The first job I had that wasn't part time was as a long distance operator for Mountain Bell. This was in El Paso, Tx. I worked what they called split 10's. I would work 10-2 then 6-10. Back in the day, if you wanted to make a long distance phone call, you had to call the operator and they would place the call. This was also before 911 or 411. So us long distance operators took those calls too. Each station had a direct link to the police and fire stations. If we took an emergency call, then we would connect the person directly to the appropriate department. We had to monitor the call, i.e., take notes on the emergency. If someone wanted a phone number, we transfered them to another station. The poor person working that station had mounds of phone books and would have to physically open up the books and look for numbers. If they wanted a phone number out of town, we would call that town and they would patch them through to the "information" operator.
There were things we could do that were frowned upon by management, and were just wrong. We could "break" into conversations, listen in on conversations, disconnect people, etc. If a paricular customer was annoying or rude we could do things like not release their line when they were finished talking, then the next time they picked up their phone, they wouldn't have a dial tone. LOL! We could connect family or friends and let them talk to each other for free. We had to be careful with that one though. Our work was always monitored; a supervisor randomly listening to everyone. And yes, I have to admit to participating in some of those activities.
What's the point of this you may ask? Just letting you know how things have changed. You hardly need operators anymore, and if you do, they are in your pocket, clipped to your belt, or in your purse. Look at this picture and you can see just how much things have changed. Just think in another 50 years, you youngsters will be showing your kids and grandkids pictures of the Iphone and laughing at the outdated technology.
Have a great day!
3 comments:
Sarah, patch me into the diner. Me and Barney want to know what's on the menu today. After I'm through, could you patch me into Floyd's Barbershop? LOL
My dad made the point like this. He told me that in his lifetime, he had seen us go from a flatbed wagon to the age of rocketry.
And I can hear me talking to my grandkids, "Yep, when we wanted to change the channels on the TV, we had to use this little hand-held device called a remote control."
okay so pard1959 makes me feel old because I would have to say I remember when we had to get up out of our chair and change the channel on the T.V. You and I both would remember our first color T.V. on McFall??? I didn't remember you being an operator? And sure don't remember you getting family together on the phone.
I do remember you being an operator, and you had to work on Sundays and miss church! I remember our tv and the last time you and I had a fight over it, you were 18 & I was 17 and you wanted to watch Star Trek and I wanted to watch someing better :) so we pushed each other and... then we both left the room and didn't watch anything! Boy, we were dorks! love ya, Caren
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