Reply #24: In Ceausescu's Romania, ALL PHONES WERE BUGGED.

[robbedvoter]

You were not allowed to purchase/use a phone that was not standard government issue (bugs included). The common wisdom was that they were picking up conversations in the room - so people would go out in the park for important conversations.
I doubted the truth of these stories until I read a book by a disident - Pacepa - who was high enough in the hierarchy to know this. he wrote about the listening rooms - where you could hook into any conversation going anywhere. The Ceausescus loved eavesdropping personally. One morning they stumbled upon a couple having sex. "Why aren't they working?" an angry Elena asked - and retribution for the couple was ordered.