Does anyone else remember the old wooden box wall phones? It had a hand crank which you turned to make a call by making several long turns or short turns depending on the phone number. It was a party line where several other neighbors were included. You had to listen to the number and lengths of rings to see if the call was for you... if not it was for someone else on the party line. Anyone on the party line could pick up and listen in on any conversation. Remember or am I just old?
My great grandmother had a party line, it wasn't a wooden box wall phone, but a black phone. Now a days people can still listen to phone conversation using the air, especially surrounding neighbors, I never could but I heard this is possible. Also tech savy people can hack any phone.