Wiretap... 1960s vs. today...

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[John Turney]

In the 40's & 50's, it would be "I better not say that or the neighbors on the party line will hear."

 

[PAUL161]

LOL, I remember the party line! We were on one when I was a kid and you could almost hear someone breathing somewhere while we were on the phone. Probably a busy body old lady down the road, she knew everybody's business.

 

[LarryK]

My grandma's was three short rings, but she picked the phone up for every ring. One day she slammed the phone down when someone told her to hang up by name. She never figured out who knew. She had not remembered the ring sequence.

 

[Basil]

LOL, I remember the party line!

Back in High School (Denver) there was a number you could dial and talk to anyone who wanted to call the number and chat. It was like a group chat line. It was sometimes fun, sometimes weird.

 

[SimsBJ8]

Or dial your own number and get a busy signal. All the lines crossed and we talked between the beeping busy signal to whoever else was on the line. Strange how we find things that amuse us and keeps us busy. By the way, I have an old British Sports Car in my garage that keeps me amused and busy!

 

[Gliderman8]

Back in High School (Denver) there was a number you could dial and talk to anyone who wanted to call the number and chat. It was like a group chat line. It was sometimes fun, sometimes weird.

Had a classmate in high school who spent time in jail for his phone antics. He was extremely bright by todays standards a nerd.
For the younger crowd.... Back in the late 60's you could call information in any city to get a phone number from live operator.
You would call the city area code something like area code + 555-1212. Then request the phone number you wanted.
My classmate made this tone generator box and would call information in an area code to any city of his choice. Once the operator answered, he was able to disconnect the operator through the box he made and then he had a FREE open line to make long distance calls.
He was ultimately caught when calls to "information" were showing up as 30-60 minutes each. Off to jail he went.

 

[SimsBJ8]

Sounds like Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne (before they started apple) with their sound generators.

 

[Basil]

My classmate made this tone generator box and would call information in an area code to any city of his choice. Once the operator answered, he was able to disconnect the operator through the box he made and then he had a FREE open line to make long distance calls.

Was your friend’s name by any chance Rat?

 

[Gliderman8]

Was your friend’s name by any chance Rat?

Certainly could have been. He was one smart kid. You could start rattling off numbers (large numbers) and as soon as you finished speaking he would give you the total.