PM>         This same argument can be made about all consumer wiring jobs.
 PM>         (how many houses burn yearly because of it).  (My NOISY STATIC
 PM>         problems have always been the connection(s) a foot or so off 
 PM>         the pole were the drop to the house is attached...except the
 PM>         day it got very quiet because we didn't have loop current 
 PM>         anymore because the last strand broke.)  I don't happen to 
 PM>         believe in crimp connectors myself (at least not for connections
 PM>         last should last decades).
    Yes, the "P" Clamp does indeed cause problems at times, especially in 
areas where there are squirrels!  I first was a Tech in Southern Cal, no 
squirrels in the residential areas, then we moved up here to Northern Cal and 
I started having at least 1 case of trouble a week where the squirrels had 
chewed through the "drop" and it seems to be more rampant right at the clamp.
 PM>         I have not seen that in years (never the whole thing...but
 PM>         I do remember the truck picking up the phone booth with the
 PM>         poor guy still inside)...good old TPC.  (Of course it is 
 PM>         still common to have 5+ dollars charged for someone to toggle
 PM>         a service code to enable a feature that the TPC switch could
 PM>         have given for free (it has to be supported in the switch to
 PM>         begin with)...and then charge for the setting being active
 PM>         on a monthly basis.  (Caller ID is a wonderful case of this.)
    Ah, but you answered your own question...it is all set up to where 
"someone" has to toggle the code, thus the charge for the service, also, the 
phone company is in this whole business to make a profit by "providing 
Service."  If you have "more" service than the guy next door who uses his 
phone only on Sunday to call his grown son to see how he is, shouldn't you 
pay more?  If I have a modem that runs 28.8, I expect to pay more for it than 
one that only will run 14.4, I am getting more service by decreasing my 
online time and my phone bill (if it is a long distance call.)
   Contrary to what some people may believe, Telco employees do not get free 
phone service.  What we do get is 1/2 off the BASIC rate, this amounts to 
about $5 a month.  Everything else we have to pay the same rates as everyone 
else....hmmmmm, I wonder if I can get concession on an ISDN line, that costs 
more per month therefore the concession would be greater....hmmmmm..nah, 
probably not.
   BTW, has Supra come out with and ISDN TA product yet?
                                Loren
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