Three payphones survive at NYU Langone’s Tisch Hospital in a room that now functions as more of a broom closet than a communications hub. I made a call from the one phone that had dial tone, reveling in the small miracle that the volume button on the phone actually worked. I rarely encounter a payphone with a functional volume button. The working phone, third to the right, showed caller ID of 212-889-1846, a number that never appeared on this website. Calls to that number returned a “not in service” announcement. The phones retain TCC Teleplex branding but I doubt if that company has any connection to these phones today. My call should have been included in the Payphone Radio playlist but it never made it in. You can listen to the call I made from this phone while scrolling through the rest of the photos.
Surprised as I was to find even one working payphone in this room what doubly impressed was the functional volume button, seen top left. Those volume buttons on payphones almost never work. The phone has no medallion number. Such number only appear on outdoor payphone. The toll-free number shown on the phone, 1-866-TELSAVE, or 1-866-835-7283, is presently out of service.
The payphone’s fine print gives all the gritty details of what to dial, who to contact to report problems, etc. I’ve documented and transcribed a number of these placards but not TCC Teleplex. Interesting how the placard indicates that call volume can also be controlled by pressing the “#” button. Like most dedicated volume control buttons that method of increasing the volume on a payphone virtually never works.
Payphones at NYU Langone Tisch Hospital
The phone number listed on the above placard for TCC Teleplex, 718-222-4773, returned an unusual error recording when I called it. I don’t remember the last time I heard that a call failed to go through on account of “equipment problems”. Listen here:
I wouldn’t know if these rates still apply, but 75¢ for 3 minutes anywhere in the U.S. isn’t bad.
I left this room when the presence of a maintenance worker made me feel a little claustrophobic. I don’t think anyone at the hospital expects anyone to actually use these phones, and I felt as if a security guard eyed me somewhat suspiciously. So I just got out.