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From: davef@brspyr1.brs.com (Dave Fiske)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: 100th Anniversary of the Pay Phone
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Date: 18 Aug 89 18:43:49 GMT
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In article , telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
(TELECOM Moderator) writes:
> Sunday, August 13 marked the 100th anniversary of the invention of the pay
> phone. In 1889, William Gray obtained United States Patent # 408,709 for

Thanks, Patrick, for an interesting item.

We have a local DJ who, every summer, has people call in with the
numbers of pay phones in unusual spots which they noticed while on
vacation.  Then he calls the numbers, and, if anyone picks up, talks to
them about the weather where they are, etc.  It's kind of comical
sometimes.  I remember one time, the pay phone was out on a dock at
Cape Cod.

Anyway, what unusual spots have people seen pay phones in?

Although, it wasn't a pay phone, the most unusual spot I've seen a
working phone in was...a submarine!  At Portsmouth, NH, they have a
retired experimental submarine, the AGS Albacore, on display in a
little lagoon near Route 1.  We went on one of their little tours once,
and at some point, the guide left our group alone for a few minutes.
There was this phone in there, and it started ringing.  We didn't know
whether to answer or not, but finally one brave soul picked it up and
said "Hello".  No, it wasn't a call from CINCLANT, but someone who
wanted to know if they were open that day.

Apparently they had an extension strung out from the office to the sub.
We couldn't help but speculate on how neat it would be to call somebody
up and say "Hi, I'm calling from a submarine."

--
"ANGRY WOMEN BEAT UP SHOE SALESMAN   Dave Fiske  (davef@brspyr1.BRS.COM)
 WHO POSED AS GYNECOLOGIST"
                                     Home:  David_A_Fiske@cup.portal.com
Headline from Weekly World News             CIS: 75415,163  GEnie: davef