Topic: Telephoning today (Read 3611 times)

Elena · « **on:** January 15, 2007, 02:07:44 PM »

Have a character that in the old days would have found a remote pay phone to make a call that was comfortably untraceable.

Rip Van Winkle here has noticed there are almost no pay phones anymore. What is an honest crook to do? What are my options today for a phone call that is reasonably not traceable?

Elena (aka Rip Van Winkle

)

Dave Freas · « **Reply #1 on:** January 15, 2007, 03:03:36 PM »

Hi, Elena

There are still a few pay phones around, just not many.

You could use that to your advantage--either seriously or to lighten the moment--by having your honest crook run around town frantically searching for a pay phone to make his reasonably untraceable call.

Hope this helps.

Dave

jsmith98 · « **Reply #2 on:** January 15, 2007, 03:16:04 PM »

Nowadays crooks use Pay-as-you-go cell phones. One can buy them and put money on them without giving one's name or showing any ID. Crooks buy bushel baskets of them and throw them away after a single use.

We discovered this by accident when my wife wanted to get a cell-phone. After going over all sorts of expensive "plans" the person at Cingular suggested getting a pay-as-you-go phone. One just buys the phone and puts a sum of money on it ($20 or so). After that, money is deducted every time you make a call and when it reaches zero, you have the option of putting more money on it (you have to go into the cell-phone dealer to do this). Since they don't ever send you a bill, they don't need to know your name and address --- and don't even ask for this information.

I've read that drug-dealers use these things (and that some lawmakers are trying to outlaw them).

Elena · « **Reply #3 on:** January 15, 2007, 08:39:09 PM »

Two very great ideas - I can see them both working as a sort of running gag. Thank you both.
Elena

Zara · « **Reply #4 on:** January 16, 2007, 07:27:46 AM »

Elena,

What about using MSN or Skype in a cybercafé? I suppose there are more cybercafé nowadays than payphones!

Zara

Elena · « **Reply #5 on:** January 16, 2007, 10:56:10 PM »

I had considered that, Zara, but this guy just isn't the type to have a laptop. It's so easy to overhear one sided conversations, at least in the coffee shops I frequent. Plus there is every chance he'd be calling someone who has a land line which means with Skypes at least (I don't know about MSN) he would have to have a pre-paid account and would be making a standard call over telephone lines which I think could cause him problems if anyone gets a warrent and takes his laptop.

The only crooks I've overhead in coffee shops are much younger and wear suits.

Elena