it
isn't there
some sort of
AM station
that you can
operate legally
a small time
carrier current
I think you're
talking about
what I'm thinking
of
yeah well
inside a
limited area
well if you're
only talking
10 watts
or something like
that you're
talking a
pretty limited
area
yeah but you
gotta have
in order to
use that
sort of
system
you have to
have the
area
sort of
antenna
your neighbor's
crazy
no it wouldn't
be transmitted
outside of a
building
the way the
system is set
up
it has to be
wired
yeah the
university say
would have
wiring in
each building
I thought it
was carried
by the
regular house
current wiring
yeah but
there's still
special connections
have to be made
at the switch
boxes to allow
it to go from
one circuit to
another
I thought it
was just
every radio
that was
plugged into
that outlet
or you know
onto that
essentially yes
once it's rewired
but it has to be
wired special for
it
yeah but the
special wiring
isn't that
the things that
have to be done
aren't that great
but they're
technically
inclined
I gotta go
but does anybody
have any fun
phone numbers
here's the fun
phone number
212-255-2749
is a recorded
announcement line
called apology
where all sorts
of sickos
call up
and apologize
and at the end
you can leave a
message commenting
on them
and it goes on
and on
and on
258-5858
in Brooklyn
what's that
another crazy line
where you left
all your
craziness
oh yeah
that was the
kook line
that was the
kook line
258-4900
but that's
or 338-4900
but that's been
that metamorphosed
into a bulletin
board for a while
and then he just
kind of got
lost interest
in a chuck kook
yeah yeah
exactly yeah
now if you want
to get lots of
interesting phone
numbers I suggest
calling bulletin
boards if you have
a computer obviously
and there's all
kinds of numbers
posted we print
numbers in 2600
of bulletin boards
and also of crazy
phone recordings
and services
whenever we get
them
that stuff used
to be recorded
in your phone
book
but now
they don't
record it
in the phone
books at all
even if you
look in this
year's
Manhattan phone
book you can't
find the number
for time
information
well now let me
let me help you
out there a little
bit because
there is
I called the
operator and
asked her for
the number
for time
and she
couldn't find
it in her
listings
there's a
phone book
you can get
called the
little pages
but there's
also something
that's much
more fun than
that there's
a number
you can call
it's completely
free
oh yeah
there's
I think
there's three
numbers actually
540 info
I-N-F-O
whatever that
translates to
and also
550 info
and 970 info
they're all
charge numbers
but the
I'll say it
one more time
540
I-N-F-O
info
and 550 info
and also
970 info
that will give
you the various
dial-it services
available and
there's no charge
for that number
but the information
is only for that
particular exchange
and those are
the expensive
exchanges
those are the
expensive ones
but you'll get
information on the
476
you'll get a
complete listing
the 476
exchange
976
976
no no no
the exchange
that was
information
was
47
555
there's no
555 exchange
the exchange
that was
information
yeah
well
everybody remembers
the old
Meridian and
weather
but they
changed
oh oh
I have a
1969
Brooklyn phone
book
hold on
1969
if you want
I forgot to
throw it away
if you want
a free listing
oh by the way
if you have
those old
phone books
color conferences
I'll tell you
go ahead
if you have
the old
phone books
don't throw
them out
wait
oh no
in the front
they have
the exchange
numbers in
use
look to them
you'll find
exchange numbers
that weren't
used
and if they
weren't used
you'll find
what exchanges
are newer
and what are
older
and uh
that's something
in fact
eliminated
I'll think
could you
go back to
one advantage
of a teleconference
is I can always
fade them down
and just talk
to you
the radio
listeners
now
I will
just say this
so that
everyone has
this information
if you want
a listing
of all the
phone services
in the area
all the
976
970
540
550
teleconferences
all that kind of thing
just send us
a self-addressed
stamped envelope
here at
Off the Hook
Care of WBAI
505 8th Avenue
New York
New York
10018
and uh
in this
uh
this current
edition
of uh
of our
magazine 2600
we're going
to be um
publishing a scan
a complete scan
and I think
uh
the folks on the
phone
they're
they're still
not talking
over each other
uh
no
they're
they're
still
gabbing away
there
um
they would
be interested
in this
though
if they
were listening
uh
we will
be printing
an entire
exchange
scan
of the
entire
516
area code
what that
means is
we went
through
every single
exchange
we started
at
200
which
technically
could be
an exchange
or an
area code
but it
isn't
and we
went through
every single
one and
found out
what kind
of switching
equipment they
use
whether it's
old
electromechanical
or new
uh
digital
or semi
new
electronic
or whether
it's uh
it's something
completely bizarre
and strange
that we can't
figure out
and we just
kind of
piece together
a big list
and we want
other people
to do the
same thing
we want
to see
lists come
out of the
212 area
and the
718
where there's
all kinds
of crazy
things hidden
uh
it's just
a way of
finding out
what's out
there
and when
you pick
up your
phone
and you
hear a
dial tone
i don't
know if
you're like
me but
i get this
sense of
adventure
this uh
this amazing
feeling that
there's something
out there
and just by
pressing a few
buttons you can
be connected
to almost
anything
and a phone
doesn't have to
just be a
boring tool
that you use
to plod
through the
day
it can be
excitement
adventure
learning experience
let's go back
to the
teleconference
hi folks
you're back
i just had to
get that out
some fun numbers
uh
for people to
call if you
dial 958
from uh
long island
or new york
brooklyn etc
get your number
back
that reads
your telephone
number back
except if
your phone
number starts
212-873
you have to
dial 311
what's the
sequence in
new york
to get a
ring back
you dial
660
and then
you get a
dial tone
and then you
can dial
either 112
or 2 number
sign
you get another
dial tone
and when that
happens you
press down
the receiver
of the phone
so you get a
high pitched tone
and then
you hang up
and your phone
rings
incredible isn't it
now i'd like to
know a lot of
people seem to
know about
958 and
ring backs
how did you
guys find out
these things
watch the
telephone guy
when he comes
in
watch the
what
watch the
telephone guy
of course
how can you
get a ring
back at a
public pay
phone
same
you do the
same thing
only
they're
eliminating
the
660
exchange
in a lot
of
electronic
areas
that use
newer
equipment
they're not
fun anymore
are they
no
i think
that's bad
i once
forgot what
the ring
back number
was
and i wanted
to use it
sort of as
for an
intercom
within my
apartment
with my
father who
wasn't
feeling well
and i asked
someone at
a new york
telephone store
and they
told me
i had heard
it years
before
but i
forgot it
the way
you find
things
and i
believe in
new york
it's
660
but out
in long
island
it's
different
exchanges
in my
exchange
for instance
it's
230
plus the
last four
digits
the only way
to find
these things
is to do
what we
at the
magazine
did this
month
just go
through every
exchange
and find out
what they all
are and then
you'll find
the ring
back exchanges
you'll find
we found
one exchange
that when you
call it
it shows up
on the phone
bill and doesn't
give a number
it just says
test call
and there's no
charge for it
and it's a whole
exchange just for
phone company use
and who knows
what's in there
there was an old
number you used
to be able to
dial from a
pay phone
you'd dial
if you're from
212
you'd dial
0212
959
1230
and you get a
little recording
that went like
coin test
please deposit
nickel
and if you put
a nickel
in it would
say nickel
and you put
a dime
dime etc
and give you
your money
back
what was that
number again
0
the area code
you're calling
from
959
1230
unfortunately
recently it
doesn't work
I've heard
a number
like that
without the
area code
part
0959
1230
you can dial
0959
but from
New York
City
you'd have
to put
the area
code
there
and that
tells you
what you
put into
the phone
it'll say
nickel
if you put
in a nickel
I mean
you should
know this
anyway
but it's
just kind
of fun
to hear
that
hypothetically
of course
I stuffed
a dollar bill
don't do this
at home
no don't do
this at home
you can't
do this
at home
how can
you put
a quarter
in a phone
at home
I can tell
you what
you do
on a nice
day
when you
want to
go out
and it's
not raining
and you
want to learn
about the
phone company
stop by
a nice filled
garbage bin
at the back
of your local
telephone company
well now you've
brought up
trashing
yes
trashing is
the way
to get
information
that's how
the kids
are doing
it
these days
jumping
into the
dumpsters
hopefully
a safe
distance
from when
the garbage
trucks come
and getting
manuals
and all kinds
of things
manual two
is doing
how it's
holding up
these days
because the
2600 is also
a famous number
for music
synthesizer players
don't forget
the 2600 is
an Atari
game machine
that I know
but what
would be a
clever
what would be a
clever response
for me to give
that person
that music
person
ok I remember
that
sentimental value
that everything
is digital
these days
the ARP
was a great
old analog
synthesizer
and
there's also
a DX
series of
synthesizers
made by Yamaha
did somebody
have a second
point
yeah since
phone systems
are digital
now 2600
doesn't
work with
the phone
system anymore
no it
certainly doesn't
but it's
fun to talk
about and
it's fun
to remember
does anybody
know what
the phone
company is
doing with
those extra
four buttons
on their
switch bags
today
nothing
ABC and
D
yeah
nothing
tax shelter
they use
them in
military phone
networks
separate from
the phone
company
right
if you
call computer
bulletin
boards
you'll get
about 50
different
explanations
all in
conflict with
each other
as to how
those buttons
work
but I'll tell you
the right one
go ahead
tell us
the right one
if you go
if you dial
information
and you press
the D key
now on old
pay phones
if you hit
the star
the zero
and the number
sign button
at the same
time
it'll make a
D tone
it'll sound
like a regular
touch tone
on the
little off
key
if you can
recognize the
tone
and you hold
this down
while the phone
is ringing
and you'll
get a
busy signal
or a fast
busy signal
called a
reorder
then you
would hit
the number
six on
your phone
and you'd
be connected
to silence
if somebody
else were
to do this
at the same
time
and hit
the number
seven
you two
would be
connected
together
those were
the days
when long
distance
information
was free
wasn't it
oh it works
on 411
no not at all
the only
well you can't
say not at all
you don't know
for sure
the telephone
operators are
monitored because
they get
hell if they
don't get off
the phone
fast enough
well what
this system
was originally
used for
the test
system
for 411
was used
to test
lines going
to directory
assistance
operators
and I
understand
that one
time you
could listen
in on
operators
but that
was back
in the
60s
and then
it was
just
you could
interface
a computer
you know
to test
the quality
of the line
going in
I was once
in upstate
New York
and I got
a phone line
down into
Manhattan
at one
of the
local
from Manhattan
hotels
and
same thing
I got
connected to
the information
phone line
inside the
hotel
and I was
listening to
all the
outgoing
phone calls
Emmanuel
did you
catch that?
Excuse me?
Keith in New Jersey
I'm going
Okay Keith
Thanks for
talking to us
This is
Daniel from
Manhattan
and I'm
going to
hang up
to anybody
else
call
Okay
I didn't
mean to
interrupt
but
this is
a great
show
and I
hope
we hear
a lot
more
of it
Okay
thanks
very much
for calling
Thank you
Bye bye
John from
Manhattan
Good night
Okay
We're losing
people like
flies here
Go right
ahead
I'm about
to retire
Okay
It must be
going up
somewhere
One is that
I recently
was calling
some business
number
and a woman
something answered
and said
please hold on
in a very
mechanical voice
there are no
operators available
at this time
and I was
really stumped
because you
have this
sensory apparatus
after a while
that tells you
that a voice
is recorded
and this woman
was trying to
sound like
she was recorded
but she was
a real live
person
and this is
one of the
great examples
of the computer
agent
what it does
to people
so I was
really puzzled
and I just
said
are you real
or are you
live
and she
laughed
and she said
I'm live
Well you know
that's a great
trick if you
want to know
who's calling
or a lot of
people will
turn on their
answering machines
and turn the
volume up
and listen to
the incoming
call before
they'll answer
Sort of like
a modern day
new technique
of monitoring
your phone call
or having a
preview of
your phone call
Or you can
answer your
phone on the
first ring
and go like
operator I need
the number
you're calling
from please
Yes but you
have to have
that all
important
boing machine
Yeah
Listen does
anybody know
how to get
the phone number
of a payphone
from the payphone
You dial
958
or you can
call the
AT&T operator
until you want
to make a call
to the Soviet
Union
This is serious
She'll have to
transfer you to
another operator
and she'll read
your number
if she'll know
calling from
212-279-3400
non-coin
I think she wants
a valid Soviet
number though
and that's something
No no
you have to give
that to the
second operator
You have to book
a call to the
Soviet Union
hours in advance
Hold on
is there new
information
As of two
months ago
due to
the glass
notes or
whatnot
you can get
a call
through the
Soviet Union
right away
you want to
place a call
you give
them the
number
and it's
ringing
Really?
Has anyone
been using
those new
phone
last week
918
phones out
on the street
Oh you're
talking about
co-cuts
customer
own coin
operated
telephones
Would you
believe
a three
block call
cost me
a buck
and a half
one day
on one
of those
A three
block call
That's not
inconceivable
They can
set the rates
up any way
they want
By the way
if anybody
wants to
screw up
those phones
there are
special codes
where you
can call
them up
and blow
their memory
If you ever
see a phone
called an
intelli-call
you can hit
the star
button
and then a
three digit
number
and it's
usually set
to 000
or 666
and then you
can reprogram
the date
and time
on that
So you
can have
the maximum
discount
in the middle
of the day
and the rates
go up
at night
Yeah well
one of the
phones
is set
up
so you
can call
up
with one
of your
phones
that you've
programmed
yourself
and have
your programming
transmitted over
to their phone
By the way
here's
anybody's
interested in
a working
manual
bulletin
004
of a
powerline
electric
coin
telephone
copy
Listen 958
for the person
who said
that doesn't
work at a
public payphone
Yes it does
Well it depends
where you are
Where are you
Okay specifically
Where are you
In
What state
I'm in
New Jersey
New Jersey
Okay
958 is
specific to
New York
I have yet
to know
what the
number
identification
is for
New Jersey
People have
been asking
me that
for years
and I don't
think anyone
has ever
found it
but I think
the only way
we're going
to find it
is by scanning
out the exchanges
and finding out
what each
exchange is used
for
I'm going to
do it tonight
Do it
It'll take you
a long time
It'll take you
a few
about a week
at least
No no no
I mean
I've tried
at public
payphones
to get the
number
to get
their
the payphone
number
from
with the
use of
958
and I found
in New York
City it
doesn't work
either
At some
places it
doesn't
I've heard
that there's
a new
rap line
for bad
drivers
for New
Jersey
Is that
true?
I've heard
about it
I try to
avoid those
advertisements
If you call
958
from a payphone
in the Marriott
Hotel
on 44th
Street
and Broadway
in the
background
while it's
reading off
your number
you hear
their music
on hold
music
which is
sometimes
fun
Fascinating
Well folks
with that
fascinating fact
we're going
to terminate
the conference
we will be
opening up
the phone
lines to
individual
calls
in a couple
of minutes
but I want
to thank
all you guys
for calling
up
and making
this
interesting
conversation
here
Thank you
My pleasure
Go ahead
We have
one last
You used to
work for the
phone company
And for all
you guys
phone freaks
who put down
the phone
company
you know
you realize
we really
gave you
great service
until the
breakup
And we're
a union
shop
Okay
so
you know
if
your phone
freaks
went into
New York
and worked
for AT&T
you know
we have
problems
and warts
and all
but we did
our best
to give
good service
When did
you work
for the
phone
company?
Around
8
2
I quit
Most phone
freaks
I've
ever
dealt
with
have
great
respect
for
what
the
phone
company
used
to
be
Yeah
a lot
of
the
phone
freaks
and
the
engineers
of the
world
are
the
only
people
that
know
how
to
make
a
phone
call
anymore
Yeah
like the
bell
raps
like you were
saying
what are
some of the
numbers
and extra
buttons
they put
those things
on because
they know
in the future
someone might
think up
something new
and you know
they use
another number
they need
another button
to put
Or eventually
they'll just
need more
exchanges
Well as of
1995
I believe
area codes
will no longer
have to have
one or zero
in the middle
of them
and then
you'll have
an unlimited
number
of exchanges
and area codes
Hey
can somebody
tell me
how powerful
a phone
line
how powerful
a computer
I need
to tap
into the
telephone
computer
line
How powerful
a computer
you don't
need a computer
at all
No no
I mean
if I tapped
into the
telephone
the actual
billing
computer
would a PC
do it
That sounds
illegal
That sounds
very illegal
and of course
we all
frown on that
but the fact
of the matter
is a terminal
can do it
you don't need
a computer
because you're
not computing
you're simply
tapping into
something
Who's not
computing
you don't
know what
I'm going
to do
Well no
but you'll
be using
their computer
to compute
I assume
I don't know
what you're
going to do
I don't
want to know
what you're
going to do
Anyway folks
thanks very much
for calling
One last thing
I'd like to
ask you all
to do
is all hang
up at the
same time
so that we
can hear
an amazing
number of
clicks and
relay is going
This is the
last interjection
go ahead
You don't need
a dumb terminal
you only need
a terminal
Okay fair enough
Folks it's been
a pleasure
maybe we'll
see some of
you at the
meeting tomorrow
Take it easy
Okay
What's the
number we're
going to hang
up on
Okay yes I
should count
down shouldn't
I
Okay
Right after
I say one
Three
Do announce
the meeting
again
I will
I don't know
what that is
Three
Two
One
There they go
Oh boy
It wasn't
that fun
A teleconference
here on the
airwaves
of WBAI
and
I'll tell you
you just
can't do
these things
anywhere
It takes
a radio
station like
this to
appreciate
technology in
that kind
of a way
where you
can link
ten people
up together
for how
long did
we do
this
an hour
and a
half
an hour
and twenty
minutes
and just
talk about
phones
and computers
and shortwave
and pirate
radio stations
and things
like that
so I hope
we do that
again
we have another
half hour
though of
Off the Hook
and I'd like
to again
remind you
if you want
a free
listing of
the various
conference line
services
and these are
the ones
you'd have
to pay for
folks
the ones
that cost
lots of
money
write to
us
at Off
the Hook
care of
WBAI
505
8th Avenue
New York
New York
10018
and I was
thinking with
the guy from
the phone
company
and all
these other
people
that seem
to have
an unending
supply of
stories
and methods
of getting
information
if you have
a story
or some
interesting
piece of
information
regarding
telephones
or computers
you can
send it
in to
2600
magazine
and
I know
it'll get
printed
if it's
interesting
and
of use
to people
all over
the world
it's the
way that
technological
enthusiasts
and that's
what we like
to call
these people
it's kind
of a
positive
way of
referring
to them
technological
enthusiasts
because that's
really what
we are
we just
love
technology
we love
to play
with these
things
these toys
and ask
the questions
and find
out the
answers
we're not
supposed
to know
sometimes
so if you
want to
send in
an article
or a
list of
phone numbers
or any
kind of
information
like that
write to
2600
post office
box
752
middle
island
new
york
11953
i'll give
that one
more time
2600
2600
po box
752
middle
island
two words
new
york
two more
words
11953
and if
you want
to leave
a message
or call
up or hear
all that
again
call
516
751
2600
and you
can call
that 24
hours a
day
our number
is 279
3400
area code
212
we'll be
taking a few
more calls
but first
I'm gonna
get a drink
of water
or something
and I'll
leave you
with this
a phone
oh no
come on
you must be
wondering
how to live
like we do
to have respect
from everyone
that you
know
to have some
lies
invited
as I know
do
when you
go home
to answer
you're
telephone
he who
loves
is
he
like
best
the road
is
not
on
the door
and he
who
calls
is
he
like
drop
the
invitation
is
on
the
wall
sitting
down
and switching
up
the
wooden
box
the door
is locked
switching
up
the
road
outside
the
party
is
open
for
the
night
it
must be
wonderful
to live
like you
do
to have
respect
on
everyone
that you
know
to have
surprises
waiting
outside
your
door
when you
go home
to
answer
your
telephone
the
telephone
starts
ringing
rings
the
lightning
bell
starts
to
shine
hit
with
drop
burst
into
sun
it's
out
of
tune
the
time
is
wrong
it
makes me
wonder
good to
live
like you
do
to have
respect
from
everyone
that
you
know
to have
surprises
waiting
outside
your
door
when
you
come
home
to
answer
your
telephone
finger
at
you
can
get
prepared
to
live
like
To have respect from everyone that you know
To have surprises waiting outside your door
When you go on to answer your telephone
Lying down, sucking in
The mobile van, the door is locked
Switching up, the road outside
The heart is open for the night
It must be wonderful to live like you do
To have respect from everyone that you know
To have surprises waiting outside your door
When you go on to answer your telephone
It must be wonderful to live like you do
To have respect from everyone that you know
To have surprises waiting outside your door
When you go on to answer your telephone
It must be wonderful to live like you do
To have respect from everyone that you know
That's the fun boy three of course
With the telephone always rings
And our telephones are ringing
You can make it ring some more though
By calling us at 279-3400
We'll be going back to the phones in just a minute
But we have an important reminder for one thing
Hello, this is Mr. Memory
What have you forgotten today?
Let's take the first call
Hello, Mr.
Uh, Mr.
Memory
Yeah, yeah
I pledged to WBAI during the last marathon
And I keep forgetting to send in the check
To post office box 12345
Church Street Station
New York, New York
10249
Made out to Pacifica WBAI
How can I remember?
Well, tie a loop of barbed wire around your wrist
And at the same time
Form a mental image of a tetrahedron
Spin it 37...
...to send your check to WBAI
At Box 12345
Church Street Station
New York, New York
10249
You should send it in immediately
BAI needs the money
And that's true
We need the money
So please, if you made a pledge
Pay your pledge
It's a part of the deal
You know, you make the pledge
And you pay it
And believe me
You'll feel much better
After paying it, too
Well, our number is 279-3400
We'll be going back to the phones
In just a minute or so
For you shortwave people
The Autonomous Komi Republic
Which is part of the Russian Federation
Is situated in the far northwest of Europe
And spreads up to the Arctic part
Of the Ural Mountains
It's crossed by nine northern parallels
Ten fair-sized European states
Could be placed on its territory
Besides indigenous residents
That is, the Komi people
There are also Russians, Ukrainians
Nenetses, Chuvashis
And Tatars
And now, let's go back into history a little bit
A boy lying on skins behind our backs
Was turning the knobs of a small transistor radio
And the tent was suddenly filled with an announcer's voice speaking comedy
Then, with music from Moscow
Followed by English and French speech
The recording was made at the Moscow Theater of Musical Miniatures
Now, back to modern times
Your attention please
At the recommendation of the International Time Bureau
Commencing at 23 hours, 59 minutes, 60 seconds UTC
An extra second will be inserted into the NBS timescale
This adjustment is required to maintain internationally coordinated universal time
As broadcast from these stations
In close agreement with UT-1
Or Astronomical Time
W-A-6-O-D-B
With a question
And, uh
Do you know how many time zones there are in the Soviet Union?
And about power
You might
We got so much power now
Do you know how many time zones there are in the Soviet Union?
We got so much power now
That's ridiculous
Do you know how many time zones there are in the Soviet Union?
Power
Power
And all that
That's power
We got so much power
That's ridiculous
We have
Power
Power
Power
Power
Power
Power
Power
Now
It's ridiculous
We got so much power now
Do you know how many time zones there are in the Soviet Union?
It's not even funny
You might
That's ridiculous
Do you know how many
It's not even funny
You might
That's ridiculous
Do you know how many
That's ridiculous
Do you know how many times
That's ridiculous
It's not even funny
You might
It's not even funny
It's not even funny
Do you know how many times
time zones there are in the Soviet Union?
It's not even funny.
How many time zones?
Yeah. We have four in this country, right?
How many time zones?
Yeah.
One, two, three.
Four in this country, right?
Yes, sir.
Four, one, two, three. Yes, sir.
Right.
One, two, three. Yes, sir.
Four time zones?
Yeah. We have four in this country, right?
No, sir.
We have...
Yes, sir.
Do you know how many time zones they have?
Yes, sir. Four. No, sir.
I never really studied that up.
Eleven.
Eleven. It's not even funny.
Eleven.
Eleven. That's ridiculous.
Eleven.
Eleven. That's what we can do.
We can go anywhere because we live here.
We can go anywhere else.
Yeah, but not only the right of free travel, I'm saying eleven.
Eleven. One, two, three. Yes, sir.
Eleven.
Eleven.
That's how big they are.
Yeah. Yeah.
That's how big they are.
Yeah. Yeah.
I can believe that.
I'm a firm believer in that.
Right?
One, two, three.
Four.
Yes, sir.
One, two, three.
Yes, sir.
Yes, sir.
The Soviet Union, the whole half side of the world.
Yeah.
And we're just a little, one little tent of the globe.
Yeah.
They, uh, when you talk about fighting, we're a country that, uh, we're a firm believer on
Christ.
And it's called help thy neighbor.
Do not kill.
Do not, you know, steal, cheat, lie from everybody.
That's why we have to have computers, because, man, nobody is perfect.
You know?
It's not even funny.
You meant...
And about power, man, nobody is perfect.
You know?
So what is your point?
Nobody is perfect.
You know?
So what is your point, Glenn?
There is, there is, there's two things you don't talk about.
One's politics, the other one's religion.
You meant...
They can, the reason you don't talk about them is because they combine in each other.
You know what I'm saying?
Do you know how many time zones there are in the Soviet Union?
You know what I'm saying?
Don't you kid yourself.
Thanks, Glenn, for the, uh...
No, just thanks for the, the good thoughts.
This concludes our transmission to Oceania.
However, listeners in East Asia may continue listening on the following shortwave frequency.
61-10, 72-30, 95-65, 97-60, 15-160, and 15-425 kilohertz.
And I really envy anybody that, uh, was driving along
down, uh, down a city street, let's say, uh, the West Side Highway or something, seeing
a city filled with lights, but nobody moving about, just all these buildings and these orange
sodium vapor lights, hearing that strange, strange sound from Radio Moscow and telephone
calls, and strange, alien-type music.
Well, that came to us from Negative Land.
Uh, fantastic, uh, California group of people.
And the whole album is, is just filled with all kinds of surprises.
And one of my favorites, Negative Land, from their most recent album.
Well, this, uh, this program is off the hook, and we're on for about another 15 minutes.
Coming in at, uh, 3.30 is morning due.
And, uh, we will be taking phone calls.
And what is the number, computer?
2-7-9-3-4-100 is a working number.
And that is correct.
Area code 2-1-2-2-7-9-3-4-100.
The program is off the hook, and we're talking about telephones and, uh, computers and various
things like that.
Let's go back to the phones.
Good evening.
You're on the air.
Now, Manny, I'm curious.
Now, I wonder if you know a way that I can get a list of 800 numbers, for instance, if
there's an 800 number I know, that I can, I can find that out.
Well, I believe, uh, AT&T has some kind of an 800 directory.
Is that what you're looking for?
Well, either that, either, either a directory, like, like a phone book, you mean.
Uh, yeah, they said, they have a, a toll-free phone, one for residents and one for, uh, businesses.
And they, they charge you for it, though.
If you call AT&T, they'll tell you how to get it.
What, man, I want to charge you if it's a toll-free number.
I should be, I should be, I should be able to call that number for free.
Well, you, you raised a very good point there, one that I've never been able to understand.
Yes, they are toll-free numbers.
I ain't paying, I ain't paying a lot of money for a toll-free number.
But the book costs money, but, but it balances out, you see, because the numbers that you
call and you pay money for, the phone books are free, right?
See, see, my, my brother worked, my brother worked for the post office in Louisiana.
Uh-huh.
And I was, I was wondering, I was wondering if they had a, if they had a toll-free number for that
down there.
Say, I ain't, I ain't paying a whole lot of money or something for a book, just so I
can find out if they got a toll-free number.
Oh, well, no, you can call toll-free information, is that what you want to do?
No, it's like, I never, I can call.
Oh, yes, yes.
Just dial 1-800-555-1212.
Hold on, let me get my pen.
It's, it's, it's really quite simple.
I dial 1, I dial 800.
Okay, what I dial?
5-5-5-1212.
5-5.
5-1-2-1-2.
Yeah, why don't you read that back to me, man, let's make sure you got it correctly.
1-8-5.
Oh, boy.
5-5.
No, no, no, let's start over again.
Okay.
Okay, let's start over, clean the slate.
Okay, I'm just, okay.
Here we go.
What do you mean?
We're going to start from scratch, we're going to start from scratch, and then we're going
to get it right this time.
1.
Okay, so 1-800-1.
Oh, boy.
I'm going to say this one more time, and then you can, you can sort of go out into
the street and start screaming, and somebody will help you then.
And I was driving along on the West Side Highway, and I heard some strange lights and all.
I don't think you were on the West Side Highway at all.
Okay.
I mean, maybe, maybe, maybe in your mind you're in the West Side Highway.
I mean, what I'm doing is I'm trying to depreciate the audience.
Uh-huh.
And let you understand that we're out here, and we know where you're going, you know,
we know where you're going to.
Where are we going to?
Well, I understand, I understand where you're going with the show.
I understand what you're saying by the show.
Okay, well, that's good that you understand that.
That's very good.
1-800-555-1212 for toll-free information.
We're going to go to some more calls.
Okay, thank you.
Bye-bye.
Good evening, you're on the air.
Yeah, hi.
I'm trying to reach my brother up in New York.
I'm calling from Louisiana.
Wait a minute, wait.
What's going on here?
How many phones do you have?
Well, let's hope you don't have any more.
Good evening, you're on the air.
Hello, good morning.
Hi.
Hi.
Hi.
Could you please tell me how I could get something like the KKK hotline?
Well, I won't ask why you want something like that, but there are numbers published.
You're talking about a phone hotline, right?
Yeah.
In fact, on a radio show I did a couple of weeks ago on a different station, I called
two Nazi hotlines live on the air.
I got quite a response.
People had no idea these things existed, and the things they were saying, of course, were
really horrible.
I don't have numbers with me.
I know they exist.
I know we printed them in the magazine.
They're on bulletin boards, so I can't help you there.
And I don't think they're listed in directory information as the KKK hotline or anything
like that.
I would suggest asking around in the computer underground or just calling other people with
a similar interest.
Those numbers do get spread around.
And there's Nazi bulletin board systems, too, which also say horrible things.
Well, I don't want the Nazi bulletin board.
I want the KKK.
Well, I wish I could help you, but I can't.
I just don't have that number with me now.
They're in other states.
Excuse me?
They're in other states.
They're in other states.
Yeah, I can give you numbers for us.
K is listed in the phone book.
They're listed in the phone book?
Yeah.
Wow.
What state have they listed in the phone book?
Louisiana.
That's certainly a revelation to me.
That's interesting.
Well, if you call Louisiana Information and ask for the Ku Klux Klan, you'll get a phone
number.
I guess I'm living in a world that doesn't exist yet.
Thanks for telling me that.
It makes my day.
Oh, boy.
Ku Klux Klan in the phone book.
I guess that's true.
Yeah, why not?
Might as well make racism something official.
Good evening.
You're on the air.
It was people like him that make unrest.
And God bless him.
Good evening.
You're on the air.
That moment of silence was brought to you by that unknown person on the air.
Good evening.
You're on the air.
Same person.
Good evening.
You're on the air.
You fucking sco-
Good evening.
You're on the air.
Yeah.
Hi, Emmanuel.
This is Bobby.
I called earlier.
Uh, this evening we were talking about, uh, 958 and numbers and I figured I'd try to bring
that back up because of all this garbage which is going on right now.
Uh-huh.
Um.
Go ahead.
And let me think of some interesting numbers that I've heard of.
Uh, there's 660-112 which makes the phone ring and instead when you get the high tone
beep, you can, uh, dial 123-456-7890 and it will beep twice to you if your touch tones
are working properly.
Well, that's, that's nice to hear.
You mean you enter touch tones and, um, you'll get a nice little beep if you enter them all
correctly?
No, the touch tones and, uh, if, if they, if your tones are working properly, it'll beep
twice to let you know that, uh, your tones are working properly.
Well, that's, that's wonderful.
Any other numbers?
Um, no.
Okay, well, again, I'll, I'll give out a couple of more numbers that we, uh, we mentioned
earlier, but thanks for, uh, filling us in, Bobby.
Okay.
Um, if you want, um, a listing through New York Telephone of the various teleconferences,
you can call 550-INFO, 550-INFO.
That's a free call.
And nothing else in 550 is free, so that's the only one.
Unless you call a number that doesn't exist in 550, that will be free.
Also, 540-INFO and 970-INFO.
Uh, you'll need a touch tone phone, but you can get a listing of all the different services.
If you want a, a free hard copy paper listing, uh, simply, uh, write to us here, off the
hook, 505 8th Avenue.
That's off the hook, care of WBAI, 505 8th Avenue, New York, New York, 10018.
And as long as I'm giving out all the numbers and addresses and things like that, if you're
interested in, uh, telecommunications and you're a phone freak or a computer hacker or you want
to know what they're up to, um, you might want to check out 2600 Magazine or at least find
out more about it, you can call 516-751-2600 for more information on that.
And one final thing I'd like to, um, like to bring up tonight, um, this, uh, this book that
just sort of was thrown at me almost literally a few days ago called Tune In on Telephone
Calls, uh, written by, uh, Tom Knightell, also known as K2AES to all you hems out there.
What do people discuss over the phone when they think they have total privacy?
They argue?
Exchange personal and business secrets?
Plan felonies?
Make legal and illegal deals?
Buy stocks?
Make investments?
Wheel and deal?
Offer and accept bribes and kickbacks?
Get engaged and divorced?
Accus one another of cheating?
Conduct lurid or illicit romances?
Deal in drugs?
Brag?
Lie?
Get hired and fired?
Provide medical and legal advice?
Get into and out of jams?
Gripe about money woes?
Engage in highly charged family hassles?
Ridicule co-workers and neighbors?
Make indecent proposals?
Gossip?
And more?
These are tradespeople, members of the news media, politicians, hookers, executives, professional
people, show business celebrities, criminals, and your neighbors.
And few have even the foggiest notion that private telephone calls over car phones, cordless
telephones, and many other modern telecommunications devices are broadcasting their conversations
out over the airwaves, where they can be very easily overheard by anybody with a shortwave
receiver or inexpensive police-type scanner receiver.
It takes no technical expertise nor complex equipment to tune in.
To tune in?
That's a misprint for you.
Okay, let's erase one of those tune-ins.
It takes no technical expertise nor complex equipment to tune in on telephone calls from
homes, cars, ships, aircraft, offices, and even trains.
In fact, listening in has become a popular pastime, as well as a valuable tool for private
investigators, law enforcement agencies, even folks with ulterior motives, despite virtually
unenforceable legislation enacted to try and dissuade the public from eavesdropping on
at least some of these open-book telephone calls.
And this book that I'm holding in my hand is about touch telephone calls and the discrete
frequencies and channels they use that can be easily received on home and portable receivers.
It gives a complete listing of all kinds of frequencies and articles.
There's clippings about people listening in on cellular phone calls.
Pictures of radios that can do this kind of thing.
Very worthwhile, and I would suggest checking that out as well.
You can either pick up a copy of Popular Electronics or Electronics Illustrated, one of those
magazines, or write to CRB Research Books Incorporated, P.O. Box 56, Comac, New York, 11725.
The book is called Tune In on Telephone Calls, and I'll give that address one more time.
CRB Research Books Incorporated, P.O. Box 56, Comac, New York, 11725.
And for the last time, I'll give out our address here at the radio station.
Off the Hook, care of WBAI, that's 505 8th Avenue, New York, New York, 10018.
We've been talking about telephones and hackers and phone freaks and all kinds of technological
marvels, and it's been quite an experience.
Hopefully, we'll be back again soon to talk about another aspect of it.
Tonight, it was teleconferences, but there's so many things.
When you pick up that phone and you get one of these dial tone things, you know, you can
do anything with that.
Okay, okay, we've got a couple of minutes here.
We've got a couple of minutes, except I can't seem to dial for some reason, I guess because
I have this switch up there, okay?
Let me try to do this without having to switch up.
And am I doing this correctly?
No, let's try it.
See, this is the thing.
With telephones, you can be real spontaneous.
It hung up on me.
The phone itself hung up on me.
Okay, we won't do it this show.
We won't have outgoing calls on this show, but on a show that we do have outgoing calls,
you'll see the power, the potential.
Last week, in a frenzy, I called South Korea just to see who would answer the phone at the
Olympic Stadium.
I called a number in the Olympic Village, and I had a nice conversation with somebody.
It sounded like I was talking to somebody down the street.
With telephones, you can do anything.
Of course, I'll be paying for that.
That's the disadvantage, and that's what we were talking about here tonight, is the fact
that communications are kept out of our hands by the cost factor.
Maybe that will change with time, but it certainly will change with awareness.
And if we think of our phones as more than just a tool, more than just a way of getting
through the boring day, we'll enrich our lives, we'll learn something, and in the end, who
knows?
We'll get something for it.
Besides, horrible error tones.
My name's Emmanuel Goldstein.
It's been a lot of fun being here tonight, and hopefully we'll do it again soon.
Off the hook.
And this is WBAI in New York.
Stay tuned for Morning Dew, coming up.
The number you have reached has been disconnected.
The number you have reached has been disconnected.
This is WBAI.
The number you have reached has been disconnected.
Hello, this is Mr. Memory.
What have you forgotten today?
Let's take the first call.
Hello, Mr. Memory.
Yeah.