So the other day I got a text message from Verizon saying that we were over our plan limit in voice usage and would be charged extra. How much extra? 45 cents a minute! So I did some investigating to see which of our four family phones was responsible. It turned out that my son had logged over a thousand minutes to a Toll Free number that he had to call for on-the-job training. But, one might ask, aren’t calls to “toll free” numbers – um – toll free? Well, apparently, only if they are to other Verizon accounts. And how would one discern the phone carrier one was calling? One wouldn’t.

Since when did the term “Toll Free” become ambiguous? I know I can’t be the only one who is mad as hell about the myriad ways we are gouged every day by telephone and cable companies. But free market competition and deregulation keeps prices down, right? That’s what they tell us. It’s a lie.