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The pleasing mechanical tactile experience that was the public pay phone
Posted on 10/11/26 at 4:03 pm
Posted on 10/11/26 at 4:03 pm
The heft of the handset, the sound and texture of the jointed metal cord. The smooth metal of the pushbuttons as they were pressed into the phone…the reassuring swing of the metal flap on the curved coin return slot. The clunk chunk feel of the coin return lever being activated and released.
If one was lucky there was a phone book.
Supposedly some pay phones are still out there. I haven’t seen one in a long time…

If one was lucky there was a phone book.
Supposedly some pay phones are still out there. I haven’t seen one in a long time…

This post was edited on 10/11/26 at 4:07 pm
Posted on 10/11/26 at 4:06 pm to weagle1999
That plastic phone book cover was the worst trying to hold it up on that swing arm, hold the plastic covers open, and search pages in the book for the number, but you were still always dang glad it was there for sure 
This post was edited on 10/11/26 at 4:08 pm
Posted on 10/11/26 at 4:07 pm to weagle1999
There are probably a few still around but the last one I saw in the wild was outside the old Murphy's location. It was still working as of the early 2000s.
Posted on 10/11/26 at 4:08 pm to weagle1999
The LSU trucker hat.
:GaryPlauchegif:
:GaryPlauchegif:
Posted on 10/11/26 at 4:12 pm to weagle1999
quote:
The heft of the handset, the sound and texture of the jointed metal cord. The smooth metal of the pushbuttons as they were pressed into the phone…the reassuring swing of the metal flap on the curved coin return slot. The clunk chunk feel of the coin return lever being activated and released.
The solid crack and crunch as I smashed the receiver into the metal phone housing again and again.
This post was edited on 10/11/26 at 4:13 pm
Posted on 10/11/26 at 4:13 pm to weagle1999
Always kept a dime in my wallet and in all the cars.
Posted on 10/11/26 at 4:20 pm to weagle1999
There's still one by the windshield repair tent in front of the HEB on Mason Rd, Katy, Texas.
What I recall among was all the sploopage cankered up on the speaker part. Always kept it a safe distance from touching my ear.
What I recall among was all the sploopage cankered up on the speaker part. Always kept it a safe distance from touching my ear.
Posted on 10/11/26 at 4:25 pm to weagle1999
I dialed 1800sexline many a time from the payphone by my school
Posted on 10/11/26 at 4:33 pm to weagle1999
There was one in NOLA still around 10 years ago. If you grabbed the phone and put your hand on the pole is mounted to, you’d get a nice little electrical shock.
I miss the Juice Bar.
I miss the Juice Bar.
Posted on 10/11/26 at 4:35 pm to weagle1999
I miss my clear purple and green pager. 
Posted on 10/11/26 at 4:41 pm to weagle1999
I think there's one at Riyan's gas station in Picayune. Haven't tried to use it.
Posted on 10/11/26 at 6:16 pm to weagle1999
There was a satisfaction in forcefully hanging the phone up too


Posted on 10/11/26 at 6:20 pm to Passing Wind
I wonder what The Yellow Pages salespeople do now?
Posted on 10/11/26 at 6:23 pm to weagle1999
Not really. Those things were nasty. Sort of like gas pump handles.
Posted on 10/11/26 at 7:36 pm to weagle1999
You must really miss the hard, tactile smoothness of 1970's plastic facial massagers.
Posted on 10/11/26 at 7:58 pm to weagle1999
Bout 15 years ago when the maroon 5 song "payphone" came out I had to explain to my kids what a payphone was. they looked at me like I was speaking alien.
Posted on 10/11/26 at 9:27 pm to Btrtigerfan
quote:
The LSU trucker hat.
My sister had a few t-shirt made.

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