Crossed Lines In Pennsylvania

From the Pocono Record:

Marshalls Creek Homes downsized their phone lines five months ago, so when the dead lines began ringing again employee Ed Johnson thought it was something straight out of the "X-Files."

He answered the phone and — much to his shock — could hear an entire conversation between the local Social Security office and a client. ...

"A new Social Security office opened up in East Stroudsburg and our lines are crossed. When certain lines ring and I answer it, it is either someone looking to talk about their case, or I can hear the entire conversation between the client and the Social Security office," ...

Marshalls Creek Homes tried to rectify the situation with Verizon, but was told they couldn't because the trouble isn't their phone line.

"The owner of Marshalls Creek Homes went over to the Social Security office and told the manager there about the problem," Johnson said. "But two weeks later, the phones are still ringing." ...

Michael Laroche, manager of the Social Security office, said the problem was addressed and fixed for two days, but Johnson disagrees.

"We have a skeleton crew on Wednesdays and Thursdays so I can't say that it was fixed for the two days. I remember the phones ringing on those days," Johnson said.

In the two weeks that one phone line has been ringing in two locations, Johnson estimates that he has answered about 50 phone calls meant for the Social Security office.

"I didn't know that anyone could hear the calls," Laroche said.

"I thought it was fixed, so now I have to call Verizon again."

Verizon officials were not immediately available for comment.