I was drunk. Lost my cell phone. Got arrested. They let me out. I needed a ride. Good times!
John
June 21, 2019 - 12:18 PM 12:18 PM
All the time in jail.
Stove
June 21, 2019 - 12:29 PM 12:29 PM
April 16, 1996
Dawg
June 21, 2019 - 12:32 PM 12:32 PM
When they were still owned by Pac Bell and a call was a dime, that was maybe 20 years ago.
I heard that Superman was so grief stricken he had to see a therapist.
Me too…when I saw the 50 cents on the photo I said what? At Seal beach in southern cal there is a phone booth with a life size Superman coming out the top. I don’t think the booth works but it’s still there.
Good times
Wheel
June 21, 2019 - 12:36 PM 12:36 PM
Every phone is a pay phone!
OverWhelmed
June 21, 2019 - 12:37 PM 12:37 PM
Used to be one on Meadow lane in Concord that I used all the time. Couldn’t afford a phone in my house. Haven’t seen a phone booth in a very long time.
S
June 21, 2019 - 12:45 PM 12:45 PM
When Ms. Lane was in trouble.
Concordejet
June 21, 2019 - 12:57 PM 12:57 PM
When I was in high school. I played a prank on campus by making the phone ring and students would answer the phone for nothing. The way it work you press 890 and last 4 number that is display on the payphone, quickly hangup and the payphone rings. I was on a good run until my sophomore year I got an after school detention for playing prank with the payphone. Two student snitch on me in the office by bringing me to the office and told the front desk what I was doing and the campus supervisor happens to knows me and wrote me up an after school detention and that I had to spend an hour picking up trash.
Did you pay attention during English class or just play pranks on fellow students?
Captain Bebops
June 21, 2019 - 1:02 PM 1:02 PM
Probably before 1994. After that I owned a cellphone.
Mimi (original)
June 21, 2019 - 1:06 PM 1:06 PM
Hmmm…well I think I got my first cell phone in 1996, so that would have been the last time I used a pay phone!
Cellophane
June 21, 2019 - 1:18 PM 1:18 PM
The last time I used one was in the early ’90s. I can’t remember an exact date. I was commuting between Foster City to offices in San Francisco and San Leandro. Those Bart phones were filthy.
I used to carry a small spray bottle of alcohol and a rag to wipe them down.
The Wizard
June 21, 2019 - 1:22 PM 1:22 PM
Where is all the graffiti, to clean.
Mountainside Jay
June 21, 2019 - 1:25 PM 1:25 PM
I think the last time was when me and my buddies Ted and Bill had to round up some friends to help with a special oral report in history, senior year of high school
About 2000. I went to Northgate to pick up my son after practice. After everyone seemed to be gone, I found a payphone to call home, and I found out that he had already gotten a ride. I also found out that someone had smeared chocolate all over the handset.
You can still find phone booths-pay phones at hospitals and police stations if you look hard enough.
Badger
June 21, 2019 - 2:01 PM 2:01 PM
@1996. Back when it was a dime we used to drop a nickle in then hit the coin return a half second later. Time it right and you get your call for a nickle.
We would call our parents on 1-800-COLLECT after the movies at Brenden, and say “Dad pick me up!” when we’re supposed to just say our name for who’s calling. Dad would deny charges and hang up. 15 minutes later he’d pull up to get us. The good ol’ Pre-historic days before Uber and cell phones.
I think it was moving out here in Sept 2001. I stopped at a TA to eat and called my wife. Last time I used a pay phone and the only time I used a calling card. Cell phone had no coverage
Missy
June 21, 2019 - 3:22 PM 3:22 PM
Prince concert in 2004 at the Oracle Arena in Oakland. I distinctly remember there were several pay phones there and I was the only one using them.
I remember buying MCI Calling Cards in bulk at Costco for my family.
Dorothy
June 21, 2019 - 4:19 PM 4:19 PM
Can’t remember when but the last time I had cause to try to use one was when BART still had them on the station platforms! Which didn’t work then either.
Gittyup
June 21, 2019 - 6:13 PM 6:13 PM
After all this time, I’m not sure of the date. I think it was ’82. But, I remember the call. I stopped at McDonald’s on Clayton Road to eat on the way home from work. When I got back to my car (it was a ’68 VW Bug), it wouldn’t start. I used the pay phone to call for help. To give you an idea of how long ago it was, Cingular was offering a free cellphone for a $20 donation to Ronald McDonald House and had a store in Clayton Station. They were very busy, but I went in and plunked down my $20 and walked out with my first cellphone, a heavy, clunky Nokia, and a $20 per month plan with free nights and weekends and 50 daytime minutes. I used it mainly to call a tow truck whenever my car broke down.
JustMe
June 21, 2019 - 6:17 PM 6:17 PM
Whenever cell phones became prevalent, that was the death knell for payphones. Also when they went from Pacific Bell branded to whomever, that’s when things went downhill quickly for payphones.
I do remember one thing, when you were on the phone longer than expected, you would hang up, and the operator would call you back, asking you to input more money. That was always fun.
AJ Buttacavoli
June 21, 2019 - 6:22 PM 6:22 PM
Years ago before America was discovered I was with the original AT&T which at the time had a national monopoly on phones. Ah, life was so simple then, so uncomplicated as opposed to the universal madness that has descended upon all of us, compelling me to become a self imposed hermit for which I am eternally grateful because I have finally discovered true bliss. But I digress – I was with the “pub tell” unit and our purpose was to make sure all the pay phones were working in our district. This was in Los Angeles and one of the most beautiful Catholic churches was located near downtown in the Wilshire district. And it had a pay phone outside the church facing the parking lot. And it was horrible, run down, filthy, shockingly in need of repair. So I went to my AT&T service book which was like a Bible and looked up pay phones and found an absolutely gorgeous booth that I had never seen before. It was bronze with smoked glass and very expensive. I chewed my boss’ arm off to get that booth for the church and he laughed and said sure. That booth was there for years until the new AT&T started removing pay phones.
Back in the 80’s I used to install, maintain, and collect the money from hundreds of payphone throughout the bay area.I have stories that range from funny to sad to bizarre and of course flat out gross… One thing I’ll never forget is that I was never out of pocket change in those days, LOL!
Probably 15 years ago. Locked my keys and phone in the car , in walnut creek. I had to walk a ways to find one that still worked. It was at the very end of having them around.
I haven’t even seen one in years
I was drunk. Lost my cell phone. Got arrested. They let me out. I needed a ride. Good times!
All the time in jail.
April 16, 1996
When they were still owned by Pac Bell and a call was a dime, that was maybe 20 years ago.
I heard that Superman was so grief stricken he had to see a therapist.
Me too…when I saw the 50 cents on the photo I said what? At Seal beach in southern cal there is a phone booth with a life size Superman coming out the top. I don’t think the booth works but it’s still there.
Good times
Every phone is a pay phone!
Used to be one on Meadow lane in Concord that I used all the time. Couldn’t afford a phone in my house. Haven’t seen a phone booth in a very long time.
When Ms. Lane was in trouble.
When I was in high school. I played a prank on campus by making the phone ring and students would answer the phone for nothing. The way it work you press 890 and last 4 number that is display on the payphone, quickly hangup and the payphone rings. I was on a good run until my sophomore year I got an after school detention for playing prank with the payphone. Two student snitch on me in the office by bringing me to the office and told the front desk what I was doing and the campus supervisor happens to knows me and wrote me up an after school detention and that I had to spend an hour picking up trash.
That’s great! Lol
Did you pay attention during English class or just play pranks on fellow students?
Probably before 1994. After that I owned a cellphone.
Hmmm…well I think I got my first cell phone in 1996, so that would have been the last time I used a pay phone!
The last time I used one was in the early ’90s. I can’t remember an exact date. I was commuting between Foster City to offices in San Francisco and San Leandro. Those Bart phones were filthy.
I used to carry a small spray bottle of alcohol and a rag to wipe them down.
Where is all the graffiti, to clean.
I think the last time was when me and my buddies Ted and Bill had to round up some friends to help with a special oral report in history, senior year of high school
About 2000. I went to Northgate to pick up my son after practice. After everyone seemed to be gone, I found a payphone to call home, and I found out that he had already gotten a ride. I also found out that someone had smeared chocolate all over the handset.
It sure cured me of the practice.
Hopefully it was chocolate
Has anyone seen the movie “The Phone Booth” back in 2002?
Yes… Excellent Movie!
You can still find phone booths-pay phones at hospitals and police stations if you look hard enough.
@1996. Back when it was a dime we used to drop a nickle in then hit the coin return a half second later. Time it right and you get your call for a nickle.
nickel
We would call our parents on 1-800-COLLECT after the movies at Brenden, and say “Dad pick me up!” when we’re supposed to just say our name for who’s calling. Dad would deny charges and hang up. 15 minutes later he’d pull up to get us. The good ol’ Pre-historic days before Uber and cell phones.
Remember the Captain Crunch whistle?
The whistle – Oh yes!
I think it was moving out here in Sept 2001. I stopped at a TA to eat and called my wife. Last time I used a pay phone and the only time I used a calling card. Cell phone had no coverage
Prince concert in 2004 at the Oracle Arena in Oakland. I distinctly remember there were several pay phones there and I was the only one using them.
I remember buying MCI Calling Cards in bulk at Costco for my family.
Can’t remember when but the last time I had cause to try to use one was when BART still had them on the station platforms! Which didn’t work then either.
After all this time, I’m not sure of the date. I think it was ’82. But, I remember the call. I stopped at McDonald’s on Clayton Road to eat on the way home from work. When I got back to my car (it was a ’68 VW Bug), it wouldn’t start. I used the pay phone to call for help. To give you an idea of how long ago it was, Cingular was offering a free cellphone for a $20 donation to Ronald McDonald House and had a store in Clayton Station. They were very busy, but I went in and plunked down my $20 and walked out with my first cellphone, a heavy, clunky Nokia, and a $20 per month plan with free nights and weekends and 50 daytime minutes. I used it mainly to call a tow truck whenever my car broke down.
Whenever cell phones became prevalent, that was the death knell for payphones. Also when they went from Pacific Bell branded to whomever, that’s when things went downhill quickly for payphones.
I do remember one thing, when you were on the phone longer than expected, you would hang up, and the operator would call you back, asking you to input more money. That was always fun.
Years ago before America was discovered I was with the original AT&T which at the time had a national monopoly on phones. Ah, life was so simple then, so uncomplicated as opposed to the universal madness that has descended upon all of us, compelling me to become a self imposed hermit for which I am eternally grateful because I have finally discovered true bliss. But I digress – I was with the “pub tell” unit and our purpose was to make sure all the pay phones were working in our district. This was in Los Angeles and one of the most beautiful Catholic churches was located near downtown in the Wilshire district. And it had a pay phone outside the church facing the parking lot. And it was horrible, run down, filthy, shockingly in need of repair. So I went to my AT&T service book which was like a Bible and looked up pay phones and found an absolutely gorgeous booth that I had never seen before. It was bronze with smoked glass and very expensive. I chewed my boss’ arm off to get that booth for the church and he laughed and said sure. That booth was there for years until the new AT&T started removing pay phones.
What a great story! I would’ve liked to have seen that phone booth.
March 5th 1996
Tried to use one after The Loma Prieta earthquake
I can’t really remember but I do remember phone booths on the pier when I was in the Navy and calling centers over seas
2005 in Italy
Well i have one at my yard still
Someday ill figure out how to open it maybe
Its still got phone book too
Still got the phone book, now’s that’s rare.
Back in the 80’s I used to install, maintain, and collect the money from hundreds of payphone throughout the bay area.I have stories that range from funny to sad to bizarre and of course flat out gross… One thing I’ll never forget is that I was never out of pocket change in those days, LOL!
Probably 15 years ago. Locked my keys and phone in the car , in walnut creek. I had to walk a ways to find one that still worked. It was at the very end of having them around.
Way back when me and E.T. used to phone home!