Technology Meets Dog; Dog Wins

• To: /dev/null@okeeffe.berkeley.edu
• Subject: Technology Meets Dog; Dog Wins
• From: bostic@okeeffe.berkeley.edu (Keith Bostic)
• Date: Fri, 19 Oct 90 09:56:25 -0700

Newsgroups: comp.risks
Subject: Technology Meets Dog; Dog Wins

Amid all of the problems posted here, a dog-bites-phone risk is worth noting.  

NETWORK WORLD, October 15, 1990 had an article on AT&T Tariff 12 deals.  In
the article, the following appeared.

"On a lighter note, it seems a new type of long-distance fraud is making the
rounds, as Tom and Bonnie Robb of Aliso Viejo, Calif., can attest.

When their telephone bill arrived recently, they had a difficult time figuring
out who had made $28 worth of toll calls to Sports Pick and the Adult Date line,
according to a recent story in the HARTFORD COURANT.

But it turned out to be their cocker spaniel, who was using a large-faced
push-button telephone.  The Robbs had attempted to teach the dog to dial 911 by
smearing peanut butter on the corresponding buttons of the keypad.

The dog had apparently taken to knocking the handset off the receiver and
dialing telephone numbers, inadvertently dialing the 900 numbers."

W-H-Y were the Robb's attempting to teach their dog that trick?  Are peanut
butter manufacturers accessories to a crime?  Did the dog enjoy the Adult Date
Line?  Are we sure that the dog *inadvertently* dialed those numbers?  What
animal species will next turn to crime?  

• Prev: No Subject
• Next: Contest
• Index(es):
  • Main