Payphones Past

Chicago’s Vanishing Pay Telephones (2007)

This story, from Chicago’s WGN television, is from 6 years ago but in many ways it could have been produced today. People still use payphones, but it would be harder today to find people like those profiled in this piece.

These Chicago residents’ telephone communications relied entirely on public pay telephones. One Chicago subway payphone (312-332-8231) shown in this piece still seems to be in service. IBS Inc., the payphone service provider whose representative was interviewed in this piece (and whose name is unfortunately shared by a gastrointestinal disorder) appears to be defunct. Archive.org’s last captures of that company’s web site are from July, 2010.

the payphone project

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