What's a Payphone?

Remember pay phones? When you had to stand there and talk to someone. Usually with other people on the phones next to you. You had to have change or call collect.  Back when you had to gasp stand there and hold the phone and you couldn't walk around or comfortably sit down and talk.  I remember I would call friends on their home phones when I was out on pay phones. Only a few people had cell phones or car phones. It was such a pain to talk to someone when you were away. A lot of them were outside so in the summer you would be sweating while you chatted. You had to stop and make the call.  If it was wintertime you would be shivering at the other end. Most payphones didn't allow incoming calls, you had to make sure you hung up before it went to an answering machine or voice mail, or you would waste your change.

There aren't many pay phones anymore. I can't remember the last time I saw someone use one. I think the last time I used one was on my honeymoon eleven years ago to call my mom.  I remember when I was in jr high there was always a long line at the pay phone at the movies to be picked up on Friday nights. I remember being with my friends and thinking it was funny to call Hooked on Phonics and the Jerry Springer show and hang up before anyone was on the line.  When we were at Epcot, it was so weird to see a pay phone granted they were London pay phones or phone booths but Noah asked me what it was. Kids are so used to their parents having cell phones, it's hard for them to fathom what a pay phone is. I know that there are pay phones still some places but they are always deserted. There is no one waiting to use one impatiently.

When was the last time you used a pay phone?