Anybody remember the Mojave Phone Booth Site?
- Thread starter tvodrd
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gadget_lover
Flashaholic
Yeah, I remember the booth, but most likely I remember it because I was a phone company employee for 25 years. I love the X-files type conspiracies represented by that web site. They act as if there was something other than greed involved in the decision. They also act as if that particular phone booth could be found and put back.
Pay phones have become less and less necessary in recent years. They've also become less profitable. Cell phones have taken their place.
For the first 85 years of the 1900's the phone companies were a public trust, and they did things like putting payphones in remote areas where they lose money but served the public good. Sometime in the last 20 years that changed, and the phone companies became a bottom line driven company like any other. They don't do much for altruistic reasons anymore.
I thought it would have been fun to hunt that down too, but never got there.
Another fun payphone was the pair at the north and south entrances to Pinacle National Park near Hollister, Ca. It was two payphones sharing a single party line. Only one phone could be used at a time. All calls had to go through the operator.
One of my most memorable calls as a telphone operator (circa 1974) started with a person-to-person collect call being placed from the payphone at the north end of the park. I'd dialed the number and heard someome saying hello while it was still ringing. I asked if he was Mr Jones. He said yes. I asked if he'd accept the collect call charges. He said that he couldn't, he was on a pay phone. Confusion reigned until we found the Mr. Smith and Mr. Jones agreed to meet at the park entrance,but ended up on opposite ends of the park. They were trying to call each other.
Yeah, bummer about those pay phones. I also miss the booths where you could get out of the wind to make a call.
Daniel
Pay phones have become less and less necessary in recent years. They've also become less profitable. Cell phones have taken their place.
For the first 85 years of the 1900's the phone companies were a public trust, and they did things like putting payphones in remote areas where they lose money but served the public good. Sometime in the last 20 years that changed, and the phone companies became a bottom line driven company like any other. They don't do much for altruistic reasons anymore.
I thought it would have been fun to hunt that down too, but never got there.
Another fun payphone was the pair at the north and south entrances to Pinacle National Park near Hollister, Ca. It was two payphones sharing a single party line. Only one phone could be used at a time. All calls had to go through the operator.
One of my most memorable calls as a telphone operator (circa 1974) started with a person-to-person collect call being placed from the payphone at the north end of the park. I'd dialed the number and heard someome saying hello while it was still ringing. I asked if he was Mr Jones. He said yes. I asked if he'd accept the collect call charges. He said that he couldn't, he was on a pay phone. Confusion reigned until we found the Mr. Smith and Mr. Jones agreed to meet at the park entrance,but ended up on opposite ends of the park. They were trying to call each other.
Yeah, bummer about those pay phones. I also miss the booths where you could get out of the wind to make a call.
Daniel
