'Years Ago'

RiverQueen from Joisey, on the Continent -

Many years ago we used to have party lines... for those that don't know they were telephones that rang in two different homes at the same time. The only way you knew it was for your house was because of the unique ring. Then you would pick up the phone and answer it.

However, if the other party was on the line when you picked up the phone to make a call you could listen in on every conversation that they had.

Well you know what? Today with cell phones this same thing can be done if someone gets on your wave length. So best to be careful what you are saying on these phones unless you don't care who hears it.

Comment #1 peekaboo from from my desk! -

I remember those. They got rid of the unique ring then, but you could still here other converstations going on. I did not have that experience with cell phones, but we do with our walkie talkies our DD uses when she is at her friends house.

Comment #2 Lana from The Dental Office -

I forgot about party lines. We had our phone and internet provider out not too long ago and they said we used to be equipped for partylines. I don't really know too much about them.

Comment #3 matt from right there!!! -

You can buy a scanner that will pick up cell phone freqs. They are very, very cheap, and very common. This should concern all of us because my understanding is that is very common.

Comment #4 Delino from California -

Why can't calls be encrypted? This would eliminate the issues with just accessing a frequency. A handshake would take place at the start of the call to exchange keys and then the entire call would be encrypted. Is this already being done? Is it feasible?

Comment #5 Callie from The North -

My mother in law talked about her party line from years ago. She lived in a home where her family occupied the first floor and then another family had the second floor. They had a "party line" which they shared which each other. My kids looked at their grandma in shock. LOL. These kids nowadays have no idea what it was like back then!

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