This article is solely a fictional piece covering a few tricks you can play on our friends at Bell Telephone. I would never suggest you actually try any of these - as they are illegal (phhht).
Payfones
1. Operator Access Codes
Operator access codes are codes used by Bell linemen (the service technicians) to maintain the payfones. These 7 digit codes are entered right upon picking up the receiver of the payfone. Once a correct code is entered in the fone - the Lineman is given a whole bunch of options to choose from. Some of these options are...
-Coin Retrieval
-Adjust cost of service
-Disable coin service
These are just a few of the options that are given to the lineman once he enters the code. As you can see, there is a lot of potential in what you can do with these codes. The coin retrieval is used to take the coin bag (the bag that stores all the duckets) from the fone.
If you attempt to do this without first entering the access code, the fone will trigger an alarm and a Bell Security office (usually accompanied with a real cop) will visit the fone, to ensure it's not being tampered with. But if you manage to do this properly, then you'll be fine to remove the bag. I'll go into how to remove the coin bag later on the article. The Adjust Cost Of Service option allows you to change the cost of a local phone call. And Disable Coin Service allows you to disable the coin service of the telefone, but there's an easier way of doing this that I'll get into later. If you're interested in getting some operator access codes, just go steal some Bell garbage and sift through it (you'd be amazed at what you'd find).
2. Hangup Trick
The hangup trick is a malicious technique one can use on the new digital payfones. There's nothing to gain from this payfone aside from being able to disable the fone. Follow this process....
1. Pick up the fone from the receiver
2. Press the 'Next Call' button and at the same time, hangup the receiver
3. Repeat step 2 until the LCD screen goes blank & then do it about 20 more times.
If you did this succesfully the fone will go dead. This is an older trick I learned a year or two ago and so it's working on less and less payfones nowadays (as Bell repairs them to prevent this trick) - but it's a neat trick to play if it's never been done in your neighbourhood before.
3. Third Party Calling
Use this, if you're interested in getting some free long distance. The only catch is you have to access to another person's VMB (Voice Mail Box). If you do, then set the greeting on their VMB to repeat "Yes" for about 30 seconds. Now call up Bell and get the number for the automated 3rd party billing service. When you call up it'll ask your name (don't give your real name obviously). Next it'll ask for the number to bill the call to - give them the number of the VMB. If you did it right, the service will ask the VMB if it accepts the charge, it will hear one of the yes' and your call will be connected. Remember not to do this at home though, because almost all fone companies keep a record of 3rd party calls and you will be caught.
4. Social Engineering The Operators
This trick, another method of getting free calls, relies on your ability to totally bullshit someone. You have to call a major company and ask to speek to the person on the switchboard. Then you have to convince her to transfer you to the local operator. A good way of doing this is to tell her you're a lineman for Bell and you're testing the lines and you need her to put you through in order to check the lines. Remember that you're being trasferred to the operator by the person at the switchboard in the company. So as far as the operator is concerned - you're calling from that company. Now, when the operator answer's, tell her that some of the buttons on your fone aren't working and that you would like her to connect you a number. She'll be more than happy to oblige. Don't pull this trick on small or honest companies. Reserve this for companies who profits are based on Exploitation (ahem*NiKe*ahem).
Okay, that's the end of this article. Hopefully, I'll have some more tricks for the next issue. Oh by the way - I don't endorse any of this shit - cuz it's illegal or something.