Payphones Past

Payphone Confidential

A Sinner’s Prayer

I spotted this poem stuck under the handset of a midtown Manhattan payphone. I did what I sometimes do. I…

12 years ago

Payphones of the Future, Y2K Style

The payphone of the future has been around for a long time. Look at these examples from 2000 of hybrid…

12 years ago

Rockefeller Center’s “Communications” Portal

A curious bit of signage hovers over a semi-circular staircase at Rockefeller Center. I think it is payphone-related.

12 years ago

E.H.U.C.: The Fine Print

East Harlem Unity Communications (EHUC) is the best payphone service provider in New York City. I use payphones almost every…

12 years ago

Telebeam: The Fine Print

Even the most intrepid payphone user is unlikely to read the fine print found on most public telephones. The text…

12 years ago

Who Still Uses Payphones?

Young woman using a payphone as her infant child looks on. October, 2012. Believe it or not, folks, people still…

13 years ago

Abandoned Payphone. Greenpoint Avenue, Queens.

The old urban legend about hypodermic needles being stuck inside coin return slots got a new lease on life when…

13 years ago

Dialing Instructions, Coastal Communications Payphone

For local calls - Deposit 25¢ for 3 minutes, dial number (Overtime is 10ยข for an additional 2 minutes). NOTE:…

13 years ago

Payphone Profundity

I interpret this vigorous scrawl of vandalism as an expression of the cacophonous noise of silence and an inability to…

13 years ago