Rotary Phone Challenge

[Fancy]

We were talking about this on the how old are you thread. Party lines and crank telephones. Wish I’d kept the crank phone.

[BC Landlord]

I remember playing on the phone (ya I know, a delinquent). We'd phone someone a half a dozen times for a couple of hours asking for the same named person each time, lets say "Bob". Then the last call was "Hi this is Bob, any messages ?"

I remember that fun. There were no call displays back then. Actually, when you looked into the device's guts, there were no electronics whatsoever in there. Just a dialing mechanism and a little bell that produced the ring sound. And the box was made from bakelite (no plastics).

[my5cents]

I remember that fun. There were no call displays back then. Actually, when you looked into the device's guts, there were no electronics whatsoever in there. Just a dialing mechanism and a little bell that produced the ring sound. And the box was made from bakelite (no plastics).

Yes, and unlike today's phones where a frequency denotes the individual numbers, the dial created "off's".

When one dialed a "3", the dial created 3 "off's" in the circuit between the phone and the phone exchange. You actually could "dial" a number by using the button that was depressed when you hung up the phone. If you were careful you could tap the button the numbers you wanted to dial. 1 - 1 tap, 2 - 2 taps,,,,,, 0 - 10 taps.

[DANSPEED]

I sold our black rotary phone at a garage sale in the late 80's for a dollar but didn't tell Telus. About 25 years later I noticed a $5 rental charge on my phone bill so I contacted Telus and they told me I'm still renting that rotary phone! WHAT? Telus removed the charge. I paid over $1500 for that stupid phone!

I never used real money at a pay phone. Electrical box knockouts made excellent quarters!

[BC Landlord]

I never used real money at a pay phone. Electrical box knockouts made excellent quarters!

Never tried that, but I've heard of some people attaching a string to a coin, and pulling it out as soon as it made contact. Not just pay phones, any coin operated thing. I've never been that bold myself.

[GordonH]

I never used real money at a pay phone. Electrical box knockouts made excellent quarters!

The community I grew up in had a pay phone (1) if you gave it a Fonzie tap. Free local calls.

[Btfsplck]

As kids, when we were done at the pool or skating rink, we would make a collect call from the pay phone to home and when prompted to say our name, we would quickly yell "come pick us up". Saved a dime.

[DANSPEED]

^^^ What you guys were doing was illegal! I was just counterfeiting quarters!

Does anyone here remember the flip top telephone A-Z number pad next to the rotary phone? You had over four different numbers for the same cousin but you couldn't remember which one worked!

[BC Landlord]

Reminds me of a scene from Star Trek..

[seewood]

As kids, when we were done at the pool or skating rink, we would make a collect call from the pay phone to home and when prompted to say our name, we would quickly yell "come pick us up". Saved a dime.

We had a paperclip. Unfolded it and one end touching the microphone end and the other touching the lock on the payphone, listed for a bit of static and then dialed the number we wanted.

Some elevators at malls/department stores had phones in them that did not need a dime.

[DANSPEED]

The people in OP's video that didn't pick up the handset before dialing were either hamming it up or really clueless!

I remember seeing people in old movies tapping the switchhook repeatedly to get the operator. "Hello? Hello? operator we've been cut off." I always wondered if that actually worked or not.

[my5cents]

The people in OP's video that didn't pick up the handset before dialing were either hamming it up or really clueless!

I remember seeing people in old movies tapping the switchhook repeatedly to get the operator. "Hello? Hello? operator we've been cut off." I always wondered if that actually worked or not.

If you happened to "click" the receiver exactly 10 times without a delay, it would dial a zero, and you'd get the operator, very unlikely.

But it's the movies,,,, how many times have you seen the police conclude an investigation, put the bad guy in the back of the police car and leave red light and siren ? Or put the dead person in the ambulance and leave red light and siren ? It doesn't happen.

[DANSPEED]

The people in OP's video that didn't pick up the handset before dialing were either hamming it up or really clueless!

I remember seeing people in old movies tapping the switchhook repeatedly to get the operator. "Hello? Hello? operator we've been cut off." I always wondered if that actually worked or not.

If you happened to "click" the receiver exactly 10 times without a delay, it would dial a zero, and you'd get the operator, very unlikely.

But it's the movies,,,, how many times have you seen the police conclude an investigation, put the bad guy in the back of the police car and leave red light and siren ? Or put the dead person in the ambulance and leave red light and siren ? It doesn't happen.

So your saying people in old movies dialing the chief of police one minute then the next minute dialing the airport to catch the next flight out all from memory wasn't real? The audience believed it! ... I can't even remember my area code sometimes!

[Catsumi]

Remember too, all those phone calls made in those old movies, the one-sided conversations?

How did those actors ever keep a straight face while doing that? I bet a lot of them cracked up laughing after those scenes.