Daily Payphone

Still Cannot Find an NYC WELL Phone on the RFK/Triborough

the payphone project |

A couple of week ago I sent another inquiry to the MTA, once again pointing out to them that a sign on the RFK/Triborough Bridge promising an “NYC WELL 24 HOUR HOTLINE PHONE AHEAD” was inaccurate. No such phone exists, and in fact no emergency phone of any type appears on the walkways. I want the phone to be there, and in that spirit I remain hopeful that I simply do not see the thing. Why the MTA would cloak such an object camouflage is anybody’s guess, but I remain hopeful that the apparent absence of this phone will be explained by the fact that it is hiding in plain sight.

My last correspondence ended the same as others, but with a twist. i invited the MTA to physically visit this span of the bridge and see for themselves that no phone seems to exist. The reply came quickly enough, within one business day:

Our Maintenance crew visited the site and confirmed the phone corresponding to the posted
signage, onbound from Queens, is indeed in place and fully operational; also tested on a regular
schedule.
Thank you,
MTA B&T

I replied to this, asking where, exactly, the phone could be found. What coördinates could they provide, or maybe a description of the phone’s location relative to another distinct place on the walkway. Where is the phone relative to the spot where the fence ends? A few power cables dangle near the notch in the walkway. Is the phone somewhere in there?

That followup inquiry went unanswered.

So I upped the ante yet again, if you will. I don’t trust social media for much, and I consider this approach akin to an ambush attempt. But if publicly asking the questions of the MTA draws any more attention to the matter I will consider this move worthwhile. I suspect I lack the social media influence for this to go anywhere.

I just want someone to tell me the exact location of this phone. It has bothered me for years. Where the hell is it? If anybody reading this can tell me please do.

I went up on the bridge last week this time with the sole mission of locating the NYC WELL telephone. I spotted several metal objects like the one in this photo, thinking that if the roadway-facing side of this contained a phone it would have been handy for people leaping into traffic. No, this is no phone.

That's Not a Phone
That’s Not a Phone

This device, which looked like it might function as a sound-producing speaker, looked promising. But if that device is intended for two-way communication it is placed well out of reach for all but the very tall. I don’t think this is a phone.

Is This a Phone?
Is This a Phone?

A couple of these things looked like they might be placeholders for phones.

Is This a Placeholder for a Phone?
Is This a Placeholder for a Phone?

A number other spots along the span had potential. The notch in the walkway, about 30 feet from where the fence ends, seemed the likeliest spot for a telephone. Callers could stand out of the way of traffic, at the rubicon of their decision-making process.

I looked up and down that area, studying every bolt and every nuance to the structure. This chameleon-like phone remains extremely well hidden.

I don’t think anyone is deliberately lying about this. But there has clearly and repeatedly been miscommunication. I inquired about the Queens/Wards Island span of the bridge but maybe they misinterpreted, thinking I meant one of the other spans.

As impressed as I was by the quick response to my last inquiry, I now find it questionable. Would a maintenance crew really be ready and able to dispatch so quickly in response to this type of inquiry?

I have tweeted to the MTA a few times. Most of my reports received lackadaisical responses and the problems I reported were never corrected. But one tweet got an immediate response. One of their “On the Go” kiosks was showing phreakable-seeming stuff that made it look like you could access websites or other open Internet applications from the screen. I tried to do that but did not have time to dig in. The screen was fixed next time I passed.

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