Mr Preparedness here, the kid who taped a dime inside his binder in elementary school and junior high, in case I needed to call from the pay phone for a ride home or bail money.
Today's kid: "What's a binder? What's a dime? What's a pay phone?"
They still know what a ride home is, though.
One of the oldies stations played "Too Much Monkey Business" by Chuck Berry the other day, and the verse that said "Pay phone, something wrong, dime gone, will mail; I ought to sue the operator for telling me a tale" rang true. I remember the pay phone days, back to when it cost a dime or two nickels to call for a ride, and the various tricks people used to fool the poor phone (stuffing thin plastic strips down the quarter slot while dropping a penny in the nickel slot was said to give you a call for that one cent, although I wouldn't know anything about it.)
I Googled "closest pay phone to me" and the answer I got was for a monastery clear on the other side of town. There has to be one closer to here, but where there used to be a million of them, I'd be surprised if there remain a dozen.
But we have it made now, right? Everyone has their phone right in the pocket or pockeybook (Baltimore style, hon!) Except, what if you don't? What if your phone is lost or stolen or broken and you need to make an important call?
I wonder what the protocol is there. Has anyone ever asked you to let them us your phone for a minute to call someone in such a pinch?
I'd like to know.
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