[Athena E.]

Old public phones​

Remember those classic phone boxes from back in the day? The ones that required you to leave home with a pocket or purse full of coins? Those days, you had to walk or bike a few blocks away from home to make a call. To make a call, press A and insert coins in the slot. But if no one picks up, you can press B to get your coins back. Those were the days!

Source: Australia Remember When

Do you have any fond memories of using these phones? Tell us here.

 

[thomas]

Old public phones​

Remember those classic phone boxes from back in the day? The ones that required you to leave home with a pocket or purse full of coins? Those days, you had to walk or bike a few blocks away from home to make a call. To make a call, press A and insert coins in the slot. But if no one picks up, you can press B to get your coins back. Those were the days!

View attachment 34002

Source: Australia Remember When

Do you have any fond memories of using these phones? Tell us here.

you firstly picked up the handpiece and you put the coins in the slot then dial, when the other end answered THEN you press "A" to talk , but if there was no answer THEN you press "B" and get the coins back

 

[Mrtnst]

I remember that there were phone scams back then too.

Sneaky people would block up the coin return slot, so pushing "B" would not work.

Then they would come by, remove the plug and collect any money in the slot.

 

[1mcdonaj]

My wonderful memories of these classic beauties was a time before we had a home phone.
My mother would walk the hundred metres or so to the public phone box armed with a pocket full of tissues and a small bottle of Soliptol (who of us remembers the old Soliptol) antiseptic. There she would begin the cleaning process. First was the door handle. Then the handset was meticulously cleaned.
I always remember thinking the phone box smelled like a hospital after we had departed.
Whatever happened to those wonderful and simple days???

 

[thomas]

as a young kid of about 5 or 6 a couple of us would go to the phone box and one of us would lift the receiver and the operator would come on the phone and ask "number please", we would ask "is that the operator on the line?" and of course she (most times a lady answered) would say "yes", we would then say "well get off, there's a train coming". yeah, I know, naughty little creatures weren't we, but at least we didn't damage any.

 

[magpie1]

there are older phones than these that are not shown....back in my youth, you had to put 4 pennies in the slot to make a call in the public telephone booths, they would all roll along and go into a round cylinder under the bench.......lots of kids tried very hard to rob them back in the day, by attacking the cylinder with blunt force.....some actually succeeded too.

 

[Observer]

As a kid, when I wanted to make a call without change, I used to be able to dial the number and when someone answered, I would bounce the hook several times, and the connection would go through

 

[oldchook58]

As a kid, when I wanted to make a call without change, I used to be able to dial the number and when someone answered, I would bounce the hook several times, and the connection would go through

The old phone boxes with the A & B you could get a paddle pop stick and slide it in the side to activate it without using coins. or tap out the number you wanted using the hook for the phone - it worked for us for a while. We couldn't crack the new big green one though as it was totally sealed!

 

[Observer]

The old phone boxes with the A & B you could get a paddle pop stick and slide it in the side to activate it without using coins. or tap out the number you wanted using the hook for the phone - it worked for us for a while. We couldn't crack the new big green one though as it was totally sealed!

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