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[OC] Artifact of a lost civilization (lemmy.world)

submitted 8 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

Yeah those Bell phones (and some Telus ones in Western Canada) are still in many places surprisingly, but increasingly rare and I haven't seen any one use one in Canada for years.

A couple non-Bell ones I know of in downtown Toronto still operate somehow.

Also it's kind of neat to see places with payphones where you know they were used way more often before, like Portland [Oregon] Union Station. I could imagine people getting off a train forming lines to try to send word home they made it into town...

[–] [email protected] 11 points 8 months ago

Yeah lines for the phone were common. People would argue about the relative importance of their phone call. I don't miss it, but I kind of miss phone booths. I don't know why.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 8 months ago (1 children)

You really miss it when your trapped somewhere with no phone and has to beg to strangers for theirs.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

honestly pay phones are something we should have never elliminated.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I agree

[–] [email protected] -1 points 8 months ago

same

[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 months ago

I can already hear James Earl Jones.. Welcome to bell Atlantic

[–] [email protected] 9 points 8 months ago (1 children)

It has a card reader and a display on it? Fancy schmancy.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 months ago

That type of pay phone has been in use in Canada for >25 years, card reader and all. We had a row of them in my high school back in the 90s

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago

'Dew ashtray is so edgy. Back in the day they were always miller or bud guerilla branding

[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 months ago

Random true story: A guy named Vincent was at home in New Jersey, dialed the phone number of his good friend, and Vincent's wife answered the phone. He immediately assumed they were having an affair and got in a shouting match.

Turns out he accidently misdialed a digit and rang up a payphone, which his wife just happened to be walking past when it started to ring. He said it was the weirdest thing that ever happened to him.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 months ago (1 children)

9-button dialer... credit card reader... this is a fairly modern phone. It'd even be useful if a battery died or (given the location) someone dropped their phone over the side of the boat into the lake - as long as they could remember the phone number of the person they needed to call.

I don't think this is a relic; kids today wouldn't be confused by the technology (as they might with a rotary dial), and given the location, I'll bet it gets used more than you'd think.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago

Yeah that's the best part of using these things in an emergency.

30 years ago I used to memorize about 20 seven digit phone numbers. I may have remembered one or two ten digit numbers for long distance calls but we live in northern Ontario and the entire area of our province is the size of France and has one area code.

Now I have a hard time recalling my wife's number if I had to call anyone I know in a public pay phone. I have to stop and think to remember what my number is. I definitely wouldn't be able to remember any of my close friends or family members.

Honestly in an emergency, I would have an easier time going to library to use a computer to contact someone on Facebook or Instagram

[–] [email protected] 22 points 8 months ago (4 children)

I don’t understand, where is the part of this device that forces ads on you?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

In the yellow pages book in the little cubby below

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

It must eradicated from the Earth

[–] [email protected] 12 points 8 months ago (2 children)

You see you'd either have to remember every single number you ever needed OR you had to look the numbers up in a very thick book with very thin pages.

The pages that were ads were even coloured differently.

Idk, perhaps you've heard of "the yellow pages"?

Also, waiting music.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Or you could pay the operator to give you and/or connect you, but that cost you money, so no need for an ad!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

You can always squeeze a couple more pennies out of the situation.

That's the wonderful thing about capitalism; it's not about what is needed, it's about the profit you can make by any means necessary.

^/s

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

Good good, I was going to say that clearly looks like a Russian spy device placed clandestinely on American soil right under citizens very noses but you have assuaged my fears.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I remember calling collect but then yelling "it's me pick me up" when they asked for your name

[–] [email protected] 9 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Bob Ihadababyitsaboy

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago

*WehadababyEETZaboy

[–] [email protected] 27 points 8 months ago (5 children)

And it still says "Bell" on it, too.

There is one functioning pay phone that I know of and pass regularly on my rounds, which is outside of Lancaster in Georgetown, Pennsylvania right at the dog-leg on 896. There are like three locals reading this who are nodding right now.

See if you can spot it here:

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9379651,-76.0834154,3a,75y,265.49h,94.81t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1slPUAv70kFlzKxWs1vhQ3PQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

You'll also readily spot why it's still there.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 months ago (1 children)

There are like three locals reading this who are nodding right now

You convinced that entire town to get dial up and join Lemmy?

[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 months ago

It's not much, but it's honest work.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 months ago (3 children)

Is that for the Amish?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago (3 children)

Why would the Amish be okay with pay phones but not cell phones?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

Because the Amish disdain for technology is relative. Since smartphones came along, payphones seem quaint in comparison, opening them up for their technological "Amish phase." Much like how Amish have no issues using bicycles or buggies since the car came along. Give it a few years and before long you'll see Amish with CRT TVs scrambling for VCRs and NES copies of Super Mario

[–] [email protected] 12 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

From what I gather many Amish will use certain pieces of technology only specifically for business or in an emergency, but draw the line at actually having it in their homes. A payphone is kind of the perfect example of this, because every once in a while in modern times you will just need to use a phone. Not to chat with your aunt Sally or dial up Moviefone, but maybe you have to call a veterinarian or place an order for 2 tons of chicken feed. It just is what it is. An Amish family won't have a phone in their house, but if push comes to shove they can rock up to the payphone and use it when necessary. It is a community resource, not a personal luxury, and importantly it is not an object that any Amish people actually own.

Or you will see, for instance, that the cattle shed is lit with electric lights but the house isn't. An Amish work crew will show up to the job site in a truck, but none of them will be driving it -- they'll hire one of us English to do so. Or my favorite, they will have a gasoline engine powered thresher or something whacking away on a cart in the field, but they'll tow it with a horse. Etc. I don't claim to know all the rules, but there is clearly some rules lawyering going on there.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

The loophole for my local amish is they can use it, but not own it. Which sounds great until they're clogging up the parking at the Scratch N Dent with their bosses tractor.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago

That would make to much sense

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I imagine it does see some use from them, yes.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

Is that what you meant, though?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

This looks like a Bell Canada phone which is still a company (unfortunately). You do still see these exact same phones around occasionally

[–] [email protected] 31 points 8 months ago (2 children)

And it still says "Bell" on it, too.

If you're referring to pre-breakup American Bell, this one appears to be Bell Canada, which tragically still exists.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Ma Bell still exists in the US too, we just call it AT&T now.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 8 months ago

They got that ill communication.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 8 months ago

Ah. Can't help you with that one, then.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago

There used to be a row of them at the ferry terminal. They had cover plates from Bell, Bell Atlantic, Nynex, and Verison. May have been other names, but I can't recall.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

Where is this? It looks a lot like small town northern Ontario.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago

Omg they still exist!