Comments on: Pay Phones Continue To Vanish http://tcextra.com/terrycowgill/2006/07/31/pay-phones-continue-to-vanish/ The View From Connecticut's Northwest Corner Sat, 22 Nov 2008 06:13:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Mark Alexander http://tcextra.com/terrycowgill/2006/07/31/pay-phones-continue-to-vanish/#comment-223 Mark Alexander Fri, 04 Aug 2006 12:02:49 +0000 http://tcextra.com/terrycowgill/2006/07/31/pay-phones-continue-to-vanish/#comment-223 Terry, There used to be a wooden phone booth with a folding glass door in the Lakeville Apothocary Shop (now China Inn). It was in the back near the end of the soda fountain. I used to spend lots of time in there as a young teenager, talking to my friends. It only cost a dime for unlimited time and it offered much more privacy than the home phone that seemed to always be surrounded by my family. There was even an ash tray inside the booth. I remember the stale smell. On the walls were random doodles and scores of phone numbers mostly beginning with 'hemlock 5', all illuminated by one dim lightbulb in the ceiling. If I close my eyes now I can hear the muffled echo of my voice in that small space. I also remember if I opened the door and asked nicely, Mary Gentile would mix me a cherry Coke and deliver it to me in the booth, in exchange for sweeping the sidewalk or flattening boxes or bundling up outdated newspapers. Thanks for nudging these memories of a simpler time. These days I don't have a cell phone and much to the chagrin of friends and family, my phone doesn't interrupt my life, as I instead prefer to let the answering machine take almost all incoming calls! Terry,
There used to be a wooden phone booth with a folding glass door in the Lakeville Apothocary Shop (now China Inn). It was in the back near the end of the soda fountain. I used to spend lots of time in there as a young teenager, talking to my friends. It only cost a dime for unlimited time and it offered much more privacy than the home phone that seemed to always be surrounded by my family. There was even an ash tray inside the booth. I remember the stale smell. On the walls were random doodles and scores of phone numbers mostly beginning with ‘hemlock 5′, all illuminated by one dim lightbulb in the ceiling. If I close my eyes now I can hear the muffled echo of my voice in that small space. I also remember if I opened the door and asked nicely, Mary Gentile would mix me a cherry Coke and deliver it to me in the booth, in exchange for sweeping the sidewalk or flattening boxes or bundling up outdated newspapers. Thanks for nudging these memories of a simpler time. These days I don’t have a cell phone and much to the chagrin of friends and family, my phone doesn’t interrupt my life, as I instead prefer to let the answering machine take almost all incoming calls!

]]> By: Jake http://tcextra.com/terrycowgill/2006/07/31/pay-phones-continue-to-vanish/#comment-215 Jake Wed, 02 Aug 2006 13:03:57 +0000 http://tcextra.com/terrycowgill/2006/07/31/pay-phones-continue-to-vanish/#comment-215 This is not unlike the situation with hitching posts. Whenever I take my buggy to town, it amazes me that all the hitching posts have disappeared and I have to tie my horse to the nearest parking meter. Of course if the government recognized where the market was failing, we would have an ample number of hitching posts and the danger of horses wandering away would be mitigated. This is not unlike the situation with hitching posts. Whenever I take my buggy to town, it amazes me that all the hitching posts have disappeared and I have to tie my horse to the nearest parking meter. Of course if the government recognized where the market was failing, we would have an ample number of hitching posts and the danger of horses wandering away would be mitigated.

]]> By: Sharon Kroeger http://tcextra.com/terrycowgill/2006/07/31/pay-phones-continue-to-vanish/#comment-213 Sharon Kroeger Tue, 01 Aug 2006 12:38:36 +0000 http://tcextra.com/terrycowgill/2006/07/31/pay-phones-continue-to-vanish/#comment-213 Dear Terry: I am glad you are picking up this this public issue. And your articles on this were important. This is an important example of a situation where the "market" decisions are not necessarily in the public interest. Profitable solutions are not always there best ones for society. Once can argue that public regulation of a utility, even if it be a monopoly, can serve society better sometimes than merely letting private profits determine the kind and amount of services. Of course we need public phones and perhaps the private franchises should not be given to private entities without requiring them to provide a certain number of phones in public and remote places. Regards, Sharon Kroeger PS. We keep an old fashioned line operative at the general store in Wassaic so that, in the event that all the electrical stuff goes off in the surrounding area, there is at least one old dial up telephone available to anyone in the hamlet who needs to make an outgoing call. (Surprising how many children nowadays have never actually used a dial up phone.) Dear Terry: I am glad you are picking up this this public issue. And your articles on this were important. This is an important example of a situation where the “market” decisions are not necessarily in the public interest. Profitable solutions are not always there best ones for society. Once can argue that public regulation of a utility, even if it be a monopoly, can serve society better sometimes than merely letting private profits determine the kind and amount of services. Of course we need public phones and perhaps the private franchises should not be given to private entities without requiring them to provide a certain number of phones in public and remote places. Regards, Sharon Kroeger

PS. We keep an old fashioned line operative at the general store in Wassaic so that, in the event that all the electrical stuff goes off in the surrounding area, there is at least one old dial up telephone available to anyone in the hamlet who needs to make an outgoing call. (Surprising how many children nowadays have never actually used a dial up phone.)

]]> By: Dana Scarpa http://tcextra.com/terrycowgill/2006/07/31/pay-phones-continue-to-vanish/#comment-209 Dana Scarpa Mon, 31 Jul 2006 17:51:33 +0000 http://tcextra.com/terrycowgill/2006/07/31/pay-phones-continue-to-vanish/#comment-209 Terry- Just wanted to let you know if anyone is ever in need of a local phone call - we at Cheffrey's Off Main are happy to oblige the use of our phone - we do it everyday anyway. We realize there is no cell service as well as payhones around so we do not even give it a second thought - we aim to please. So YES - you may use our telephone!!! I do this because a few years ago I was dining at a local restaurant and the young lady with us was going to be late for her curfew so she wanted to call her parents - the restaurant (no longer in business) did not allow even me, an adult, to phone to her parents. I never ate there again! Terry-

Just wanted to let you know if anyone is ever in need of a local phone call - we at Cheffrey’s Off Main are happy to oblige the use of our phone - we do it everyday anyway. We realize there is no cell service as well as payhones around so we do not even give it a second thought - we aim to please. So YES - you may use our telephone!!!

I do this because a few years ago I was dining at a local restaurant and the young lady with us was going to be late for her curfew so she wanted to call her parents - the restaurant (no longer in business) did not allow even me, an adult, to phone to her parents. I never ate there again!

]]> By: Marshall Miles http://tcextra.com/terrycowgill/2006/07/31/pay-phones-continue-to-vanish/#comment-208 Marshall Miles Mon, 31 Jul 2006 16:13:58 +0000 http://tcextra.com/terrycowgill/2006/07/31/pay-phones-continue-to-vanish/#comment-208 Terry: The telecommunications companies have been getting out of the pay phone business to cut costs. No maintenence, employees that used to fix pay phones can cover other work, cutting down onthe need for additional employees, and msot importantly to the telecomunication giants....they are forcing you to cell service. Pay as you go cellphones for those with no credit, etc. The public service aspect of pay phones, and , remember operators?!!!! I remember when you could actually call an operator hand have them call you back with a wake up call!!!!, are long gone in the age of takeovers. lets see ATT was broken up by the feds in the 70's....a million small telephone companies sprung up, rates went up,and now in 2006...ATT is back as the biggest of the big!!!! The PUBLIC UTILITY should be removed from the Department of Public Utilities! Call it: The Departmentof Communication Giants. By the way, if you do manage to find a pay phone....its 50 cents for a local call, and a ssecond mortage for long distance...hope those hikers have a calling or credit card with them!!!! Terry:

The telecommunications companies have been getting out of the pay phone business to cut costs. No maintenence, employees that used to fix pay phones can cover other work, cutting down onthe need for additional employees, and msot importantly to the telecomunication giants….they are forcing you to cell service. Pay as you go cellphones for those with no credit, etc. The public service aspect of pay phones, and , remember operators?!!!! I remember when you could actually call an operator hand have them call you back with a wake up call!!!!, are long gone in the age of takeovers. lets see ATT was broken up by the feds in the 70’s….a million small telephone companies sprung up, rates went up,and now in 2006…ATT is back as the biggest of the big!!!! The PUBLIC UTILITY should be removed from the Department of Public Utilities! Call it: The Departmentof Communication Giants. By the way, if you do manage to find a pay phone….its 50 cents for a local call, and a ssecond mortage for long distance…hope those hikers have a calling or credit card with them!!!!

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