Collect Calls from Cook County Jail

scoblitz · **Collect Calls from Cook County Jail -** 01-25-2007, 10:55 PM

My wife takes a call and it is a recording letting her know that we have a collect call from Cook County Jail - she immediately hangs up.

So it rings again and I'm curious enough to answer. Message says it is from Cook County and a voice says "hey - I got locked up". I press the option to refuse the charges and hang up.

Rings again - voice says "hey, why are you hanging up - I'm locked up". I press the option to refuse the charges and hang up.

Rings again - voice says "stop hanging up on me" - Refuse - hang up.

2 or 3 more times the same (at this point, I'm really enjoying listening to his outrage) before he gives up.

So did it ever occur to him that he might have the wrong number or that without saying who he is that perhaps whoever he was talking to didn't know who he was.

And what happens if a collect call hits an answering machine?

Sue Ann · 01-25-2007, 11:05 PM

Damn you ... you could have helped me when I called !!!!!!!

RegBarc · 01-25-2007, 11:20 PM

Trust me, you get used to them after awhile.

Then they really get interesting, too. Christ, you could make a drinking game after those calls.

The best part of your OP is that the guy probably wasted his allotment of calls for the given day/weekend by trying the wrong number so much. Heh.

Better yet, when he answered, you should have listened to what he said and responded, "sorry man, your P.O. dropped a detainer on you" then hang up.

Fleegle · 01-25-2007, 11:22 PM

After the third time or so, why would he not try someone else?

Faerie · 01-25-2007, 11:25 PM

Well, if he was so brilliant that he got caught doing whatever he got caught doing and got put in jail, I don't give him too much credit for figuring out the wrong number part of it all.

~Muse · 01-25-2007, 11:37 PM

In my former life, I was a long-distance operator for 5.5 yrs. The prison calls were always *fun*.

The prisoners only have access to an automated system to place their calls. They can't hear the person on the other end so they have no idea why the charges are denied. Occasionally, if there's a problem on the billing end - dead air, the system doesn't recognize it's reached a machine, etc.,- the call will bounce to an operator who will then retry the call and tell them what happened.

Depending on the system, if the system gets an answering machine, the caller is told either 'reached an answering machine' or 'charges denied'.

JYoung · 01-26-2007, 12:43 AM

The calls are originating from inside the house!!!!
Get out now!!!!

HeyItsCory · 01-26-2007, 01:10 AM

I liked using the collect call system to get rides from my friends before the days of ubiquitous cell phones.

"Hi, this is Cory from School"
"Hi, this is Cory from the Music Store"
"Hey, this is Cory from Vacaville Prison."

JETarpon · 01-26-2007, 03:07 AM

There were times when I was in high school or college and had to call my parents that I would say a whole phone number in place of my name. Then mom would refuse the charges and call back for cheap.

Warren · 01-26-2007, 04:14 AM

I really needed your help man.

montag · 01-26-2007, 08:07 AM

I bet it's inmates calling on behalf of the Daley campaign.

geko29 · 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeyItsCory

I liked using the collect call system to get rides from my friends before the days of ubiquitous cell phones.

"Hi, this is Cory from School"
"Hi, this is Cory from the Music Store"
"Hey, this is Cory from Vacaville Prison."

Quote:

Originally Posted by JETarpon

There were times when I was in high school or college and had to call my parents that I would say a whole phone number in place of my name. Then mom would refuse the charges and call back for cheap.

I used to do that kinda stuff too, to get my parents to come pick me up from whenever. But after doing it for a few years, they sharply limited the amount of talk time you had at the "name" prompt. So what used to be "Hey, pick me up from the arcade" or "call me back at 630-224-5435" had to become "comegetme" or "63022" and then a second call of "45435" because I'd get cut off. Still worked about as well, but was frustrating.

mercurial · 01-26-2007, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeyItsCory

I liked using the collect call system to get rides from my friends before the days of ubiquitous cell phones.

"Hi, this is Cory from School"
"Hi, this is Cory from the Music Store"
"Hey, this is Cory from Vacaville Prison."

Hey it's Cory from the plumbing supply store...

bruab · 01-26-2007, 09:07 AM

"Collect call for Wehaddababyitsaboy..."

davebogart · 01-26-2007, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeyItsCory

I liked using the collect call system to get rides from my friends before the days of ubiquitous cell phones.

"Hi, this is Cory from School"
"Hi, this is Cory from the Music Store"
"Hey, this is Cory from Vacaville Prison."

Is this stealing?

davebogart · 01-26-2007, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JETarpon

There were times when I was in high school or college and had to call my parents that I would say a whole phone number in place of my name. Then mom would refuse the charges and call back for cheap.

Is this stealing?

davebogart · 01-26-2007, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geko29

I used to do that kinda stuff too, to get my parents to come pick me up from whenever. But after doing it for a few years, they sharply limited the amount of talk time you had at the "name" prompt. So what used to be "Hey, pick me up from the arcade" or "call me back at 630-224-5435" had to become "comegetme" or "63022" and then a second call of "45435" because I'd get cut off. Still worked about as well, but was frustrating.

Is this stealing?

mercurial · 01-26-2007, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davebogart

Is this stealing?

Quote:

Originally Posted by davebogart

Is this stealing?

Quote:

Originally Posted by davebogart

Is this stealing?

Is this annoying?

dobrien · 01-26-2007, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bruab

"Collect call for Wehaddababyitsaboy..."

Meathead!

dobrien · 01-26-2007, 10:09 AM

I got scammed by one of these calls, but it was from a "hospital". I thought it could possibly be my mom in trouble, but it turned out to be a prisoner scam.

The cost of his call to someone else was billed to me. I ended up calling the LD company and getting the charge removed.

davebogart · 01-26-2007, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mercurial

Is this annoying?

Probably. And possibly somewhat humorous maybe? Or would you agree with the stick in the mud who left me the comment, "Kind of lame posting that 3 times. Ever hear of multi quote?"?

mercurial · 01-26-2007, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davebogart

Probably. And possibly somewhat humorous maybe? Or would you agree with the stick in the mud who left me the comment, "Kind of lame posting that 3 times. Ever hear of multi quote?"?

I just thought it was deceased equine flagellation....

davebogart · 01-26-2007, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mercurial

I just thought it was deceased equine flagellation....

Yeah, I would agree if I had just done it once. But once for each example of getting around a long distance charge was kind of original, I thought. Believe me, I wouldn't have done it again in the thread. That would be beating a dead hourse.

Pendragn · 01-26-2007, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mercurial

Is this annoying?

Quote:

Originally Posted by davebogart

Probably. And possibly somewhat humorous maybe? Or would you agree with the stick in the mud who left me the comment, "Kind of lame posting that 3 times. Ever hear of multi quote?"?

(unofficial, not moderator speaking)
I agree, annoying, not humorous.

tk

scoblitz · 01-26-2007, 03:12 PM

I did feel bad that the guy wasn't reaching who he thought he was reaching but there really was no way of communicating back to let him know. It was all automated and recorded (including his message) so there was nothing I could do but either accept or refuse the charges.