Payphones Past

Payphone News

No Access to 711 from CityBridge Payphones or LinkNYC Kiosks

CityBridge, which owns all of NYC's outdoor payphones and LinkNYC kiosks, has disabled access to 711, the free service that…

6 years ago

“Do You Need a Phone?”

An elderly woman last week saw me at a payphone and asked if I needed a phone. Why do I…

6 years ago

Rogue Payphone Going, Going, Gone.

The far end of the parking lot at an abandoned Sports Authority in Long Island City was, truth be told,…

6 years ago

How I Acquired a Coveted Phone Number

Certain phone numbers are iconic in my life. 212-255-2748 is one such number.

6 years ago

My Take on the 1-800-GOLF-TIP Mystery

Is the (800) GOLF-TIP mystery really all that mysterious? I suspect one very likely culprit: The Professional Golfers Association.

6 years ago

No Phones on the New Kosciuszko Bridge Walkway

There are no public telephones of any kind on the new Kosciuszko Bridge. If anything bad happens you should hope…

6 years ago

My Near-Foray Into Digital Vigilantism

An overheard recitation of one woman's phone number inspired a brief attempt at letting her know she left a lot…

6 years ago

Phone Numbers

Just some deliberately vague comments about a coveted phone number I recently acquired, with discussion of how to make sense…

6 years ago

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Bronx

A memorable encounter with the NYPD on the RFK/Triborough Bridge pedestrian path revolved around that crisis prevention/suicide counseling telephone I…

6 years ago

Payphones at the St. George Terminal, Staten Island Ferry

A trip to Staten Island turned up a surprising quantity of working payphones at the St. George Terminal. I found…

6 years ago