You really have to read the instructions a customer-service rep sent Jessica Lipnack for getting into her small-business account via the Verizon Web site.

So Verizon removed the telephone-history mural in its old Post Office Square building because the new owner is not a big fan of the working classes, or something. Jay Fitzgerald is outraged at the thought it might be sold to somebody in Rhode Island:

... It's a striking mural in the old WPA style. It depicts a major innovation developed in Boston. It should remain in Boston. ...

The Outraged Liberal details his problems with Verizon getting his busted landline fixed:

It's now been about 24 hours since Verizon called my out-of-service landline to tell me the problem we reported had been fixed the previous afternoon.

Of course, I only found out by calling my voice mail, since the phone didn't ring because the line was still dead. And there was a Verizon tech, the third in three days, in my basement trying to solve the problem two of his colleagues had failed to fix.

Even though they reported that they had. ...

Verizon reports subscribers to its RedZone football channel on FiOS can now get on-screen alerts whenever a particular team is within its opponent's 20-yard line - so they can continue to watch Lifetime movies or All About Jim reruns without worrying about missing some scoring action.

Of course, residents of New England's largest city can't rush to take advantage of this, since FiOS isn't offered here.

The Globe reports Verizon Wireless could start offering "4G" high-speed wireless Internet service in Boston by year end. Still no date for when it will start offering "FiOS" wired Internet service in Boston.

Of course, even if he wanted to, he couldn't, since he obviously doesn't live in Boston.

The other day, the Globe explained why Bostonians get to see roughly 72,000 commercials a day in which FiOS Guy triumphs over Cable Oaf even though they can't sign up for it. Verizon says it'll get around to wiring up New England's largest city one of these days and that dense cities are simply harder to wire than spread-out suburbs, but Tom Menino says it's a personal vendetta against him because he wants the company to pay taxes on its wires along public ways.

Ars Technica reports Boston isn't alone: New York and Washington have been slow to get FiOS as well.

There's a hearing this morning at the State House on a bill that would make it a lot easier for Verizon to get licenses in individual communities to build out its FiOS TV systems. Cambridge Community Television explains why it opposes the measure.

Fabulously Out There chronicles her bang-head-on-wall adventures in trying to get a working modem from Verizon:

... The dude in India puts me on hold just to come back to say "Ma'am, we don't have any record that this is a Verizon modem you have. Therefore, we can offer you to buy a new modem."

At which point, dear Verizon, my HEAD exploded. I asked him to put me through to Sales, because, CLEARLY, this is a Verizon modem. VERIZON is written on it, the VERIZON man BROUGHT it to my house when he fixed the phone line.....the customer service lady transferred me to the "appropriate office" which, OF COURSE, is closed on Saturdays and Sundays. ...

Amy had been a loyal Verizon phone and DSL customer - until she made the mistake of trying to upgrade her service.

Pahkcah02 details the story behind her assertion that, when it comes to high-speed broadband:

Comcast may be slow, dull, and expensive compared to Verizon, but at least they have never flat out lied to me in order to make up for incompetence. Buyer beware to anyone considering the switch.