By the way, this phone was in Kent Ohio on Rhoades Road at the Coleman Health Center.  It cost $0.50 for local calls.

Toshi

Retired In Kalifornia

The last time - and likely the last time - I'd used a public pay phone was around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, December 28, 2011; the precision remains memorial...

 

Toshi

I have see a few around here, but  they have all been vandalized.

We've still got a few around here, mostly in remote areas without cell service.

LOL, good catch Toshi :-) There is one in our hospital, I guess it is easier to leave it there then to call out bunch of unionized guys to take it down :-)

About 3 hours ago, but give it another 12 months or so and public phones (be it working or not) wont exists in this country.

Cadet Chuck

I have see a few around here, but  they have all been vandalized.

 

Toshi

Retired In Kalifornia

 

 

 

Retired In Kalifornia

The last time - and likely the last time - I'd used a public pay phone was around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, December 28, 2011; the precision remains memorial...

 

 

 

 

Isn’t that just a miracle in of itself!  

 

Toshi

 

 

 

 

Sure was, didn't have a cell phone then! Do remember making Operator Assisted calls in 1960s, 911 wasn't active then either.

 

 

Toshi

 

 

Retired In Kalifornia

 

 

 

Retired In Kalifornia

The last time - and likely the last time - I'd used a public pay phone was around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, December 28, 2011; the precision remains memorial...

 

 

 

 

Isn’t that just a miracle in of itself!  

 

Toshi

 

 

 

 

Sure was, didn't have a cell phone then! Do remember making Operator Assisted calls in 1960s, 911 wasn't active then either.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Toshi

And the days of the wrong number dialed In.

Toshi

The ubiquitous tangled phone line.  lol!

Toshi

Without phone booths where will Clark Kent change into Superman!?! 

I haven't seen any of the recent movies so I assume they've found some way to deal with this. 

LOL!

Down a dark alley?

When I was a kid, back in the 40's, no phones had a dial, and all calls, even local, were operator assisted.  Imagine that!

Haven't seen a payphone in a long time, but I do keep a non-electronic carbon button mike phone, with rotary mechanical-electrical dial hooked up a home.  With it I can still call call the electric company to report a power failure, as long as my phone exchange still has power.  I know they used to have batteries- don't know what they use for backup power now.

Hi Toshi ;

     I have to say , you certainly found a rare one . I think the last time I saw one was in San Francisco years ago .  T.B.

Retired In Kalifornia

 

 

damouav

LOL!

Down a dark alley?

 

 

 

 

Harvey Weinstein knows...

 

 

LOL, not EVEN going there..... 

Oh gosh, I remember party lines. Some woman was always hogging the phone and I remember  mom complaining about it! 

We have one at work.  I had to use one last month at the Denver airport becasue my cell was dead.  It looked the same except it had a credit card slot.  $1.50 just to initiate the call.

The wife and I took a six week RV trip across the country and saw a few of them but can't remember just where. Sad to say that most of them were vandalized. One of them had the Card slot but someone had done a good job of jamming the slot full of junk.

When I lived in So. Phila in the '40s and W. Phila. in the '50s, we had party lines. Some were fun.

Don't even own a cell phone. Never have and never will. I feel the same as I always have. Don't care to be bothered while at work or driving. That's the way it was back then. If you NEEDED to call anyone, you waited till you got home. Sorry for the little rant. Hit a nerve. Hate cellphones.

Jim  

What great stories out there.  Thank you all for your memories!

Toshi

Hey, Fox, you are not alone!  I hate cell phones too, especially the so-called "smart phones" with people constantly playing with them, poking the buttons no matter where they are or what they are doing.  

We have one in front of the Food City grocerystore. $1.50 for International call's..... which is kind of odd...... because Mexico is just 10 block's away.

Was gonna mention party lines but someone beat me to it. Here's another...who remembers the phone numbers with names like Franklin 7 and so on? I remember our house phone number in 1965 or 66 starting with that.

Remember a party line as a kid. I also remember this big scare that if you added another phone by yourself the phone company could find out some how and get you in huge trouble.

My cell? Had since the huge bag phones first came out and I never use it from home. Landline. Not putting people through what they put me through using the cells.

On the rare occasion, i would see one in a truck stop and very rare in a rest area. I'll be back on the road in a month or two (most of ya know about my arm injury this year) but i'll update on this. Heck, when i had surgery in January, the hospital made sure my daughter had a cell phone in case she had to make a call...

Our home number in 1945 was Jackson 7613.  Why do we remember things like that???

Cadet Chuck

Our home number in 1945 was Jackson 7613.  Why do we remember things like that???

 

Toshi

That is one beautiful piece of hardware!

Toshi

To my fellow forum members,

Thank you for sharing your memories here!  This is so interesting, it’s really about history.