[Celtic Conservative]

Did you ever use the automated collect call system to leave a message for your parents? for example your parents got a call that went like this: "you have a collect call from (pickmeupatthemall). will you accept the charges?" and then your parents would hang up and then go pick you up at the mall.

CC

[lacrew]

Good idea, but we never thought of that.

A few years ago, I saw a story on the Phonephreaks:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phreaking

Sort of the ancestors of modern hackers. They had all kinds of work-arounds.

[Rebelbase]

“Did you ever use the automated collect call system to leave a message for your parents? for example your parents got a call that went like this: “you have a collect call from (pickmeupatthemall). will you accept the charges?” and then your parents would hang up and then go pick you up at the mall. “

Never did that one but we did have a code worked out for when us kids were leaving home and traveling we’d call home collect using a historical name play like Abel Lincoln or Georgio Washington to let the parents know we’d arrived safe.

[P.O.E.]

Mom used to put a dime in my sneaker. When it was time to get picked up (pool, bowling alley, whatever), I’d call from the pay phone, ring three times, and hang up.