This picture from May, 2003 (originally posted in the New York City Payphone Pictures page) shows a payphone that once stood at 21st Street and 33rd Avenue in Long Island City, Queens.

Long since removed, I passed by this location today and was both chagrined and amused to see the word “POOF” spray-painted on the wall where this payphone once stood. POOF goes the payphone!

I used to use this payphone once in a while. It seemed like an odd location, even when payphones were abundant, but I often found myself cutting conversations short so as not to be rude toward others waiting to use this phone. This was a pretty popular phone at one time.

All that is left to show of this payphone’s past existence are 4 spikes on the sidewalk… and the word POOF on the wall behind where this payphone once made itself useful. I do not know which payphone service provider owned this but it appears to be a COCOT. A COCOT has nothing to do with COCOT FYMA, the Peruvian underwear magnate. In public telephone parlance a COCOT is a “Customer Owned Coin Operated Telephone” owned by mom-and-pop type entities that lease copper landline from Verizon. This phone might well have been among thousands of illegal rogue payphones set up in alleyways and at relatively obscure locations without permits or authorization from the city.