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re: Who Remembers Party Lines?
Posted on 12/2/23 at 10:40 pm to Nelson Biederman IV
Posted on 12/2/23 at 10:40 pm to Nelson Biederman IV
quote:
ould only one person use it at a time? Did you have to dial out? How did you call the other houses on the shared line? How was billing handled
Only one person at a time. If you picked up and heard a voice, then the courteous thing to do would be hang up. Not too smart if there was an emergency. I think you got your own bill but I'm not sure on the rest as I was only 8-9 when we had one.
1
Posted on 12/3/23 at 7:34 am to Nelson Biederman IV
quote:
ETA- After thinking about it for a minute, I’ve got some questions. Could only one person use it at a time? Did you have to dial out? How did you call the other houses on the shared line? How was billing handled?
I was really young but remember my grandparents having a party line. They shared with the old lady across the road. I remember picking up and hearing her talking and having to put the phone down until the line was free. Like others mentioned, each house had a unique ring pattern. As much as I hate having my own phone ring, imagine having your phone ring when the call was for a neighbor.
Posted on 12/3/23 at 7:39 am to Chief Hinge
My paternal grandparents had a party line. I think they had it until 92-ish.
Posted on 12/3/23 at 7:40 am to cheobode
As a small child I do. We didnt have one, but had relatives that did.
Seems there were different rings for different numbers.
Seems there were different rings for different numbers.
Posted on 12/3/23 at 7:48 am to Chief Hinge
Party lines
Key parties
Heavy bush
Cheap gas
Booze in EVERY house on the block
Played with kids in the local neighborhood
Single wage earner could afford the following with limited debt
Nice house
2 cars
2 - 4 kids
Lots of pets
Social membership (like Elks, Oddfellows, Shriners, etc)
Golf membership (local club, not the Richey Rich type)
Key parties
Heavy bush
Cheap gas
Booze in EVERY house on the block
Played with kids in the local neighborhood
Single wage earner could afford the following with limited debt
Nice house
2 cars
2 - 4 kids
Lots of pets
Social membership (like Elks, Oddfellows, Shriners, etc)
Golf membership (local club, not the Richey Rich type)
Posted on 12/3/23 at 7:49 am to Chief Hinge
My grandparents had one. I could never understand the ring. The phone would ring and no one would answer it lol
Posted on 12/3/23 at 7:49 am to redstick13
quote:
As much as I hate having my own phone ring, imagine having your phone ring when the call was for a neighbor.
Not that bad, folks were on the phone very little. They were out actually living their lives.
Posted on 12/3/23 at 10:34 am to Chief Hinge
Not only a party line, but only one phone on the wall…
Posted on 12/3/23 at 10:39 am to Chief Hinge
quote:
Who Remembers Party Lines?
Back when phones were just phones.
someone did that to my cell phone once. not sure how, but for like 2 weeks after that, every call i had, i was connected to 3 other people and none of us wanted to be connected. if you contact one person in that group, everyone is automatic connected.
only the person who links everyone can undo it
Posted on 12/3/23 at 12:52 pm to Chief Hinge
We had a party lines with our grandparents next door until sometime in my high school years. Calls to our phone rang twice each time, calls to theirs rang once each time. If you dialed 8841 then hung up, it would ring the single ring, 8843 caused it to ring twice (so the parties on the line could call each other).
When I would come in late on the weekends, I would get ready for bed, mess my hair up then dial the number to make it ring our ring, then hang up. My mother would answer, no one would be there so she would hang up. I would then come down the hall a few minutes later asking (in a sufficiently tired/sleepy-sounding voice) who had called so late and gripe that they had woken me up from a deep sleep. She would look at the clock then tell me to just go back to bed (assuming I had been in for a long time) and then never ask me what time I came in.
When I would come in late on the weekends, I would get ready for bed, mess my hair up then dial the number to make it ring our ring, then hang up. My mother would answer, no one would be there so she would hang up. I would then come down the hall a few minutes later asking (in a sufficiently tired/sleepy-sounding voice) who had called so late and gripe that they had woken me up from a deep sleep. She would look at the clock then tell me to just go back to bed (assuming I had been in for a long time) and then never ask me what time I came in.
Posted on 12/3/23 at 1:08 pm to Bard
Yep we had one. Phone number was EL549
Posted on 12/3/23 at 10:40 pm to Mizz-SEC
quote:
Yeah. We had a party line and could call anyon in town using 5 digits: 5-2912
My grand parent's line wasn't a party line even in the 1950's, but their number was 4144.
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