Vintage Things That Have Disappeared In Your Lifetime?

[Inkstainedwretch]

The last pay phones I've seen were in a Wal-Mart and I don't remember when that was. Pay phones were never a money-maker for the phone company (there used to be just one) and they were a public service. Maintaining them cost more than all the nickles, dimes and quarters. Plus, they were a place for Superman to change clothes. They couldn't get rid of them fast enough. Hey, it's your nickel!

 

[Fading Fast]

I've often wondered why pay phones are still out there and who uses them as cell phones seem to have penetrated all socio-economic spheres. If the phone companies are required to put them up, then that explains their existence. In NYC, I've paid attention to who uses them and it looks to me like it is occasionally foreigners (maybe their cell phone don't work here) and (what I think are) drug dealers and other shady operators.

Someone whom I'm pretty sure is a drug dealer, not far from where I live, seems to do a good business and uses both a cell phone and a pay phone, which, I assume he decides based on his concern for which of his calls he doesn't want to be tracked back to him later. If I am correct (and I might very well not be), then we could be in a situation where an antiquated law - require phone companies to maintain a certain number of public pay phones - is basically helping the illegal drug trade.

 

[Trenchfriend]

I used a telephone-cabin, in Germany, the last time in March of 2006. There were even still the yellow ones, which were not substituted by the upcoming of this rose-ones http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=telefonzelle&qs=n&form=QBIR&pq=telefonzelle&sc=8-7&sp=-1&sk=

Now, there are still todays http://www.badische-zeitung.de/schopfheim/langenau-will-den-anschluss-halten--47496765.html. With or without a wind-deflector on the side. http://www.fotos-berlin24.de/data/media/39/Berlin-Telecom-telefonzelle.jpg

But we still love our coin-phones, I tell you!

http://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/g...ten-telefonzellen-an-privatleute/9817850.html

 

[LizzieMaine]

There's still payphones around here -- the one I see used most often is at the grocery store, and it's usually used by elderly people calling for taxicabs to come pick them up after they finish buying their groceries. Our population skews old, and there are still quite a few elderly folk who don't have or don't trust cellphones. I'm not the last holdout by any means -- the most recent statistics I've seen indicate that about 30 million Americans don't have any mobile device.

The last outdoor phone installation here was in front of the phone company building next to the post office, but was pulled about five years ago. Which I didn't notice until I directed someone to it and they came back all confused.

 

[philosophygirl78]

I haven't seen any in South Florida for years...

 

[ButteMT61]

Payphone - phone booths - were the only way I could call girls in Jr High school. Folks had a land line and we were not allowed to use it. Sold pop bottles for money which went directly into the phone across the street from the church parking lot where we lived as kids. Summer, winter, snow, rain, we went there to call girls. Said nothing. Spent dollars. And yeah, I miss the whole innocent time. All we ever see of phones/phone booths today are shells left over in the city with no phone remaining. Just another thing gone. Such is life I guess...

 

[Fading Fast]

^^^ Didn't you have "free" (built into the monthly fee) local calls? I was allowed to make local calls (and if I was unsure, I'd call the operator first and check), but never, ever a long-distance call (which could be a few town over or not - the divide was unclear, hence, the call to check). My father went line by line through the phone bill and I never wanted to have to answer for a long-distance call so I never made one. That said, I had to get off the phone if my parents needed it, so I usually only called someone (mainly girls) if my parents weren't around or I felt pretty safe that they wouldn't need the phone. And even on local calls, my dad didn't want anyone talking for long as he wanted to keep the phone "free" for incoming calls. Nothing was every easy or simple with him, so in general, I didn't use the phone much. Fifty percent of my focus as a kid was staying off his radar - if I did that, life was pretty straight forward.

 

[HudsonHawk]

This has nothing to do with pay phones, but the comment about long distance calls got me thinking how that's gotten both more complicated and simpler at the same time. We have three overlapping area codes around here, which means you have to always dial 10 digits, and some calls to other area codes are long distance, some are not. Some in your own area code are long distance. My home phone number, work number and cell phone number all have different area codes, and it's long distance from my cell or office to my house, but not between the office and cell. I could pay extra for a "metro" line at my house and it wouldn't be long distance, but since I don't, it's long distance to call my next door neighbor. Which brings up the simpler part...with the way phone service works now, there is no more "long distance" in the traditional sense. Yes, you have to dial a "1" first, but there is no separation between "local" and "long distance" charges on the phone. It's unlimited calling anywhere for one price. Which I like.

 

[ButteMT61]

^^^ Didn't you have "free" (built into the monthly fee) local calls?...

Had absolutely nothing to do with cost. Phone was for adults, not kids. Just as well, if they'd have let me use the phone, I'd not have anything to post here today

 

[Fading Fast]

This has nothing to do with pay phones, but the comment about long distance calls got me thinking how that's gotten both more complicated and simpler at the same time. We have three overlapping area codes around here, which means you have to always dial 10 digits, and some calls to other area codes are long distance, some are not. Some in your own area code are long distance. My home phone number, work number and cell phone number all have different area codes, and it's long distance from my cell or office to my house, but not between the office and cell. I could pay extra for a "metro" line at my house and it wouldn't be long distance, but since I don't, it's long distance to call my next door neighbor. Which brings up the simpler part...with the way phone service works now, there is no more "long distance" in the traditional sense. Yes, you have to dial a "1" first, but there is no separation between "local" and "long distance" charges on the phone. It's unlimited calling anywhere for one price. Which I like.

We gave up having a "land line" in a move many years ago ('05) and have only used our cells since. So the local and long distance and even "toll free" distinction went away for us and it all became about minutes. Since neither my girlfriend nor I like talking on the phone, other than for certain family issue (our parent's health, mainly), we never come close to our maximum minutes.

Then, about three or so years ago, Time Warner was so desirous to get customers to have their phone service that they gave it to their cable and internet customers for free (actually less than free as my overall bill went down when I added the phone). I assume they either plan to raise the price later and figured you'll be "hooked" by then or they think it just "locks" you in more to them as a company so you'll be less willing to switch or cut the cord.

We have never given anyone our new land line number (so we aren't hooked or locked in), but use it to make outgoing calls so that we keep our minutes on our cell phones down. The whole thing seems crazy - our bill went down with Time Warner and we now never go near our maximum minutes (which is the least number of minutes you can have) with Verizon. While we (and I'm as guilty as the next guy) complain about how this or that gets worse or more expensive, local and long distance calling has never been cheaper at least in my household.

 

[HudsonHawk]

While we (and I'm as guilty as the next guy) complain about how this or that gets worse or more expensive, local and long distance calling has never been cheaper at least in my household.

You know, I have unlimited minutes to any phone number in the US for $35/month, which to me is an incredible deal, especially compared to what long distance calling used to cost. But it seems that there is no end to the complaining and moaning by younger folks at how ridiculously high that is. I'm guessing they think phone service just appears out of the air and should be as free as such.

 

[Fading Fast]

You know, I have unlimited minutes to any phone number in the US for $35/month, which to me is an incredible deal, especially compared to what long distance calling used to cost. But it seems that there is no end to the complaining and moaning by younger folks at how ridiculously high that is. I'm guessing they think phone service just appears out of the air and should be as free as such.

There is some not-insignificant subset of young people who believe that the web and its content should all be "free," as if there is a web and web content provider fairy who can wave a wand and make it all happen. For those who grew up at a certain time - when a lot of things on the web were free owing to either companies willing to give it away as they hadn't figure out their web model yet or others "sharing" content before some of that was cracked down on - they probably believe that "free" is the natural state of things on the web. Hate or love capitalism, hate or love government regulation - things cost money and someone has to pay.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Good point. There is no real alternative to the market-economy. The important thing is, that people carry shopping-bags and that the shopping-bags carry shopping-bags.

 

[philosophygirl78]

Good point. There is no real alternative to the market-economy. The important thing is, that people carry shopping-bags and that the shopping-bags carry shopping-bags.

"Free" has long been used a trigger term in marketing. It appeals to that very demographic of entitled and instant gratification seeking people. It's sad because its not reality, and that mentality cultivates ignorants by the swarms... Which is a failing component of this world.

 

[GHT]

But it seems that there is no end to the complaining and moaning by younger folks at how ridiculously high that is. I'm guessing they think phone service just appears out of the air and should be as free as such.

The young generation today have never hired a video, never handed in a roll of film to be developed and collected next day, never hand written a letter. (You should see some of their examples when asked to reply in your own handwriting when answering to a job advert.) Never had a pen-pal, never consulted a telephone directory, never written a cheque, never bought a bouquet of flowers. (Well perhaps a young man might, when his groin overrides his brain.)
Everything they do is technology driven, no wonder that they think it should be free. Had they done any of the above, they would have had to pay for it and in doing so, learn about the cost of goods and services. I'm not criticising them, just observing. I really do admire the way that they seem to be able to pick up the technical things in life, like they were born with the knowledge, but it's sad too, that they will never experience the anticipation of a written letter, answered, by return, in the post.

"Free" has long been used a trigger term in marketing.

Free? Isn't that a four letter word beginning with 'F?'

 

[philosophygirl78]

The young generation today have never hired a video, never handed in a roll of film to be developed and collected next day, never hand written a letter. (You should see some of their examples when asked to reply in your own handwriting when answering to a job advert.) Never had a pen-pal, never consulted a telephone directory, never written a cheque, never bought a bouquet of flowers. (Well perhaps a young man might, when his groin overrides his brain.)
Everything they do is technology driven, no wonder that they think it should be free. Had they done any of the above, they would have had to pay for it and in doing so, learn about the cost of goods and services. I'm not criticising them, just observing. I really do admire the way that they seem to be able to pick up the technical things in life, like they were born with the knowledge, but it's sad too, that they will never experience the anticipation of a written letter, answered, by return, in the post.

Free? Isn't that a four letter word beginning with 'F?'

That too...

 

[LizzieMaine]

Not all the kids are so obsessed with the technology, though. I work with a twenty-two year old who learned how to develop film in high school -- and her goal is to set up her own darkroom if she can get the equipment together to do it. I gave another of my millennial co-workers my old Palmer Penmanship textbooks because she's been keeping a handwritten journal since she was in the fourth grade -- in ink, with an actual pen, in hardbound books -- and she wants to spiff up her handwriting. She also corresponds with several friends by handwritten letters. I'm giving her an actual fountain pen for Christmas this year, so she'll have the right tools for the job.

Not all hope is lost when it comes to millennials. But just try and get the average sixty-year-old Boomer to put the damn phone down while the movie's on.

 

[philosophygirl78]

One of my best guy friends is a baby boomer and that guy can text OMG.... Very savvy.. More than I. He's actually a member of this forum but I would never out him.

 

[philosophygirl78]

Not all the kids are so obsessed with the technology, though. I work with a twenty-two year old who learned how to develop film in high school -- and her goal is to set up her own darkroom if she can get the equipment together to do it. I gave another of my millennial co-workers my old Palmer Penmanship textbooks because she's been keeping a handwritten journal since she was in the fourth grade -- in ink, with an actual pen, in hardbound books -- and she wants to spiff up her handwriting. She also corresponds with several friends by handwritten letters. I'm giving her an actual fountain pen for Christmas this year, so she'll have the right tools for the job.

Not all hope is lost when it comes to millennials. But just try and get the average sixty-year-old Boomer to put the damn phone down while the movie's on.

Every generation has its champs, but mine, The X and the following, the Y and the Millennials have a extra amount of stupid...

 

[HudsonHawk]

Not all hope is lost when it comes to millennials.

Millennials in general are very smart. My biggest gripe with them is that too many never learned the fundamentals, and don't seem to think they need to, be that how to contour a map or who covers 3B on a bunt. Higher level understanding breaks down when you get stumped on the basics.