Snowbound payphones were commonly seen around New York after the Christmas blizzard of 2010. Bike lanes were plowed before streets and sidewalks, so it should come as no surprise that public telephones received no special attention from the Department of Sanitation.

Nevertheless, even in emergency conditions, folks still need to use the telephone.

At least one intrepid payphone user made the effort, stepping into a foot or more of snow to get to this payphone. Best of all, the phone worked! At least it seemed to work when I picked it up and heard a dial tone. I have re-discovered recently that a dial tone can be deceiving. Some payphones will refuse to accept any coins you might attempt to deposit. It is very frustrating to find what appears to be a working phone, only to find that it can’t accept your money. In such cases deposited coins are not ingested by the phone. Instead they just go straight down the chute and into the coin return slot.