In an area around Grouse, Idaho my cousin's and there neighbors (if you can call families that far apart neighbors) still use such a system. In fact until very recently there were even crank phones in place. Those have been upgraded to the system described below. System isowned and operated by a cooperative made up of the users. The local BOC can't seem make enough money to justify supporting such a small system.
Duane >Err well out in the back of beyond in those cow towns out West >there are/were Rural telcos. Often with only one line and many >many parties. up to 13. Special 500D phones with a white >button and instructions to listen before letting go the white >button then dial. Ringing applied Tip to gnd or Ring to gnd and >wait for it wait for the ring cycle to complete to identify your >very own ringing code. One long one short for him, two shorts >for next door, err down the road that is, three shorts for the >next guy etc. Oh yes a wee little tinkle of a ring on the >oposite line (tip or ring) at the end of the cycle. If the >farmers daughter started to chat to the neighbor well all 13 >parties were stuck. There was also a reverted call. A process >to contact one of the 13 parties on your line. Err gee is that >system still active in any part of the world.. Calgary maybe, >pas ici au Quebec. > > >In message "RE: No Parallel Telephone Equipment for Germany?" >sent on Jun12, [email protected] writes: > >>Ach, the German population (and most other Europeans) have a >deprived past. If >>you >>never lived with a party-line, you do not know what >entertainment really can be. >> >>Because we have done away with party-lines, we're now >culturally starved and >>some of >>us even have heard about the spice girls. >> >> >>Ciao, >> >> >>Vic >> >>
