5 ms·

Engineer restores pay phones for free public use

118 points by andsoitis 1y ago

gnabgib 1y ago
Discussion (125 points, 2 months ago, 80 comments) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44188204 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44188204
harper 1y ago
Surprised no mention of futel
jjmarr 1y ago
Lmao we still have those exact payphone models in active use at every subway station in Toronto. They're also for social connectivity in that they're maintained for the suicide hotline at this point.
pinkmuffinere 1y ago
> By Julian Ring It’s a small thing, but if the reporter picked this story due to their name, I appreciate that decision.
- bfuller 1y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nominative_determinism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nominative_determinism
  - sandy_coyote 1y ago
    Bfuller- do you happen to be a pastry chef?
    - ruined 1y ago
      filthy mutt
      - bravesoul2 1y ago
        archaeologist?
dawnerd 1y ago
Meanwhile California is ripping out all of the call boxes along the roads even in areas with poor cell service. It can’t really cost us that much
- mtgentry 1y ago
  There’s probably a vast difference btwn what the state says it costs the maintain them, and what it costs this guy. Really wish there were more opportunities for the public to do stuff like this. There’s been a light out in the alley near me for years and the city won’t fix it. I’d happily do it myself if it was allowed.
  - pinkmuffinere 1y ago
    Is it literally just the lightbulb? Is it accessible? You should just do it, they likely won’t notice, and even if they do they’re not going to arrest you. If you’re within 30 min of Escondido CA I’ll even come do it for you.
  - rezonant 1y ago
    Guerilla Public Service. If you've not heard of Richard Ankrom who fixed an exit sign on the 110 freeway, check it out. He made a documentary about it (and there are countless other videos on YouTube covering the story). https://youtu.be/Clgl63CWOkM?si=CZQEzUsY9gWjWbLU https://youtu.be/Clgl63CWOkM?si=CZQEzUsY9gWjWbLU He did it so well, the modification stayed in place for years. If you can do it right, I say go for it.
    - Timwi 1y ago
      Unfortunately you left out the fact that despite his good intentions, it's illegal, and he would have been arrested if caught.
      - pinkmuffinere 1y ago
        Here’s a short list of other illegal things: - lemonade stands without a business license - posting fliers on traffic light posts, yard sale signs, etc - turning over a solid double yellow line to get into a plaza There are lots of “illegal” things we do every day, because they are better for society than strictly following the law.
fitsumbelay 1y ago
good man
mattigames 1y ago
Around 2016 I was visiting the bay area for the first time (and the US for that matter) and my phone ran out of battery, I was kind of lost without the map app and then I spotted a pay phone boot in the distance under some strong sunlight, I wondered if I could get some help with it, maybe bus routes back to the place I was staying, I pick the phone and a few tiny plastic crumbs fell from my hand, it's then when I noticed the handset was completely hollow, I looked more carefully and everything else was hollow too, it felt surreal, a bit like twilight zone but like I traveled through time and just realized it, I knew people didn't used them as much anymore but I guess I just hadn't grasp that they didn't exist any more.
fzeroracer 1y ago
The loss of pay phones is a really good example of saving pennies and losing essential service as a result of technological progress. When companies started taking them down, local governments should've stepped in to take over or help form a non-profit to maintain these services. There's a number of times where I've been out and about and my phone either can't get service or just inconveniently died on me, and having easy access to a pay phone helps prevent one from being totally stranded. And strangers, rightfully so, are reluctant to share their phone.
- deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
- Larrikin 1y ago
  The big problem is that the only people I would be able to call in that situation would be my own dead phone, my parents, my friend's house from 5th grade, and the pizza places near where I grew up. I wonder if people younger would even have that many numbers memorized.
  - hidroto 1y ago
    a simple solution is to have emergency contacts written in your wallet, with the added benefit of letting bystanders call for you when you are incapacitated.
de6u99er 1y ago
Pay phones might become a thing again, with governments pushing to end of E2E communication.
rock_artist 1y ago
That’s indeed a very cool thing. I also guess it requires some PR so people would actually know where such phones available. I wonder how Satellite services that just started to rise lately would change the dead spot issue.
- bravesoul2 1y ago
  Easy to PR, leaflet the 10000 people in tbe 10 towns (guessing population) and say "now you can use a phone and call people.... and it is free!!!!" Could be paid for by that chamber of commerce in the background. In turn paid for by business that benefits from more people coming into shops.
praveen9920 1y ago
Interestingly, someone on Reddit recently mentioned that “Pay phones started disappearing almost immediately after The Matrix movie showed everyone how to escape matrix”. Let’s see if they will sustain :)
- pyman 1y ago
  You could also argue that they disappeared the moment Neo took that Nokia 8110 out of his pocket and everyone wanted one of those instead. Even Nokia released the 8110i because people wanted that same phone, which had been modified for Neo. The fact that mobile phones took off after the movie and replaced pay phones could also suggest that most people don’t want to escape the Matrix and realised that ignorance is bliss. (Just saying what Cypher would say)
quitit 1y ago
In Australia the public pay phones have free nationwide calling and SMS, and double as wifi access points. They've proven useful for natural disasters and victims of domestic violence/coercive control. Since these phone booths tend to also show street advertising, it might be a way of preserving that revenue stream, while providing a reason for communities to want to keep the mostly redundant phone booths.
- pyman 1y ago
  Except in Brazil, pay phones have disappeared across most of America, especially in the US. The last time I was in New York I only saw a few left. This post made me realise how much work and cost goes into keeping a public phone running, including painting, repairs, cleaning, replacing vandalised parts, paying for electricity, and even sending people out to collect the coins. (I didn't even know collecting coins was an actual job)
- awesome_dude 1y ago
  > Since these phone booths tend to also show street advertising, it might be a way of preserving that revenue stream, while providing a reason for communities to want to keep the mostly redundant phone booths. https://cities-today.com/australian-cities-win-appeal-over-telstras-supersized-digital-ad-phone-booths/ https://cities-today.com/australian-cities-win-appeal-over-t...
  - mbo 1y ago
    I actually investigated this exact thing (phone booths as advertising vectors) a little while ago: https://observablehq.com/@mjbo/sydney-qms-panel-public-telephone-pairings https://observablehq.com/@mjbo/sydney-qms-panel-public-telep... To cut to the chase, I think local councils are really upset that Telstra has the right to put these anywhere they want.
    - awesome_dude 1y ago
      > To cut to the chase, I think local councils are really upset that Telstra has the right to put these anywhere they want. Yes, as per the link I posted (which appears to predate your investigation by a number of years) I personally think that there needs to be a middle ground - Telstra have the real estate they do for the express purpose of providing access to a public phone, and I have no objection to them adding some advertising onto those. I do, however, find it difficult to agree to Telstra using that to justify building a much larger billboard that has little to no purpose relating to access to the public telephone network. Melbourne does not have any advertising on its pay phones now (not that I can think of, but I am going out some time this afternoon and will double check the CBD)
pyman 1y ago
> I've already gotten a few people reaching out saying, 'We need a way for the students to call home or call whomever. Can we get one of your phones?' I think Patrick Schlott should launch a “Sponsor a Free Phone” programme, where people with more money can contribute to his project and their community. He could show the usage of each phone on a dashboard, so donors can see the impact their contribution is having on people's lives.
michalpleban 1y ago
I couldn't find this information in the article: how are these phones connected to the network? If there is no cellular coverage in the area (as the article claims), then how was it achieved?

118 points by andsoitis 1y ago

Discussion (125 points, 2 months ago, 80 comments) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44188204 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44188204

harper 1y ago

Surprised no mention of futel

jjmarr 1y ago

Lmao we still have those exact payphone models in active use at every subway station in Toronto. They're also for social connectivity in that they're maintained for the suicide hotline at this point.

pinkmuffinere 1y ago

> By Julian Ring It’s a small thing, but if the reporter picked this story due to their name, I appreciate that decision.

bfuller 1y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nominative_determinism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nominative_determinism
- sandy_coyote 1y ago
  Bfuller- do you happen to be a pastry chef?
  - ruined 1y ago
    filthy mutt
    - bravesoul2 1y ago
      archaeologist?

dawnerd 1y ago

Meanwhile California is ripping out all of the call boxes along the roads even in areas with poor cell service. It can’t really cost us that much

mtgentry 1y ago
There’s probably a vast difference btwn what the state says it costs the maintain them, and what it costs this guy. Really wish there were more opportunities for the public to do stuff like this. There’s been a light out in the alley near me for years and the city won’t fix it. I’d happily do it myself if it was allowed.
- pinkmuffinere 1y ago
  Is it literally just the lightbulb? Is it accessible? You should just do it, they likely won’t notice, and even if they do they’re not going to arrest you. If you’re within 30 min of Escondido CA I’ll even come do it for you.
- rezonant 1y ago
  Guerilla Public Service. If you've not heard of Richard Ankrom who fixed an exit sign on the 110 freeway, check it out. He made a documentary about it (and there are countless other videos on YouTube covering the story). https://youtu.be/Clgl63CWOkM?si=CZQEzUsY9gWjWbLU https://youtu.be/Clgl63CWOkM?si=CZQEzUsY9gWjWbLU He did it so well, the modification stayed in place for years. If you can do it right, I say go for it.
  - Timwi 1y ago
    Unfortunately you left out the fact that despite his good intentions, it's illegal, and he would have been arrested if caught.
    - pinkmuffinere 1y ago
      Here’s a short list of other illegal things: - lemonade stands without a business license - posting fliers on traffic light posts, yard sale signs, etc - turning over a solid double yellow line to get into a plaza There are lots of “illegal” things we do every day, because they are better for society than strictly following the law.

fitsumbelay 1y ago

good man

mattigames 1y ago

Around 2016 I was visiting the bay area for the first time (and the US for that matter) and my phone ran out of battery, I was kind of lost without the map app and then I spotted a pay phone boot in the distance under some strong sunlight, I wondered if I could get some help with it, maybe bus routes back to the place I was staying, I pick the phone and a few tiny plastic crumbs fell from my hand, it's then when I noticed the handset was completely hollow, I looked more carefully and everything else was hollow too, it felt surreal, a bit like twilight zone but like I traveled through time and just realized it, I knew people didn't used them as much anymore but I guess I just hadn't grasp that they didn't exist any more.

fzeroracer 1y ago

The loss of pay phones is a really good example of saving pennies and losing essential service as a result of technological progress. When companies started taking them down, local governments should've stepped in to take over or help form a non-profit to maintain these services. There's a number of times where I've been out and about and my phone either can't get service or just inconveniently died on me, and having easy access to a pay phone helps prevent one from being totally stranded. And strangers, rightfully so, are reluctant to share their phone.

deleted 1y ago
[deleted]
Larrikin 1y ago
The big problem is that the only people I would be able to call in that situation would be my own dead phone, my parents, my friend's house from 5th grade, and the pizza places near where I grew up. I wonder if people younger would even have that many numbers memorized.
- hidroto 1y ago
  a simple solution is to have emergency contacts written in your wallet, with the added benefit of letting bystanders call for you when you are incapacitated.

de6u99er 1y ago

Pay phones might become a thing again, with governments pushing to end of E2E communication.

rock_artist 1y ago

That’s indeed a very cool thing. I also guess it requires some PR so people would actually know where such phones available. I wonder how Satellite services that just started to rise lately would change the dead spot issue.

bravesoul2 1y ago
Easy to PR, leaflet the 10000 people in tbe 10 towns (guessing population) and say "now you can use a phone and call people.... and it is free!!!!" Could be paid for by that chamber of commerce in the background. In turn paid for by business that benefits from more people coming into shops.

praveen9920 1y ago

Interestingly, someone on Reddit recently mentioned that “Pay phones started disappearing almost immediately after The Matrix movie showed everyone how to escape matrix”. Let’s see if they will sustain :)

pyman 1y ago
You could also argue that they disappeared the moment Neo took that Nokia 8110 out of his pocket and everyone wanted one of those instead. Even Nokia released the 8110i because people wanted that same phone, which had been modified for Neo. The fact that mobile phones took off after the movie and replaced pay phones could also suggest that most people don’t want to escape the Matrix and realised that ignorance is bliss. (Just saying what Cypher would say)

quitit 1y ago

In Australia the public pay phones have free nationwide calling and SMS, and double as wifi access points. They've proven useful for natural disasters and victims of domestic violence/coercive control. Since these phone booths tend to also show street advertising, it might be a way of preserving that revenue stream, while providing a reason for communities to want to keep the mostly redundant phone booths.

pyman 1y ago
Except in Brazil, pay phones have disappeared across most of America, especially in the US. The last time I was in New York I only saw a few left. This post made me realise how much work and cost goes into keeping a public phone running, including painting, repairs, cleaning, replacing vandalised parts, paying for electricity, and even sending people out to collect the coins. (I didn't even know collecting coins was an actual job)
awesome_dude 1y ago
> Since these phone booths tend to also show street advertising, it might be a way of preserving that revenue stream, while providing a reason for communities to want to keep the mostly redundant phone booths. https://cities-today.com/australian-cities-win-appeal-over-telstras-supersized-digital-ad-phone-booths/ https://cities-today.com/australian-cities-win-appeal-over-t...
- mbo 1y ago
  I actually investigated this exact thing (phone booths as advertising vectors) a little while ago: https://observablehq.com/@mjbo/sydney-qms-panel-public-telephone-pairings https://observablehq.com/@mjbo/sydney-qms-panel-public-telep... To cut to the chase, I think local councils are really upset that Telstra has the right to put these anywhere they want.
  - awesome_dude 1y ago
    > To cut to the chase, I think local councils are really upset that Telstra has the right to put these anywhere they want. Yes, as per the link I posted (which appears to predate your investigation by a number of years) I personally think that there needs to be a middle ground - Telstra have the real estate they do for the express purpose of providing access to a public phone, and I have no objection to them adding some advertising onto those. I do, however, find it difficult to agree to Telstra using that to justify building a much larger billboard that has little to no purpose relating to access to the public telephone network. Melbourne does not have any advertising on its pay phones now (not that I can think of, but I am going out some time this afternoon and will double check the CBD)

pyman 1y ago

> I've already gotten a few people reaching out saying, 'We need a way for the students to call home or call whomever. Can we get one of your phones?' I think Patrick Schlott should launch a “Sponsor a Free Phone” programme, where people with more money can contribute to his project and their community. He could show the usage of each phone on a dashboard, so donors can see the impact their contribution is having on people's lives.

michalpleban 1y ago

I couldn't find this information in the article: how are these phones connected to the network? If there is no cellular coverage in the area (as the article claims), then how was it achieved?