Wading through my ocean of old payphone pictures I spotted this interesting bit of obscurity. An abandoned payphone in Queens bore this informational placard, as required by city ordinances. It contains basic rate information, long distance instructions, warnings that vandals will be punished, etc. The interesting bit comes in the last paragraph, where it is claimed that this payphone is marked with something called “TRACEKIT”:
PSST Inc Payphone Placard, Queens,NYC
This Payphone and all of its equipment and components are marked with TRACEKIT™, a permanent tracing system, for ready identification by the police department.
The word “TRACEKIT” on this placard is followed by a trademark symbol, but I find no evidence that a relevant product by that name was ever registered with the USPTO. Indeed, I find no trace of the word anywhere on the public Internet as it might apply to a mechanism for identifying a public telephone, or anything else. An abandoned patent application by that name which would have involved heating cables has no obvious application to payphones, and a GitHub project by that name obviously has nothing to do with them either.
It just makes me wonder what Tracekit was, or if it even really existed as anything more than a fabricated scare tactic intended to deter theft. It would be interesting to know how sophisticated Tracekit was and how it would have worked. The notice claims that the payphone and “all of its equipment and components” were marked with Tracekit, suggesting that the handset and the coin box and other parts were branded with a unique identifier, akin to a Vehicle Identification Number on an automobile.
I am just putting it out here in case anybody reading this knows if Tracekit was real and how it functioned in allowing law enforcement to identify the device and, presumably, its lawful owner. Finding no evidence of something on the public Internet is hardly proof of its nonexistence, but it does seem curious that Tracekit does not even show up in trademark databases.
The placard has a copyright of 1991, a date which does not necessarily reflect its actual age. This phone was clearly quite hoary, though, and it would not surprise me if it really had been standing out there for 25 years. The only clue to who owned this phone is next to that copyright date at the bottom. PSST, Inc. does not appear in the FCC’s list of payphone service providers no longer in business and I find no company by that name with any obvious connection to public pay telephones or even New York.
Here is the complete text of the placard:
All Directly Dialed Long Distance Calls Carried via Amnex’s Network
0 + Calling rates, terms and conditions are available from the Operator servicing the call upon request and without charge or by dialing 00 or 1-800-366-2850.
Local Coin Calls – Deposit .25¢ for initial period, listen for tone, then dial.
Long Distance Coin Calls – Dial all calls direct, then deposit requested amount.
O+ Needed for Calling Card, Credit Card, Collect, Third Party Billing and Person to Person calls. (See instructions Below)
Coin Returns – Press Coin Release Lever – Remove Coins Below
SOS – Dial 911 or 0 (Operator) for Emergency Help (Free Call)
To Reach Local Telephone Company Operator – Dial 0 (Operator) (Free Call)
To Reach Long Distance Operator – Dial 00 (Operator – Operator) (Free Call)
No Coins Necessary for Free Calls
NO CHANGE PROVIDED AND NO INCOMING CALLS PERMITTED AT THIS PAYPHONE
©1991, PSST, INC All Rights Reserved
Operator Services Provided by American Network Exchange, Inc.
100 W. Lucerne Circle, Orlando, FL 32801 (800) 366-2850
WARNING
It is a felony under Federal and N.Y. State Law to illegally tamper with, open, damage or render inoperative this Payphone, its equipment or its wires. Conviction can result in up to 5 years imprisonment, a $5,000 fine and full restitution.
REWARD
$1,000 CASH REWARD for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any persons who tamper with or damage this Payphone, its equipment or wires.
NOTICE
This Payphone and all of its equipment and components are marked with TRACEKIT™, a permanent tracing system, for ready identification by the police department. This Payphone and its equipment are private property. The posting of unauthorized advertisements, notices and stickers is strictly prohibited.