I recall another telephone class action: I was one day in the Circus Court of Cook County, Illinois, when I listened to a lawyer explaining to the judge about how Illinois Bell had apparently been shaving a fraction of a cent off every pay phone call, and this was hurting consumers. The judge, incredulous, asked the lawyer just how he thought it might be possible to refund that fraction of a penny to each pay phone user. The courtroom broke out in laughter.

Sad ending: I read sometime later that the case had settled. No doubt coupons for free pay phone calls were distributed to anyone who submitted sufficient documentation of their pay phone calls.