A Complaint About Inferior Pay Phones

The March 19 story “PUC to Revamp Pay Phone Rules to Benefit Callers” exposed the inferior quality of many privately owned coin telephones.

Overcharging is not even the worst problem: In many instances, the caller can hardly understand the other party, and it seems impossible to make long-distance credit card calls or get messages on answering machines at one’s home or office. The user often also puts up with inferior equipment. And since no one has the time to file a complaint with the Public Utilities Commission, most problems go unreported.

I don’t want to sound like a commercial but I have decided not to use any public phones unless a GTE California or Pacific Bell sign is visible.

A phone call can save lives. I hope the PUC has second thoughts about allowing inexperienced companies to provide the public with a telephone service that is questionable at best.

ARMIN R. AMLER

Los Angeles