Preoccupied with Payphones

[pzarquon]

Folks have been declaring their imminent demise for years. With changes in the telecom industry, more conservative policies relating to property management, and the widespread use of cell phones, they're certainly less prevalent than they used to be.

But whether for a practical community service, or because of an odd quirk in a community's history, payphones still stand vigil on street corners and in parks everywhere.

A while back - actually, years ago - I caught a news story on an odd site called the Payphone Project (http://www.payphone-project.com/). It was a site where the phone numbers and locations of payphones were collected, sometimes with photos. At first the guy just had it up so people could find a number to dial at random for fun. But, most payphones don't accept incoming calls anymore, and the site owner found there were practical reasons for making the database available. Say, for a parent who got a call from a runaway child, or a person suffering from a series of prank calls.

He even had a few numbers for Hawaii (http://www.payphone-project.com/payphones/usa/hawaii/) (this is on the "old site").

Getting a call from a prepaid phone card (http://www.payphone-project.com/about/prepaid-calling-cards.html) today reminded me of the Payphone Project. But I see that he's rebuilt from scratch to use a large database, but it's one utterly devoid of Hawaii numbers.

It made me wonder if an independent Hawaii payphone list might be useful. Or, if not, something fun to try. ("Fun" is relative, of course... there was that "bathroom review site" idea from a while back...) Not a major undertaking, mind you. Just one of those things you do on a whim when you're walking around town. If you carry a digital camera, like me, it could even become a pseudo-art project.

Do you use payphones? Even if not, even if you think they're obsolete, is there a part of you that finds them curious and quaint? Or am I just weird?

[adrian]

What are "payphones"? J/K

With cell phones that have service just about anywhere on Oahu, why are people still using regular phones? (much less, using payphones)

I was going to call one of those phones, but I don't want anyone tracking my number.

BTW, can I post Heald's payphone numbers? (they'res a pair in the student lounge here. If it rings, I wonder who'll pick it up?)

[Glen Miyashiro]

There are places inside some buildings where cell reception is so bad that the only way you can get a clear connection is with a land line. Payphones aren't obsolete; they've just lost a lot of market share. It's like news on radio, or hand written letters, or telegrams. They all still exist, but much less commonly and frequently than in their heyday.

[mel]

I think taking photos of as many payphones as possible in Honolulu and listing their numbers is a good idea. I know where a few of these phones are myself. I can't remember if I heard any of them ring recently.

I'd be willing to shoot digital photos of the ones I know and post em on my BuzzNet site or something.

A few years ago, I think it was on KQMQ that the DJ would call a random payphone in town and had some kind of prize hiding underneath it, if the person knew about the promo or something.

[Linkmeister]

When I worked in Mililani back in the mid-90s I used to go to the Waimalu Safeway for my daily cigarettes and beer buy on the way home. I'd occasionally use one of the two payphones outside it to call to see if we needed anything. I still would, since I have no cellphone and no real need for it (knock wood).

I think there's another payphone outside City Mill in the same shopping center; three within 150 feet! :)

[pzarquon]

Cool. Looks like payphones are something we know are there, even when we don't think about them or use them all that much.

For all the reasons stated on the Payphone Project website, I think something like this could be useful. I am, of course, just as interested in the weirdness of such an undertaking. Will anyone need to know just where (808) 555-1234 is located? Maybe. Would it be interesting to see a gallery of payphones in different neighborhoods all over the islands? I think so.

I'm going to mull on this... of course it'll need its own site, and some kind of organization for both the phone numbers and the gallery...

But for now (since, you know, I tend to get lost in a million web projects at the same time), we can start right here. Post your payphone numbers with addresses or location descriptions... and your photos (you can use a site like Photobucket.com), if you take them! Let's see what weird things we can learn using these trusty telecom sentries as our landmarks.

[Miulang]

I don't know about the payphones on Oahu, but up here, not all payphones are owned by the phone company (Verizon or whoever). Sometimes, a business will "buy" a payphone and keep the income from the phone for itself. So if you are planning on doing this project, make sure the pay phones you are putting into your directory actually say they are owned by Verizon (or Carlysle). The privately owned ones can charge whatever they want to make a call.

The other thing is, in the interest of lowering crime (drug trafficking, etc.) the phone company will sometimes restrict calls to outgoing only (for instance, if there's a payphone in A'ala Park, it may be restricted to outgoing phone calls only because of the people who frequent the park.)

You can probably find out if (and which) payphones are restricted to outgoing calls only.

Miulang

[pzarquon]

Oh definitely, as I mentioned above, most pay phones are outgoing only these days. I know there are some phones left in Honolulu that receive calls, but those are usually the ones in relatively controlled environments or places where call backs are still important -- hospital waiting rooms, dorm lounges, and the like. The ones in parks, or on private property, are less likely to accept calls.

Though you raise a good point, as I know many of our pay phones are now operated by an independent company rather than Verizon (the name escapes me at the moment). It could be useful to take note of the pay phone's operator along with the other information collected.

An interesting thought: In some cities, pay phones are being converted into pay WiFi terminals (http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2003/May/10/bz/bz03a.html). If done here, that would make a list like this a little more useful... and make pay phones a little less endangered.

[mel]

This picture prompted me to start taking photos (http://hawaii.buzznet.com/user/?id=737315) of various payphones located in Honolulu. I have started to post my pictures on my personal Buzznet website which are syndicated using the BuzzNet "BuzzWords" web feature. This allows users to group their photos. The photo collection is in its infancy with Ryan's payphone photo in Chinatown being the first for the group and Hawaii.

Here are the URLs to the Hawaii based payphone groups:

payphone-hawaii
http://www.buzznet.com/www/buzzwords/?buzz=payphone-hawaii

payphone-oahu
http://www.buzznet.com/www/buzzwords/?buzz=payphone-oahu

payphone-honolulu
http://www.buzznet.com/www/buzzwords/?buzz=payphone-honolulu

For now BuzzNet (for me at least) will be a good place to place this collection due to the fact that anyone can join for free and there is no 100 photo cap like there is at Flicker (another free hosting photos site).

If anyone wants to chronicle Hawaii's or any other pay phone elsewhere in the world, I think BuzzNet is a good place to publish your photos.

I am sure if this thing ever got big, a dedicated website could be something someone could look into.

[pzarquon]

Too cool, mel! I've got a couple of other friends quietly collecting pay phone information as well.

One of the challenges, in addition to the 'outgoing only' restriction, is that the phone company doesn't always list the numbers on the phones themselves. Fortunately, one trick works: pick up the phone and dial your own cell phone (hanging up before you answer to get your money back). Tada, your cell phone's caller ID will "out" the number of the payphone.

I am sure if this thing ever got big, a dedicated website could be something someone could look into.Oh, I've already got hawaiipayphone.info and hawaiiphone.info registered for starters. A .com site is the end result, depending on if this weird idea ultimately goes anywhere. :) I'm still trying to figure out what the best presentation would be, whether a simple 'gallery' style or a more straightforward directory. Maybe even a wiki?

Flickr, Buzznet, TextAmerica, and dozens of other places are great to store your phone collection for now. I hope, eventually, the site itself will serve up the images... along with lots of other information.

After all, photos of phones are just the beginning. There could be addresses and maps, number lookups, and possibly even a "log" feature where you could add entries to a specific phone and recount the random conversation you had when you called on a whim... "Aug. 13, 2005: Called on my lunch break... spoke to a guy named Jerome from Texas. He likes cats!"

Hmm. I might have to enlist an actual programmer. :p

[mel]

When you get those domains and websites activated I'll definitely send you my payphone photos and information if I have any.

[kimo55]

pick up the phone and dial your own cell phone (hanging up before you answer to get your money back).

that would be a sight:
a dude calling at a pay phone and using his cell phone at the same time.

[pzarquon]

that would be a sight: a dude calling at a pay phone and using his cell phone at the same time.I was doing that today! Grabbed a few numbers at the Mililani Town Center. It's a quick and easy way to make sure the phone works, and that the number is right (and it's saved in your cell phone's call history). Not surprisingly, all were "no incoming calls," but they did still have their numbers listed prominently.

I've started collecting the photos and numbers here (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawaii/sets/78527/). Eventually, I'll have to build a site with a database so I can search and massage various fields better.

I even started a payphone Flickr group (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawaii/sets/78527/), but it won't be limited to Hawaii. I'm sure folks all over the world would also enjoy hunting the wild payphone...

[mel]

I'm monitoring your backup photos at BuzzNet and grouping them accordingly.

http://www.buzznet.com/www/buzzwords/?buzz=payphone-hawaii

[pzarquon]

I finally found my first callback-enabled payphone (not that I've been looking that hard): 923-9974 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawaii/3478471/), located at the entrance to the Waikiki Aquarium. If you're ever bored, give it a ring, and see who picks up. A place that sees as many tourists as that one will increase the chances of an interesting conversation, I'd think.

I've collected a few numbers (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawaii/sets/78527/) in downtown Honolulu, but didn't check them for incoming calls. Not all of them had stickers saying they weren't allowed...

[AbsolutChaos]

I still use payphones--in fact I use them more now than I ever have before. Mostly this is due to the fact that I HATE cell phones. I recognize they have many uses, but I refuse to rely on one more than necessary. As a result, I often forget to carry mine, so when my pager goes off for work, I must turn to a payphone to find out why I'm being paged. :-)

I'm glad that many payphone accept credit cards too...I often don't have any change on me when I need it!

[pzarquon]

I've found two more payphones that accept incoming calls. Both (808) 949-9578 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawaii/4227918/) and (808) 949-9632 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawaii/4285814/) are barely 20 yards apart on the same block of S. King Street.

http://photos1.flickr.com/4285815_cc372dae12_t.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawaii/4285815/) http://photos4.flickr.com/4227918_b4b4fc9892_t.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawaii/4227918/)

In contrast to the (808) 923-9974 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawaii/3478471/) phone at the Waikiki Aquarium mentioned above, I'm pretty sure the people who answer these phones would most likely be locals.

I've really got to build the site for this. I've collected a decent set of photos (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawaii/sets/78527/) already.

[scrivener]

Looks like a good MySQL project, unless you're thinking of some other approach. What do you have in mind?

[mel]

I've really got to build the site for this.

Build it and I'll send you pictures of the phones and numbers I got. I don't like posting to Flicker because after the posts pass the hundred number mark, they disappear (unless I pay of course). Most of my phone pictures are at my BuzzNet site, URL posted in a previous message to this thread.

[pzarquon]

Looks like a good MySQL project, unless you're thinking of some other approach. What do you have in mind?
It'll definitely be a basic PHP site with a MySQL backend. The question is, do I want to code it myself, or find something close to what I want and hack it. The only thing that intimidates me is incorporating the images - how to have it track images (whether there is no photo, one photo, or several photos associated with a number), and yet store them separately (since keeping image data insidea database is a bad idea).
Build it and I'll send you pictures of the phones and numbers I got.
Thanks, Mel. If you haven't noticed, I'm archiving my images at Buzznet and TextAmerica as well as Flickr, so clearly I'm not picky about where the photos are now. It's pulling them all together later that'll count.

[Linkmeister]

You're not alone! There's a Save the Payphone (http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0411/p01s02-uspo.html) movement growing in states. There's a link (http://www.payphone-project.com/) to a tracking project for payphones

[craigwatanabe]

hmmmm and I thought saving the coqui frog campaign was a waste of money. :D

If they left the price of a payphone call at 25-cents and spread the cost of maintaining one thru their infrastructure I think payphones would be more common as they once were.

When I lived in Mtn Home Idaho back in the late 70's there was this side road along a farming community with grass as high as 10-feet on the shoulders. Rising thru the tops of the grass were rows of telephone poles running the length of the road. One day I saw a wire running down into the thicket of grass. I made a path (about 8-feet) thru it to the base of the pole and to my surprize there was a payphone complete with booth hidden there in and there was dial tone!

I used to ride my bicycle as my form of transportation and that booth was my safe haven when a storm hit me while biking home from work.

[pzarquon]

The "Save the Payphones" thing is new to me. Thanks Link. But, er, the Payphone Project? It was the inspiration for my current efforts, and 'twas linked in the very first post in this thread! :p

I've actually been a bit distracted with, oh, a few hundred other web projects, but while traveling in Hilo this past weekend I collected a few more payphone entries (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawaii/sets/78527/).

[Linkmeister]

The "Save the Payphones" thing is new to me. Thanks Link. But, er, the Payphone Project? It was the inspiration for my current efforts, and 'twas linked in the very first post in this thread! :p

I've actually been a bit distracted with, oh, a few hundred other web projects, but while traveling in Hilo this past weekend I collected a few more payphone entries (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawaii/sets/78527/).

I thought it was, but I was in a hurry, so I didn't bother to check. :)

[pzarquon]

Odd update to this old thread... I just got an e-mail from someone who found this payphone photo (http://flickr.com/photos/hawaii/4285814/) when Googling for the number (949-9632) because he'd gotten a "missed call" on his cell phone from it. Of course, the photo didn't help him figure out who called or why, but he though it was cool that he could figure out where the phone was located.

I'm still sporadically adding to my payphone photo collection (http://flickr.com/photos/hawaii/sets/78527/). Not surprisingly, Google searches for the numbers specified list these images as the top, if not only, result. :p

Sure wish I was bored enough to get GPS coordinates, too. Then I could take the database, mix it with applications like Google Earth (http://earth.google.com/tour/), and do even more geeky stuff.

[Linkmeister]

Rural area gets state to acquire (http://news.com.com/Cellular-free+enclaves+fight+to+save+pay+phones/2100-1037_3-5892917.html) pay phone.

[adrian]

Ah heck, lets just post some pay phone numbers here:

Heald College payphone #1 942-9379
(in the student lounge, so you can wake up someone who's sleeping in the morning)

I'll try to get the other phone.

[pzarquon]

How 'bout that... here's a site with much of the same idea I'd had in trying to build a payphone directory: Phoneswarm (http://phoneswarm.com/). They feature payphones across the country, and encourage people to call and document whatever they find at the other end. They asked to add a few of the "incoming call" phones I've found in my payphone project (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawaii/sets/78527/).

They've previously posted two Hawaii phones. "Swarm 14 (http://phoneswarm.com/archive/swarm14/swarm14.htm)" was a payphone in Waikiki near Duke's, and "Swarm 21 (http://phoneswarm.com/archive/swarm21/swarm21.htm)" is a phone at Keanae Ball Park in Haiku, Maui. People have had some entertaining conversations with people picking up the phone on the beach, but it seems the Maui phone is a bit lonely.

[Linkmeister]

I took this a while back. It's the bank of payphones at the Navy Exchange at Pearl Harbor. I didn't get the angle quite the way I'd seen it a week or two earlier when I didn't have my camera, and there's somebody using one in this shot, but still...

[anapuni808]

PZ - there is now a payphone installed on the back of the Remington College Building, Adams Lane @ Hotel Street. It's the "smokers bench" for the students.

[Lei Liko]

I took this a while back. It's the bank of payphones at the Navy Exchange at Pearl Harbor. I didn't get the angle quite the way I'd seen it a week or two earlier when I didn't have my camera, and there's somebody using one in this shot, but still...

I don't know if they're still there because I haven't been to that side of base for a number of years, but next to one of the refueling docks stands about 10 pay phone booths. Just like the line of phone at the NEX, I assume they're there for sailors after d0cking at Pearl. If they've been on a lengthy deployment chances are they don't have cell phones that work. They probably just have phone cards.

I can't remember when it was last that I used a payphone. I want to say that it was senior year in HS, 9 years ago. We had a senior pavilion that had a payphone and the phone number to the phone was passed down to each senior class by the outgoing one, you know, so our BFs could call after we "paged" them. If you weren't a senior, you were forbidden from using that phone. You'd have to walk all the way across campus to use the other one.

I got a cell phone the following year, my first year in college.