"British Telecom, not content with being a monopoly (they own every phone line in the country and even independent phone companies have to rent the lines from them) and still managing to find themselves in debt to the tune of 60 million pounds, have decided to take their frustrations out on Yours Truly."

Ah young Brian, here downunder the similarities abound, with one difference. Oz Telstra likewise "owns every phone line in the country and even independent phone companies have to rent the lines from them". And of course to cut them out of true competition have set the wholesale prices accordingly. The difference is that Telstra makes a squillion in profits. SO what would a fine Tory government majority shareholder (of course this stake is fully funded by Australian taxpayers' dollars) in Telstra do with a profitable enterprise? OF COURSE sell of its (OUR!!) shareholding to the private sector.

Mind you I will happily sell off the Telstra Public Phone booth outside our residence to ANYONE who is happy to live with the consequences (Beirut style shattered and shuttered windows) of the 20 megaton pipe bomb it attracted last night! I was hopeful of following a trail of bloodied breadcrumb fingers to the perpetrators ("perps" if my recollection of "NYPD Blue" serves me well) but no such luck. Fear not I shall have their guts for garters. Stocking up on vengeance.