Question for Americans, please. Oh yes, and a poll....

[thismaz]

Question for my American flisters. Please can you help?

If you need to make a collects call, what happens? I mean...

I guess you dial the operator. If it's a public phone box, what number do you dial?
What do you ask them? "I want to make a collect call to..." Is that it?
What would they say?
What happens when the phone at the other end rings?

ETA: I'm asking the question in the context of it being 1997. Sorry, I should have thought to say that.

That's it. Any advice, appreciated.

The other bit of this post is because for months, every time I logged on, LJ was asking me if I wanted to post a poll.

So why do I want to post this poll?
. - because I've never done one before.

What's it about?
. - Whether I should do a poll.
[Poll #929765]
*Wipes brow* It's taken me an hour and a half to do this post.

Comments

[thatotherperv.livejournal.com]

ok I chose the not-answering one cuz I enjoyed the irony :D

it's been a while since I've made a collect call, but as far as I remember, it goes like this. you call one of the 800 numbers you see advertised here...either 1800-collect, or 1800-call-att, and they give you a menu and one of the options is to make a collect call, so you press that number. then it asks for the number you're dialing and your name. you dial the number on the keypad and say your name out loud. then you basically listen in as the "operator" calls the number and tells the person that you're calling. it's all automated. so the machine says something like, "you are receiving a collect call from [your name in your own voice here]" and then you listen to what your mom (ha) has says (I think they either push 1 or 2 for yes or no), and then if they love you, you get put through and get to talk to them. before that, you're listening but you can't talk to them.

hope that was helpful :)

[mistress-tien.livejournal.com]

Yep, the last time I made a collect call it worked like this as well. No humans involved (other than the one making the call).

[thismaz.livejournal.com]

Thank you very much for answering. I do appreciate it.

[thismaz.livejournal.com]

I chose the not-answering one cuz I enjoyed the irony.
*Grins and hugs you* I was hoping someone would.

That is really helpful, thank you - if only in telling me I should probably write around the whole thing *g* Too many chances of getting it wrong.

Your answer also made me realise that I had not framed the question very well. I should have said that I was asking about 1997. Goodness, that's 10 years ago *looks around to see if she can spot the flying years* I think Danna probably answered for that time period. Thank you so much for responding to my question. I really appreciate it. And for taking part in my very important and serious market research questionnaire.

Have a great week and thanks again.