The Death of the Payphone
Or maybe it’s still alive and nobody notices.
Well they may not be totally dead. According to the FCC Payphones still exist and roughly 100,000 of them remain operational in the United States. What’s more, people actually use them. In a 2015 Federal Communications Commission (FCC) report, major payphone providers in the country raked in roughly $286 million for that year.
Where can you find them?
Neighborhoods with a high number of immigrants who rely on calling cards to phone overseas rather than using cell phones are a good place to look, as are locations where large numbers of people pass by or congregate. You can still find them in malls and they are in pretty good shape since the establishment locks their doors nightly and they are not vandalized.
You can also find them in public buildings and police stations for people that are in court and need to arrange bail.
A public library, museums, art galleries, and tourist attractions are good places to find pay phones. Anywhere that people congregate if they are funded by the municipality are good sources to find a phone.
Restaurants, gas stations, and convenience stores usually have a pay phone close to the entrance to the store or inside. Not everyone has a cell phone and the…
