Segregation with telephone

[!quote|#5fb236] Highlight Bell executives did not believe they were keeping telephone service from people who truly desired or deserved it. ‘‘The telephone, like the telegraph . . . is only upon extraordinary occasions used or needed by the poor,’’ declared the outspoken Charles Fay in 1886. ‘‘It is . . . depended upon, and should be liberally paid for by, the capitalist, mercantile and manufacturing classes. This talk about oppressing the people is the merest rot.’

This is pretty much segregation, they are basically saying that they could make it for everyone but they did not want that. They are choosing who can and cannot use it based on their social and economic class. (policing media link).

Page 16 [[2023-03-08#1:50 pm]]

[!quote|#5fb236] Highlight French Canadians complained bitterly that Bell Canada was not welcoming to them, that Bell operators did not speak French, and that Bell would deal with its customers only in English. ‘‘We cannot get an answer in French from the telephone,’’ complained the newspaper Le Nationaliste in 1907.‘‘Wecannotcallin French . . . without being insulted by some low improvised clerk.’’99 Sise’s hasty dismissal of the Francophone market became a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Another source of segregation, they only wanted English speaking business men because that will maximize their profits. They do not care for the French speaking Canadians because they are a minority and it would be too much training and spending for them to revamp their system to better include french people.

Page 28 [[2023-03-08#6:21 pm]]

Just being like "oh you cant use the telephone because you are French," is not a great look.