John Lev>> No extortion involved. If someone held a gun to your head or
>> otherwise forced you to use the payphone, it would be extortion.
>> Since you choose to use a payphone, you choose to absorb that cost. A
>> cost, which is regulated, and which helps telcos continue to run pay
>> phones at all, since they're not generally considered profitable
>> anymore, at least around here.
> Utter nonsense. It IS extortion.
> When you are in an emergency situation (ie in a hospital) and they
> don't allow cellphone use or you don't have one, you indeed are forced
> to use their phone and pay their charges.
No, you are not forced to use their phone.
I've been in a hospital where they didn't allow cellphone use. I wasn't forced to use their phone.
If you want Chinese food at 3 AM, and the only Chinese restaurant in your neighborhood that's open at 3 AM charges a lot, is that extortion? Nobody is _forcing_ you to buy their food.
As others pointed out, all charges the customer pays on a pay phone
> are UNREGULATED. The pay phone provider can charge you whatever you > wish.
Just like almost every other business.
Unlike normal businesses, pay phone providers do not have to tell you > their prices;
They don't? Did you ask?
you only find out a month later when you get the bill.
When I use a pay phone, I put money in. I know the price at the time I put the money in, it's the amount of money I put in.
If I want to charge the call to something else (a calling card or credit card), I find out the charge first. I've never had difficulty doing that.
Seth
[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: No, I am sure you have not, because you try to read and study up on the circumstances around you. But you are one of the few members of the public which go to that effort, particularly when in a personal emotional crises (a relative rushed to the hospital, DOA for example, or someone runs out of gas on the highway and rushes into a highway convenience store trying to find help. You know, it sounds to me like you are just _too perfect_ for the rest of us. PAT]