Odds and Ends

Wireless = Public?

This actually happened to me about two years ago.

I am talking to my friend in the USA (from outside USA) on my cordless phone on the top (12th) floor of my flat in a normal tone of voice. The front door is closed, and the windows are shuttered because we are next to the Metro Transit line, and the noise is very distracting.

The wife from the young South Indian family two doors down the corridor on our floor comes running, taps on our door, and breathlessly tells my wife in a voice I could hear even while continuing to talk on the phone, "Auntie, I picked up the phone to phone my husband, and I can hear Uncle talking to someone!

The young lady is right; she can even repeat some key phrases from my end of the conversation.

I call my telephone service provider, and tell them our experience. They send a technician down in a couple of hours, and check the junction box at the common landing at the top of the stairs.

He pronounces all connections ok, looks at me suspiciously and asks, "Sir do you shout on your overseas calls?"

I tell him that his company is so good that I can carry on a phone conversation just at the same level as I am talking to him.

He shakes his head, enters, 'All connections checked and found correct' on his pad, gets my signature and turns to leave.

I am not letting go, and I keep asking 'Why? Why?', just as I urge my students to do in my class.

He shrugs his shoulders eloquently, looks me in the eye, and says:

"Sir, if you don't want anybody to hear your phone conversation, use a land-line, not the cell-phone, and use a wired connection, not wireless. It is rare, but it can happen that what goes out on the air can also end up elsewhere than where you intend it!"

Very wise, and very disturbing.

I have related this episode to my friends and in some of my classes, but generally get a quizzical look as if they too want to ask: 'Sir, how loud were you talking?"

Prof Krishna (28 Feb. 2008)