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SSTF @lemmy.world

1y ago

OC

Artifact of a lost civilization

50 comments

Ahh, the ancient artifact to get off the Matrix.
- The removal of these is a conspiracy by the machines to keep us in the Matrix.
- So the machines have won?
  
  Well do you see an exit door anywhere near you?
  
  If you watched the Matrix, you'd know the answer to that. The machines won a nearly infinite number of times.
  
  ~~machines~~
  Homunculus of Men in Black. Open the face of any Republican and you'll find one in the void behind the eyes. We're supposedly susceptible to infestation with age, but traded wealth for natural resistance.

And it still says "Bell" on it, too.
There is one functioning pay phone that I know of and pass regularly on my rounds, which is outside of Lancaster in Georgetown, Pennsylvania right at the dog-leg on 896. There are like three locals reading this who are nodding right now.
See if you can spot it here:
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9379651,-76.0834154,3a,75y,265.49h,94.81t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1slPUAv70kFlzKxWs1vhQ3PQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu
You'll also readily spot why it's still there.
- And it still says "Bell" on it, too.
  If you're referring to pre-breakup American Bell, this one appears to be Bell Canada, which tragically still exists.
  
  Ma Bell still exists in the US too, we just call it AT&T now.
  
  Ah. Can't help you with that one, then.
- There are like three locals reading this who are nodding right now
  You convinced that entire town to get dial up and join Lemmy?
  
  It's not much, but it's honest work.
- Is that for the Amish?
  
  Why would the Amish be okay with pay phones but not cell phones?
  
  I imagine it does see some use from them, yes.
- There used to be a row of them at the ferry terminal. They had cover plates from Bell, Bell Atlantic, Nynex, and Verison. May have been other names, but I can't recall.
- This looks like a Bell Canada phone which is still a company (unfortunately). You do still see these exact same phones around occasionally

I don’t understand, where is the part of this device that forces ads on you?
- I remember calling collect but then yelling "it's me pick me up" when they asked for your name
  
  Bob Ihadababyitsaboy
- You see you'd either have to remember every single number you ever needed OR you had to look the numbers up in a very thick book with very thin pages.
  The pages that were ads were even coloured differently.
  Idk, perhaps you've heard of "the yellow pages"?
  Also, waiting music.
  
  Good good, I was going to say that clearly looks like a Russian spy device placed clandestinely on American soil right under citizens very noses but you have assuaged my fears.
  
  Or you could pay the operator to give you and/or connect you, but that cost you money, so no need for an ad!
- In the yellow pages book in the little cubby below
- It must eradicated from the Earth

2600 vibe.
- Emmanuel Goldstein just creamed his jeans.

Yeah those Bell phones (and some Telus ones in Western Canada) are still in many places surprisingly, but increasingly rare and I haven't seen any one use one in Canada for years.
A couple non-Bell ones I know of in downtown Toronto still operate somehow.
Also it's kind of neat to see places with payphones where you know they were used way more often before, like Portland [Oregon] Union Station. I could imagine people getting off a train forming lines to try to send word home they made it into town...
- Yeah lines for the phone were common. People would argue about the relative importance of their phone call. I don't miss it, but I kind of miss phone booths. I don't know why.

You really miss it when your trapped somewhere with no phone and has to beg to strangers for theirs.
- honestly pay phones are something we should have never elliminated.
  
  I agree

It has a card reader and a display on it? Fancy schmancy.
- That type of pay phone has been in use in Canada for >25 years, card reader and all. We had a row of them in my high school back in the 90s

9-button dialer... credit card reader... this is a fairly modern phone. It'd even be useful if a battery died or (given the location) someone dropped their phone over the side of the boat into the lake - as long as they could remember the phone number of the person they needed to call.
I don't think this is a relic; kids today wouldn't be confused by the technology (as they might with a rotary dial), and given the location, I'll bet it gets used more than you'd think.
- Yeah that's the best part of using these things in an emergency.
  30 years ago I used to memorize about 20 seven digit phone numbers. I may have remembered one or two ten digit numbers for long distance calls but we live in northern Ontario and the entire area of our province is the size of France and has one area code.
  Now I have a hard time recalling my wife's number if I had to call anyone I know in a public pay phone. I have to stop and think to remember what my number is. I definitely wouldn't be able to remember any of my close friends or family members.
  Honestly in an emergency, I would have an easier time going to library to use a computer to contact someone on Facebook or Instagram

Random true story: A guy named Vincent was at home in New Jersey, dialed the phone number of his good friend, and Vincent's wife answered the phone. He immediately assumed they were having an affair and got in a shouting match.
Turns out he accidently misdialed a digit and rang up a payphone, which his wife just happened to be walking past when it started to ring. He said it was the weirdest thing that ever happened to him.

I can already hear James Earl Jones.. Welcome to bell Atlantic

Where is this? It looks a lot like small town northern Ontario.

Omg they still exist!

'Dew ashtray is so edgy. Back in the day they were always miller or bud guerilla branding

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