It’s probably of interest to boomers who want to reminisce about the past. These three little cubicles look so lonely. Years ago, they held pay phones, and when a speaker at a seminar announced break time, we raced to get one—like an Easter egg hunt in elementary school.
You carried quarters in varied containers. Then, we went auto and got an 800 number, and it worked great.
Another thought for the more senior boomer: remember when we got the operator and dialed person-to-person at an added cost? College students would call home and ask for some fake character. Your parent would say, “Sorry, she is not here,” and you would reply, “I’ll call again at 10 PM.” That was when you would be home.
And for the very senior boomers from the countryside: my grandparents’ phone was a community phone. Everybody could hear everyone, and you had a special ring when it was for you. For example, two long rings and one short. Times have changed. The seminar payphone business went the way of Blockbuster, Borders, Kodak, Toys “R” Us, Circuit City, and courtesy on the highways.
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