Yet another con to be aware of.

[pamphonica]

"Stealing electricity". I wonder how you set about doing that

The "Phone Freaks" who started in the US initially clipped small devices inside pay phones to pulse out numbers free using no more than a relay making and breaking the loop-disconnect contacts. So they were "stealing" electricity from the -48V line bias supply to do so.

But then the phone companies got wise and stopped that. So the Freaks moved to tone dialling to access trunk exchanges, so not actually connecting wires, but "mis-using" someone's electricity?

When I spent a year in High School in Boston in 1964, virtually the first thing I was shown by one classmate was how to stick an ice-lolly stick down the "dime" slot in the pay phone to get free calls. Ingenious bunch.

Sorry - major veer off-topic!

But I agree the phone companies could do more. I just don't agree that they are responsible for content or usage.

-Jeremy