Information Plee-ase
The Public Futility Commission has done it again. They’re the folks who are supposed to regulate the utilities here in California. Not only do they not do a very good job, but they appear to do it to be even worse. That is, they are incompetent and lousy at public relations.
Their latest gaff is to let Pacific Bell increase the cost of 4-1-1 information calls, while limiting the number of free calls they used to allow to their customers. The price is almost doubling, and the number of free calls has been cut in half.
Now let’s think this through, folks. First, lets be understanding with the utility. They’re paying 18-hundred people, they tell us, to give us information. Yeah, but it’s so that we can use their service. Part of doing business, sir. Why not cut back on your executive perks.
Well anyway, I think the phone company has a right to charge for information (1) when the phone number is in the current phone book, and (2) it might reasonably be expected that there should be a phonebook available, as in a residence or normal business. It’s fine with me that the phone company charges those who are too lazy to look up a number. But phone booths, uh-uh. And new phone numbers -- of course there shouldn’t be a charge.
Also, I think every phone company should have all listed phone numbers on the Internet. Why not? They are only charging to cover a portion of their costs, so they say. If demand for the service is reduced by people looking up numbers on the Internet, it will save the phone companies time, money, and equipment usage. Also, many people will be able to find the numbers they need more efficiently. How many times have you had to spell out a name or address? (Is that Tony with a "I"? No.)
Ah, but what about cellphone users, you ask? Certainly you can’t expect them to carry around a phone book? True, but considering that they have a digital read-out, why couldn’t they punch into a cellphone directory and get their number that way? It would be a little too distracting for someone driving, but they could pull over to the side of the road. There might be a minor surcharge for the service, but it wouldn’t have to be too much, considering how easily it would fit into the system.
Personally, I don’t think the phone companies have been paying a lot of attention to where this communications revolution is headed. If they had the vision thing, they would be in front of the wave instead of chasing it. Now they lag the innovators, and charging dimes when they could be mining dollars.
And that’s SetonnoteS...I’m Tony Seton.
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