pay phone - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

treky · 08-23-2014, 04:07 AM

who here has seen any? And have you seen people using them? We have one down the street from us. Of course no one ever uses it though.

Mr. Television · 08-23-2014, 04:20 AM

We have a pay phone a few blocks from where I live. Actually there are 2 pay phones in town. There's also a payphone at our local grocery store.

comedyfreak · 08-23-2014, 07:38 AM

I have found them outside of convenience stores. I had to use one once and the phone was gross filthy. I could hardly hear the person I was talking to.

MrCleveland · 08-23-2014, 09:38 AM

I haven't seen many pay phones lately...only pay phone booths without the pay phones.

JamesG · 08-23-2014, 01:12 PM

There's still quite a few around NYC. Whether they are working or not is another story since I haven't used them in quite some time nor have I seen anyone else on them.

Marvo301 · 08-23-2014, 03:59 PM

My Dad just used one yesterday! They are getting much harder to find!

sorabji · 08-23-2014, 04:31 PM

The supply of payphones in New York greatly exceeds demand, but they endure on account of the money being made from the advertising banners on the enclosures, and because of long-term contracts between the city and the payphone franchises back in the 1990s. At present there are about 7,000 outdoor phones and as many as 3,000 indoor. Boston has the second largest payphone population with about 1,000. Many smaller towns have zero working payphones.

AB · 09-04-2014, 04:58 PM

You don't see very many in our area either. Some of the older convenience stores have a walk-up one near the front entrance and there are a few drive-up ones too. But none of the new convenience stores have them.

Mace Dolex · 09-04-2014, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by comedyfreak

I have found them outside of convenience stores. I had to use one once and the phone was gross filthy. I could hardly hear the person I was talking to.

I would solve that problem by placing a napkin or tissue paper on the earpiece of the receiver before putting it on my ear.

Yeah they are pretty filthy before cellphones became more common I don't know how many more people didn't catch some sort of disease by public phones.

Ohio8 · 09-04-2014, 08:46 PM

The pay phone at the library near my house is out of order.

Coffeecup · 09-05-2014, 08:12 PM

I worked in place that had one about 13 years ago and the manager was debating whether to take the one out. She was charged a monthly fee to keep the phone whether it was used or not. . Eventually it was removed.
I don't know of any in my area now. As one poster said you see the opened sided booth but no phone.

Dude111 · 03-10-2024, 05:30 PM

I loved using pay phones and that included COCOTS also (Coin Operated Company Owned Telephone)

I remember one time I discovered those circle cut outs from a fuse box were taken by phone company pay phones as 35 cents and the best part is it after it credited 35 cents it spit it out so you could just keep putting it in and rack up alot of talking time!!

That didnt last long.. They must have been able to hit them all at once because all of a sudden one day none of them took it anymore

(Didnt credit jack)

ThisLittlePiggy · 03-11-2024, 01:43 PM

I used to love having payphones around. You'd dig in your purse or pockets when the operator told you to deposit more money. Also it was funny when a payphone would ring and you're walking by. Once, I picked it up and said hello and it was the operator telling the previous person to put more money in. I told him it wasn't me. LOL, good old days.

DJM77 · 03-11-2024, 08:23 PM

I'm 46, so I used to see them all the time and I've used them a few times. The last time I saw one was in 2017 and I remember feeling like I had stepped into a time warp. I'm guessing that it wasn't a functioning one.

Dude111 · 03-12-2024, 12:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThisLittlePiggy

Once, I picked it up and said hello and it was the operator telling the previous person to put more money in. I told him it wasn't me. LOL, good old days.

Yes I thought that was silly they did that.. Most ppl are not gonna put in money AFTER THE CALL

08-23-2014, 04:07 AM	#1
treky star trek fan Eternal Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Feb 25, 2002 Location: Conshohocken, pennsylvania Posts: 14,490	pay phone who here has seen any? And have you seen people using them? We have one down the street from us. Of course no one ever uses it though.
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08-23-2014, 04:20 AM	#2
Mr. Television 23 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,132	We have a pay phone a few blocks from where I live. Actually there are 2 pay phones in town. There's also a payphone at our local grocery store.
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08-23-2014, 07:38 AM	#3
comedyfreak Cheers! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Dec 14, 2005 Location: Sunny California Posts: 11,059	I have found them outside of convenience stores. I had to use one once and the phone was gross filthy. I could hardly hear the person I was talking to.
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08-23-2014, 09:38 AM	#4
MrCleveland Drew Carey from Hell Forum Star Join Date: Nov 10, 2007 Location: The City of Cleveland, in The State of Cleveland, in The United States of Cleveland Posts: 14,222	I haven't seen many pay phones lately...only pay phone booths without the pay phones.
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08-23-2014, 03:59 PM	#6
Marvo301 I'm NOT a Blockhead! Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 17, 2002 Location: The Great White North Posts: 21,452	My Dad just used one yesterday! They are getting much harder to find!
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08-23-2014, 01:12 PM	#5
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 57,058	There's still quite a few around NYC. Whether they are working or not is another story since I haven't used them in quite some time nor have I seen anyone else on them.

08-23-2014, 04:31 PM	#7
sorabji Member First Time Poster Join Date: Aug 23, 2014 Location: NYC Posts: 1	The supply of payphones in New York greatly exceeds demand, but they endure on account of the money being made from the advertising banners on the enclosures, and because of long-term contracts between the city and the payphone franchises back in the 1990s. At present there are about 7,000 outdoor phones and as many as 3,000 indoor. Boston has the second largest payphone population with about 1,000. Many smaller towns have zero working payphones.

09-04-2014, 04:58 PM	#8
AB Member Eternal Member Forum Icon Join Date: Dec 26, 2006 Location: The South Posts: 59,429	You don't see very many in our area either. Some of the older convenience stores have a walk-up one near the front entrance and there are a few drive-up ones too. But none of the new convenience stores have them.

09-04-2014, 08:46 PM	#10
Ohio8 Member Forum Star Join Date: Jul 29, 2003 Location: Wherever you aren't. Posts: 18,914	The pay phone at the library near my house is out of order.
	__________________ "Shorter of breath and one day closer to death." -- Pink Floyd Last edited by Ohio8; 03-11-2024 at 05:22 PM.

09-05-2014, 08:12 PM	#11
Coffeecup coffeecup. Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 17, 2003 Location: snoozeville Posts: 3,181	I worked in place that had one about 13 years ago and the manager was debating whether to take the one out. She was charged a monthly fee to keep the phone whether it was used or not. . Eventually it was removed. I don't know of any in my area now. As one poster said you see the opened sided booth but no phone.

03-10-2024, 05:30 PM	#12
Dude111 Forum Legend Join Date: Nov 05, 2013 Posts: 35,936	I loved using pay phones and that included COCOTS also (Coin Operated Company Owned Telephone) I remember one time I discovered those circle cut outs from a fuse box were taken by phone company pay phones as 35 cents and the best part is it after it credited 35 cents it spit it out so you could just keep putting it in and rack up alot of talking time!! That didnt last long.. They must have been able to hit them all at once because all of a sudden one day none of them took it anymore (Didnt credit jack)

03-11-2024, 01:43 PM	#13
ThisLittlePiggy Member Forum Junkie Join Date: Nov 02, 2013 Posts: 83,920	I used to love having payphones around. You'd dig in your purse or pockets when the operator told you to deposit more money. Also it was funny when a payphone would ring and you're walking by. Once, I picked it up and said hello and it was the operator telling the previous person to put more money in. I told him it wasn't me. LOL, good old days.

03-11-2024, 08:23 PM	#14
DJM77 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: May 15, 2001 Location: Missouri Posts: 5,560	I'm 46, so I used to see them all the time and I've used them a few times. The last time I saw one was in 2017 and I remember feeling like I had stepped into a time warp. I'm guessing that it wasn't a functioning one.
	__________________ Marge: There are only 49 stars on that flag. Abe: I'll be deep in the cold, cold ground before I recognize Missouri!