have you ever used a phone booth

[Burgold]

Was thinking about experiences that were once common, but now may be completely foreign to people of a certain age or place.

I can't remember the last time I've even seen a phone both and most of the payphones I pass are broken or disconnected. So, as a starter for this fogey-esque thread...

Have you ever used a phonebooth (to make a phonecall)

[spjunkies]

Damn, I was going to make a joke about going to the MCI Center, but you ruined that.

To answer your question I think I did use one a few times, but I can't remember when.

[TheGoodBits]

Made a collect call home from the top of the Empire State Building when I was 12. Cost my dad $50.

[DoGood28]

I've never used a full-fledged phone booth, but I have used pay phones like the ones you see in airports. I consider those to be close enough so I answered yes.

Throughout my life I've tried to avoid using any pay phone as they seem to be some of the most dirty and poorly maintained public places around.

[Burgold]

While look at all the hedged answers so far. The Verizon Center quip was funny.

[Enter Apotheosis]

[Englands Redskin]

Not for years, over here they used to look like this

Now they are like this, and the vandalism is pretty normal too

[Mickalino]

Sadly, phone booths are becoming extinct, due to the advance of cell phones.

Yet, we still need them.

What happens if you're stuck somewhere alone, especially if your car is broken down, and one of these happens :

a) You forgot your cellphone

You lost your cellphone

c) You broke your cellphone

d) Your battery dies and you don't have a charger.

e) Your battery dies, and you have a charger, but the charger is broken.

And there are no working payphones nearby.

Usually, you're screwed if any of those apply.

[Burgold]

Payphones are pretty endangered too.

[renaissance]

There's a pay phone about a block away from my house. It's not a full-on booth though - it's just kinda of sitting out on its own beside the sidewalk.

Anyway, I see people using it pretty regularly. I think that may be somewhat indicative of the kind of neighborhood I live in. :paranoid:

edit: And I have used phone booths though I think only when I was in Europe. Have used payphones here in the US of A, but I don't think I ever used a one in a booth.

[Squidley]

I'm feeling old.....how about the headlight high beam switch that was on the floor of the car ......up and to the left of the brake pedal. Or the TV that you had to get up and turn the channel and all you had was Channel 4,5,7 and 9. sometimes you could get 20 if the weather was good

[Burgold]

I definitely remember tv dial and a car radio where you pushed in the buttons to try to get a good AM channel and of course window cranks.

[Burgold]

Heck, I even owned an 8 track and when I was singles weren't unattached bachelors, but vinyl records with 2 songs on them.

[Perky72]

A long time ago I used some phone booths. The decline of pay phones sucks, especially for me. I can't justify the occasional convenience of a cell phone with the monthly expense, I also have anxiety and greatly dislike using phones at all.

I'm feeling old.....how about the headlight high beam switch that was on the floor of the car ......up and to the left of the brake pedal. Or the TV that you had to get up and turn the channel and all you had was Channel 4,5,7 and 9. sometimes you could get 20 if the weather was good

Heh, I certainly remember flipping the TV dial. Plus fashioning various antenna contraptions with tin foil, coat hangers, and anything else that would bring in reception. Occasionally I'd even use my body, as sometimes I'd move the antenna and get great reception, but as soon as I took my hand off it would turn to snow.

Another "feeling old" thing is that a lot of young people probably don't remember that everything used to come by normal mail. I recall getting patches for computer games on disk that way, and aside from the phone every correspondance would be mail. E-mail and downloads is of course a great advance and much more convenient. But I guess we are to young kids as carrier pigeons and the pony express were to us!

[Bang]

I have used plenty of phone booths in the past.

~Bang

[Kosher Ham]

yes.

Payphone within the last year.

Booth...probably 10 years or more.

But I have.

[twa]

Yes,but the light coming on when we shut the door was annoying

[Burgold]

Oh come on, no one will admit their phone both was...

[Squidley]

who dat...dr.who............^^^^I guess, I am about half buzzed by now

[Sticksboi05]

Back in middle school before literally everyone and their mother had a cell phone.

[DeanCollins]

On the dial phones (in a payphone) if you stick an unfolded paper clip in the mouth piece and touch (ground) the other end to the body of the phone, you get a free phone call. :pfft:

[RememberOsaka]

I remember that most phone booths had the odor of people mistakenly having used them as porta-johns.

[renaissance]

On the dial phones (in a payphone) if you stick an unfolded paper clip in the mouth piece and touch (ground) the other end to the body of the phone, you get a free phone call. :pfft:

you know how I know you're old?

[gimpy007]

Yes - All the time. In fact, I checked Google Maps and the phone booth I used where I lived is still there. Sadly, its right around the corner from where the four Lakewood Police Officers were killed. It's at the car wash where the getaway car was parked. :mad:

[DButz65]

On the dial phones (in a payphone) if you stick an unfolded paper clip in the mouth piece and touch (ground) the other end to the body of the phone, you get a free phone call. :pfft:

Would you like to play a game?