# Why, oh why, did they ever deregulate Ma Bell? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 27, 2003, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oh-why-did-they-ever-deregulate-ma-bell/191177 "2003-07-27T01:20:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ultress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/7c8e57/32.png) [@ultress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultress)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oh-why-did-they-ever-deregulate-ma-bell/191177/21 "2003-07-27T23:58:01Z")
You think this is big problems, just wait until the electrical utilities are deregulated. Your electric bill will triple after the first year. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oh-why-did-they-ever-deregulate-ma-bell/191177/22 "2003-07-28T01:46:47Z")
**MamaTiger** , I used to work in the payphone division of a large telephone company which shall remain nameless. Yep, I was one of the goat-felching asshats. Despite the unconscionable rates we charged for operator-assisted calls, the division was insufficiently profitable and I was laid off. _That_ may make you feel better! Here is a simple rule to follow: Never, _never_, _ **never** _ place a phone call which begins with anything other than 1-800 from a phone which is not your own (that is, from a hotel phone or a payphone). If you do, you will be ripped off. Every time. No exceptions. Memorize your calling card number and your PIN. Use it. (Or use a cell phone.) If you forget it, as a last resort, use one of those numbers they advertise on TV like 1-800-COLLECT or 1-800-CALLATT. These can still be a ripoff but they are not as bad as direct dialing from hotel phones or payphones. The pay phone business is dying, so the telco mindset is to milk it for every last drop before it expires. Don’t be one of the milk-ees. Also, in your case, if you’re in the mood to fight this, it _might_ be worthwhile to make a complaint to your state PUC. The call you describe is an _intrastate_ call, and intrastate operator-assisted rates are still regulated in some states. (None of this has anything to do with the long-ago break-up of “Ma Bell”, which involved only deregulation of _interstate_ long distance calls.) ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oh-why-did-they-ever-deregulate-ma-bell/191177/23 "2003-07-28T01:57:00Z")
Yes, **jklann** , your advice is sound. Young Tiger says he dialed 0 to place his collect call, but he’s definitely learned his lesson. (He damn well better have – next time, HE pays the bill!) Oh, and he tells me the actual long distance provider was MCI. Gee, what a surprise! **peri** , the telephone in question was in the New Orleans Convention Center during a large computer convention. A facility that has security guards on every single door around the clock. Not exactly a drug hangout. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oh-why-did-they-ever-deregulate-ma-bell/191177/24 "2003-07-28T02:20:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mama Tiger \* > **Oh, and he tells me the actual long distance provider was MCI. Gee, what a surprise!** Technically, you probably mean the “operator assisted service provider”, rather than the “long distance provider”. A three-mile call wouldn’t ordinarily be long distance, unless it happened to cross a LATA boundary. As a final tip, if you absolutely must make a collect call without going through an 800 number (and you shouldn’t! But if for some reason you must . . . ) be sure to dial 0 followed by the number, rather than just dialing 0, waiting for the operator, and saying “I’d like to make a collect call”. The latter requires “live operator intervention” and is even more of a ripoff than the former. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oh-why-did-they-ever-deregulate-ma-bell/191177/25 "2003-07-28T02:39:26Z")
> [@](#): > > Since you work for a phone company, does your phone company sit on unused blocks of phone numbers? How many? Is there a program to return unused numbers to the general pool? Some of what you’re asking is proprietery information and the rest of it has to do with parts of the company I don’t really deal with any more. I remember that once a number is assigned to us it’s “ours” unless a customer ports it to another company, and that if a custoemr brings his service to us and then disconnects without taking the number to another company we keep it. If you want more specific information I can ask tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oh-why-did-they-ever-deregulate-ma-bell/191177/26 "2003-07-28T02:41:11Z")
> [@](#): > > Young Tiger says he dialed 0 to place his collect call, but he’s definitely learned his lesson. Yup, “ZPD” stands for “zero plus dialing.” ---
**Author:** ![cleosia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@cleosia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cleosia)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oh-why-did-they-ever-deregulate-ma-bell/191177/27 "2003-07-28T19:04:00Z")
Actually, calling card calls can be outrageous, too. My MCI card charged outrageous amounts when my husband used it to call NJ from Maryland. I’m going to try 10-10-987! ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oh-why-did-they-ever-deregulate-ma-bell/191177/28 "2003-07-28T19:37:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by danceswithcats \* > \*\*IIRC, Lily did her bit on Rowan & Martin’s _Laugh-In._ \*\* I think you’re right. Thanks for the correction, Danceswithcats! ---
**Author:** ![c\_goat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@c\_goat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/c_goat)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oh-why-did-they-ever-deregulate-ma-bell/191177/29 "2003-07-28T21:26:35Z")
Darn, I wanted to make the Carrot Top reference. The sad thing is that it was my first thought to use that number, rather than dialing 0, as I’m acquainted already with the outrageous prices for collect calls. I guess annoying as he is, the advertising works. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oh-why-did-they-ever-deregulate-ma-bell/191177/30 "2003-07-28T21:26:44Z")
Considering I’m now on a plan that gives me unlimited local and long-distance nationwide for $49.95/month, plus a few other services like Caller ID, 3-way calling, and whatnot tossed in along with, I’m not gonna complain about dereg. **Mama Tiger** , what you do for calls away from home is buy one of those phone cards they sell in the checkout lines of the marts and grocery stores nowadays. I just bought a 240-minute card for $13.95 at K-Mart (infuriatingly enough, there’s still an occasional reason to go in there); that’s less than 6¢ per minute, which is way cheaper than even your phone-company calling card. (They’ll charge you an extra couple minutes for calling from a pay phone if you do that, but that’s no big deal.) Buy one of those for Young Tiger, and when that one runs out, buy him another. And so forth. These things are so cheap, everyone should always have one in their wallet, so they never have to call collect again. ---
**Author:** ![OxyMoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9a140/32.png) [@OxyMoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxyMoron)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oh-why-did-they-ever-deregulate-ma-bell/191177/31 "2003-07-29T02:13:39Z")
Just be aware that phone cards frequently have hidden charges - in my experience, .50 to turn them on and another .50 every two weeks or so for “maintenance.” So unless you know you’ll use the card up quickly, just get a cheapie. (Of course, even with those charges it’s still 3.5 fuckloads cheaper than what the Cub’s call cost you.) ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oh-why-did-they-ever-deregulate-ma-bell/191177/32 "2003-07-29T03:16:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by danceswithcats \* > \*\*IIRC, Lily did her bit on Rowan & Martin’s _Laugh-In._ \*\* She may have done the operator bit on Laugh-In but she also did it on SNL. It was a filmed parody commercial which lasted longer than the usual. I distinctly remember her slamming a computer keyboard with her elbows and saying something like “We just took out Dayton” and snorting and laughing. Lily hosted again after the breakup and did a bit about it. I don’t remamber that one very well but I recall that she was fairly contrite but also had plans to re-establish the monopoly. ---
**Author:** ![Emperor\_Penguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c2a13f/32.png) [@Emperor\_Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emperor_Penguin)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oh-why-did-they-ever-deregulate-ma-bell/191177/33 "2003-07-29T07:45:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RTFirefly \* > \*\ ***Mama Tiger** , what you do for calls away from home is buy one of those phone cards they sell in the checkout lines of the marts and grocery stores nowadays. I just bought a 240-minute card for $13.95 at K-Mart (infuriatingly enough, there’s still an occasional reason to go in there); that’s less than 6¢ per minute, which is way cheaper than even your phone-company calling card. (They’ll charge you an extra couple minutes for calling from a pay phone if you do that, but that’s no big deal.) > > Buy one of those for Young Tiger, and when that one runs out, buy him another. And so forth. These things are so cheap, everyone should always have one in their wallet, so they never have to call collect again. \*\* Those are what I always use. I like them simply because, at the end of the month, I don’t have huge phone bill wrestling for my wallet. And I find that they are not that bad of a deal in the long run. Of course where I’m at now, i have unlimited long distance for $20 after 6:00 pm, so I’m happy. Another idea, is a pre paid coin card. I don’t know if you have them down in the states, but I can get a smart card (Telus for me) which I can use almost any where. It looks like a credit card, and has a little metal square on one end. I just zip it into the credit card slot of any pay phone, and make my call. Most of the phones have been updated to accept them, and I never have to worry about not having change or having the phone rejecting any coins I may have. ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oh-why-did-they-ever-deregulate-ma-bell/191177/34 "2003-07-29T09:34:37Z")
I had the idea that **Young Tiger** should get a prepaid cell. Yes, they’re more expensive, but he’s going to be going into the Air Force in February, and since he’s not exactly a phone fiend, he doesn’t have to get very many minutes. After all, how long DOES it take to call and say, “I’m done with work, can you come and get me?” And that way he’s not locked into a contract. The problem with cards is that pay phones are getting harder to find, assuming that’s all that’s available to Joe Public. Apparently we ALL have cell phones now. 'Course, the phone I have now would have been science fiction ten years ago. Weird. ---
**Author:** ![Tamex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Tamex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamex)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oh-why-did-they-ever-deregulate-ma-bell/191177/35 "2003-07-29T18:13:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jklann \* > \*\*Technically, you probably mean the “operator assisted service provider”, rather than the “long distance provider”. A three-mile call wouldn’t ordinarily be long distance, unless it happened to cross a LATA boundary. > > As a final tip, if you absolutely must make a collect call without going through an 800 number (and you shouldn’t! But if for some reason you must . . . ) be sure to dial 0 followed by the number, rather than just dialing 0, waiting for the operator, and saying “I’d like to make a collect call”. The latter requires “live operator intervention” and is even more of a ripoff than the former. \*\* IAALTO (Local telephone operator). I don’t know about other companies, but if someone reaches us through “0” and asks for a collect call, we are required to provide 0+ dialling instructions first, rather than just placing the call and “ripping you off”. If you are having trouble with the call, we place it at the 0+ rate. We are also required to offer a rate quote for every alternatively billed call…if Mama Tiger wasn’t offered one, she absolutely should dispute the charges for that call! I’m guessing that it was placed from a privately-owned payphone (especially if they can turn the coin slot on and off), and some of those are real ripoffs. If they don’t offer you a rate quote–ASK FOR IT! Those prepaid cards are great…until you have trouble with one, that is. I get a lot of calls from people who have trouble with those, and they say that the customer service number is no help at all. Maybe some cards are better than others. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oh-why-did-they-ever-deregulate-ma-bell/191177/36 "2003-07-29T20:28:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Libertarian \* > \*\*I think you’re right. Thanks for the correction, Danceswithcats! \*\* Actually , **Libertarian** you were right the first time. Liliy did her operator bit first on “Laugh-In” but the skit you remember was performed on “Saturday Night Live” (on film), when she guest-hosted. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oh-why-did-they-ever-deregulate-ma-bell/191177/37 "2003-07-29T21:03:24Z")
Well, Young Tiger used a phone card all last year while away at school; it cost me about $30 for the year for ALL his phone calls home. So he was equally horrified about this charge. Whatever else happens, he will NEVER dial 0 to place a collect call again! ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oh-why-did-they-ever-deregulate-ma-bell/191177/38 "2003-07-29T21:33:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BMalion \* > \*\*Actually , **Libertarian** you were right the first time. Liliy did her operator bit first on “Laugh-In” but the skit you remember was performed on “Saturday Night Live” (on film), when she guest-hosted. \*\* Thank god someone cleared this up. RTFT. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oh-why-did-they-ever-deregulate-ma-bell/191177/39 "2003-07-29T22:00:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Otto \* > \*\*Thank god someone cleared this up. RTFT. \*\* anytime I can be of service. :smack: _preview, preview, preview_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-oh-why-did-they-ever-deregulate-ma-bell/191177.md?page=1)