TAP No. 2 - Blue Box Story and Abbie on Ripoffs

‘Blue Box’ By ROY R. SILVER ‘Special to The New York Times MINEOLA, L. 1, May 5— Armed with a court order, detectives of * prosecu- tar's rackets binesu and tale- @ company" personnel reched the Homme at 26 Henhawk Road last night. They said they found a smalt box measuring 5 by 6 by 334 ‘inches attached to a tele- phone in the youth's room. The prosecutor did not say who had made the box. The telephone company said sim- ilar deviceg had“ been used elsewhere tn the country, be- The telephone company pe- puler “cards. showing “the is al iag amount of time used for in- formation calls indicated that some calls were taking much more than the usual one to 2=700 + 1199 =900 + 1 5=900 + 6=1100 + 1300 5208 + 1500 =900 + 1500 9=1100 + 1500 0=1300 + 1500 KF=1100 + 1700 '=1500 + 1700 Bisconnect=2600 Fig. 1 WAN. FiG.2 InpuT Jack o AUX. SPEAKER Tack Sie, Bw, Is Linked to Phone Call Fraud oy Al Bell After interviewing engineering students around the country, I found that the blue box makes tones that are similar to, but not exactly like a pushbutton phone. Since operators use the same device for putting operator-assistance calls through, the tones were published in the Bell System Technical Journal, 1960 Large libraries and engineering schools have the Journal. Like a pushbutton phone, two frequencies make up each tone. One of the "boxers" who. was not caught said, "Those people who were caught probably called information, hoieeped! out the operator, and redirected the call with the box, by pressing the buttons of the desired number. I haven't been caught *ecause I call fro a pay phone, and I never stay on more than 15 minutes. Most im- prtantly, I never use information. I use the Sheraton Hotels Watts Line number, 800-325-3535. Right before they answer, I bleep them out ", But the blue box isn't necessary. A cassette tape machine will work fine. Two signal generators are needed to record the pair of tones for each digit, start, and stop. Record each digit, @ you will have a master tape from which to make actual phone number sequences on other machines. One signal generator will work if you make the master on a stereo tape, and play the two channels hack together as you record them on the other tape For this to work, several rules must be followed: “Record direct, without microphones, as in Fig. 1. “Record as loud as possible without distortion. Watch your record meter when making tapes, -Only use fresh batteries, and don't wear them out. “A better speaker for playing the tones into phones is a stand- ard telephone earpiece. Where you steal one is your problem, (its so easy) but plug it into the ext. speaker jack as in Fig. ~Each tone lasts one second, with one second between each tone. However, wait 3 seconds after "bleeping" disconnect tone. Ther play KP, area code, number, and ST, in that order. “Hold your little makeshift speaker close to mouthpiece without moving while playing tones. “Your electronics friends and young engineers can help you get a signal generator or two to use, and they'll help you record the tones properly. “The two frequencies of each tone must last the entire one sec- ond, and they must start and stop simultaneously. CAUTION: YIPL does not advocate making free calls. However, YIPI doesn't believe in paying for calls, either. If caught, you may he charged with fraud and theft of services. So consider care~ fully whether you need to call long distance, and if you do,, consider whether or not you believe in free speech. By RUSSELL BAKER Dear Abbie (Hoffman, that is): In reading your latest work, “Steal This Book,” I had fust gotten to the directions for cheating the telephone company when, followitg your com- mand, somebody stole the book. I didn’t finish the telephone section and—careless me!—didn't even think to make notes. 1 do not even remember what size washers you recommended for dropping into pay telephone coin slots to simulate the real thing. What troubles me is something more funda- mental. 1 wonder it have really thought out the tions of the grand philosophical idea of destroying the telephone company, which under- lies your discussion of techniques. I suggest to you that it is simply not sound, that destroying the tele- phone company would, in fact, be a severe blow to every member of the counter-culture. In the first place, you must have noticed, if you have been in England, France, Italy or Bulgaria, that it is extremely frustrating trying to get along in a country with no telephone system. The English will put up with that, the French and Italians will put up with it, and the Bulgarians will have to put up with it, but you know as well as I do, Al that an Ameri- can, particularly if he is in the counter- culture, needs a telephone the way a monkey needs a banana. Dear folks, The Dumbest Rip-Off OBSERVER To the American counter-culturist, a telephone in the hand 1s as much a part of his dniform as denim, dried lentils and a coiffure from Michel- angelo’s Moses. If we destroy the telephone com- -pany, who will be the first people to picket the Pentagon to demand a new telephone company? The members of the counter-culture; provided, of course, they can tearn to communicate ‘with each other without wires. A new telephone company will inevitably rise to take the place of the old evil tele- phone company. There is mo reason whatever to assume that the new telephone com- pany will be like the old evil telephone company. There is every reason, on the contrary, to believe that it will Profit from its predecessor's fatal errors and do things differently. For example: Remember last sum- mer when members of the counter- culture were telephoning each other across the continent and charging the calls to Paul Newman's credit-card number? Somebody — was it you, Abbie? — had said that Paul Newman was so angry with the telephone company that he had invited every- body in America to tclephone across the continent. using his credit-card number, so that when he received the bill he could show his irritation with the telephone company by refusing to pay it. Well, counter-cultuists galore phoned long distance, and the tele- phone company did not become angry. Not at all. It quietly traced each call back to the telephone of origin, often rousing some parent from his parental stupor. “Those long-distance calls made from your telephone, apparently by your child,” said the patient mechani- cal voices, “represent fraudulent use of a credit-card number belonging to the University of Ilinois and not, as the gullible believed, to Paul Newman.” “Fraudulent—?” “The crime is punishable by {m- prisonment of up to five years and—" ‘Well, where breathes there a parent so vile that he would send his heir to Leavenworth rather than pay piffling $300 to the telephone company? The present telephone company is like that. It does not come knocking at the door with a truncheon and arrest warrant to haul away members of the counter-culture. It knows that money is’ most easily collected from people who are soft between the ears. “Whether your child serves five years in Leavenworth is entirely up to you, as a parent. Your telephone company, sir, does not make threats.” The next telephone company is not likely to be so indulger the present one collar bil collection policy hearted. The new tele will almost surely put : counter-culture on trial fraud, possibly before Hoffman. Can you really belie. telephone company v the present one's prac “Sure" when somebe operator in Boston anc to make $800 worth ¢ calls to the West Coa all charged to daddy’ ‘West Orange, N. J.”? My bet. Abbie, is th to say, “After seeing telephone company wet of a bunch of cheating it a policy to call dad¢ if your calls are okay Is that the kind of pany that counter-cultu A telephone compan daddy into the system are made, instead of with an $800 fait accor later? The present telepho the best of all pos: companies for the Destroying it would | the hands of Mom a about it next time be for one of those wust I read your letter that was passed around on May Day. Please start sending me more, I'm very interested in fucking the fucking phone company. I'm mad.Well anyway, I've enclosed a cheque of 3 dollars; please find and send those little sheets as soon as possible. Thank you kindly. up the revo, K.0.,River- dale, Md. Enclosed is $1. Could you tell me the signs of a wire tap(hollowness & clicks?).Also,do you have the plans for a device that allows you to make long distance calls free? R.F.,Nor- folk, Va. My friend, there is no sure way of detecting a tap. I view the telephone as a hot line to the pork factory. As far as plans, one guy did supply then until he got busted. Using info in this issue, consult a friend on power supplies(regulated) and oscillators. While I was in D.C. for Kayday, I pick up some info on how to fuck the Bell s; tem. I'm really interested in this bec: I know how true this all is because I : in the computer room of the phone comps I'm sending $1 so that I can receive ; newsletters. And if there is anything | can do for Y.I.P. just let me know. Anc there's any way of fucking up the govt. any other way, let me know. J.il., Pa. Richard Hi. lixon-El Presidente 202 456-1444 Spiro T. Agnew-E1l Toro 202 265-2000 Ext. 6400 John N. Witchell-£l Butcher 202 965-2900 Melvin R. Laird- £1 Defendo 301 652-4449 Henry A. Kissinger-5 202 37-0042 William P. Rogers-H1l Crapper 301 654-7125 General Earl G. ‘/heeler-Z1 Joint Bosso 703 527-6119 Call collect, from a pay phone, people. Exigente t if it has seen se because its was too soft- hone company nembers of the in Chicago for | Judge Julius e that the new ould continue tice of saying dy dials the | says, “I want f long-distance st and have it s telephone in it they're going how the old it broke because kids, we make y first and ask with him.” telephone com- re really wants? y that brings before the calls presenting him npli thirty days ne company is ible telephone counter-culture, play right into nd Dad. Think fore you reach ers. a S— use vork any your Jif , in Dear Russel (Baker that is): I just read your letter and was surprised you even saw Steal This Book since no major newspaper, including that well known spokesman for free speech, the New York Times, will accept an ad for the book. None-the-less, the boys down at AT&T must be happy to know they have a friend at the Times. It's true even us yippies don't wish to hatch our coast-to- coast conspiracies using dixie cups with waxed string stretched between them. But if our efforts to sabotage the phone company by teaching people how to make calls free are the "dumbest rip off" then AT&T itself must be engaged in the smartest rip off. Last year their revenues amounted to about 17 billion dollars, give or take a few dimes. They made a 7.6% rate of return on their bread, which in a recession is pretty damn good. To say they function as a cut throat monopoly would be understating the case. I refer you to the excellent book called "Monopoly" by Joseph C. Goulden ($.95 Pocket Books) for a devastating account of the world's largest corporation. Witness their central role in the military-industrial complex! Laugh off their defiance of citizens and governmental attempts to hold down phone rates! Smile courteously when waiting three hours to complete your next long-distance call! Nod like a robot the next time they explain how they are controlled by their shareholders and customers! To defend their efficiency only leads me to believe you never use the phone. It's a bit unfair to compare the system here to Bul- garia or Greece or even an underdeveloped nation such as England. AT&T's current assets are estimated at 50 billion dollars, which is not exactly pocket change for most countries in the world. Even so, the systems of Sweden and Denmark seem to function better, especially with the speed in which they phase out obsolete equipt- ment. I should also point out that Cuba has an entirely free phone system; and that, Russell, is the point of the whole monkey business of Steal This Book in general. Yippies think you judge the goodness of nations by their goals. As the level of the tech- nological development increases, the costs should decrease with the goal being to make everything produced in a society free to all the people, come who may. Neat, huh? Until AT&T. and the other corporations really become public services rather than power and profit gobblers, we'll continue to rip them off every chance we get. If you wand to discuss this further, call me up sometime. Because of all the agencies claiming to have-me under surveillance, it's one of the fastest ways to speak directly to your government. KE THE 2 @ Z) Your voice with a smile, Abbie Hoffman Ww pk Assignment: Monitor the telephone in the suite of Senator Eugene McCarthy at the 1968 Democratic Convention. Agents reported that McCarthy had made a phone call to a'known leftist organization" offering medical help to wounded demonstrators, -Life Magazine study of Army "Intelligence" In addition to manufacturing Princess telephones, ‘iestern Electric makes gui- ded missiles and is a prominent member of the military- industrial complex which so frightened President Eisenhower that he warned against its "acqui- sition of unwarranted influence" in his farewell address. An examination of Weatern Electric's defense work shows that the President had ample reason for alarm. Through adept use of a technique called profit pyramiding in the de- . fense industry, Western Electric ran up profits of 31.3 percent on its major missile contracts, while helping the Pentagon accumulate military junk that was never used. .cMonapoly, wy’ Joseph C. Goulden Editors Note: We intend to show, through statements such as the above two, how the Bell System has become anti-human to its customers, employees, and just about everyone else. However, it should be noted that these statements are taken out of context, and do not do justice to the case. The whole story is a lot scarier that just a "profit-gobbler", Its a question of accumulation of power and securing that power. You know, great that people are being mon~ itored, but shit, people are being slaughtered. All in the name of money. And since we give them the money, we are at fault. Stop paying and start yelling. See ya next month, phreeks. Published for informational purposes only by Youth Hot Line Reports, Inc. an ob pOk diaH aM ex & a § 88 3 Coming soon=Special PAY PHONE issue. a A year of issues is $4. Who cares? : 3 8 TAP, Room 418, 152 W. oe: *, LOVE I? rp So) wn gf ® Q i as i | m 8 F & TO: ep o 4 78 wo paNo# ge