There’s a regional chain of gas stations around me that has a payphone and a road map posted on the wall just inside the door of every location, just in case someone is having a really bad day.
There’s a lot still standing in Brazil, none that I’ve seen look like they’ve worked in years though. Seems like they shut them off but never bothered to remove them. They have cool looking egg-like covers on them.
I mean I didn’t try them, but I’ve seen modern ones with tap-to-pay. Makes some sense in international airports, a lot of people don’t get a sim or e-sim sorted ahead of time. Might need to call a hotel or taxi service, as I’ve seen those that don’t seem to have a way to contact them besides phone.
There was one that worked up until a few years ago that was in the middle of the Mojave somewhere. Decades ago someone posted the phone number somewhere online, and people started calling it all the time just to see if anyone answered. They finally decommissioned it not too long ago
I mean, when was the last time you saw a payphone out in the wild? I can tell you it’s been at least a decade for me.
They’re everywhere in Australia. Technically not payphones anymore though, they’re free.
I’m pretty certain Telstra also runs free WiFi from them as well! At least the ones around me do!
Yeah, a lot of them do have wi-fi
The impoverished city I work near has them all over the place. I’ve seen people using them. Blows my mind every time.
There’s a regional chain of gas stations around me that has a payphone and a road map posted on the wall just inside the door of every location, just in case someone is having a really bad day.
There’s a lot still standing in Brazil, none that I’ve seen look like they’ve worked in years though. Seems like they shut them off but never bothered to remove them. They have cool looking egg-like covers on them.
Wow, not even a half-hearted pretense of trying to give you any shelter from the rain.
They have booths all over the place in australia, it was going to cost too much to remove them. They made them free, and use them as billboards.
I still see them at some airports, and sometimes by bus stations. So several times a year. But besides those places, yeah they’re pretty rare
did they work though? understandably you weren’t carrying sanitary wipes every single time. surely you had your paper copies of 2600
I mean I didn’t try them, but I’ve seen modern ones with tap-to-pay. Makes some sense in international airports, a lot of people don’t get a sim or e-sim sorted ahead of time. Might need to call a hotel or taxi service, as I’ve seen those that don’t seem to have a way to contact them besides phone.
There was one that worked up until a few years ago that was in the middle of the Mojave somewhere. Decades ago someone posted the phone number somewhere online, and people started calling it all the time just to see if anyone answered. They finally decommissioned it not too long ago
https://open.spotify.com/episode/5OoK9OTZ35SGJi18RSeR1i
E: this episode is from 10 years ago so I guess its been longer than I thought
there was one at a college I saw. The phone part had been ripped out :/
Probably at a speakeasy
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Especially outside and with the phone book holder too!
Oooh, I forgot about the phone book holders haha
I actually saw one a few months ago, it didn’t work 😔.
Big sad.