Soldier Ant 

Here in California our local Bell monopoly is SBC. SBC is the combination of 4 former "baby Bells" that decided to merge once telecommunications were deregulated in 1996.

That worked out great didn't it? We now have all these different choices in local phone service now. back when the market was regulated, the only choice in local phone service was Pacific Bell (now part of SBC). Now with the competition allowed under the 1996 telcom law I can get service from SBC alone.

Boy, that worked out well.

At least for banking I have a choice. I used to bank with Wells Fargo, but I had about $30 charges on my statement one month. I went in to find out why, and get them dropped, and sat for 20 minutes while a one woman sat at her desk doing apperently nothing. When she finaly did decide to help me, explained that the charges were because I was making transfers online. I said they didn't explain that, and she told me that it was in the discloser I was given when I'd started the account 5 years earlier and I should have reread it when I signed up for their free online banking.

While I'd been waiting, I spent a while staring at their promotional fliers that read "let us help you 'ketchup' on your bills" and were afixed to Ketchup bottles.

Once I got the woman to drop the charges, I walked half a block to Washington Mutual, were I was greated with a friendly "hi there!" as soon as I walked in. They behaved as though they actually wanted my business. And after having their account options explained I moved all my money to Washington Mutual that afternoon.