rotary telephones?

[davidpizzica]

How many people here remember rotary phones where you actually dial the number? I found an old one and plugged it in temporarily until I can afford a battery for my cordless one. I think this phone dates back to the 60s.

[momoffuzzyfaces]

I not only remember them but had one until just a few years ago. I also remember party lines. Do you? :D

[Pam]

Yes I remember rotary phones but I also remember picking up the phone and hearing the operator say "number please." :rolleyes: :o

[elizabethann]

My parents actually had a rotary phone until about 10 years ago. AND they were renting it!!! Can you believe it? They finally had to get with the times when the bright yellow rotary phone (in their pink kitchen) kicked the bucket. I just bought my Mom a cordless one 5 years ago. That confused her big time. And I had to buy her an answering machine too. Double confusion!

I bought an old black rotary phone at a yard sale years ago just for decoration. It's in my Mom's attic right now. But it's wicked heavy.

:D

I also remember when phone numbers were 5 digits long. :eek:

[Laura's Babies]

I REMEMBER (standing up and waving my hands). My generation grew up with those. Right now I have a wall phone that is one of the very first push button phones made and I LOVE it. It rings so loud though that it scares the holy wits out of my kitties when it rings and they all take off running in different directions. There are just some conversations that I do not want on a cordless phone for anyone to overhear and the newer phones are to light to stay put when you have to do a long reach for something.

[jenluckenbach]

I DO! I DO!

I also remember party lines (even though we did not have one, my cousins did).

[prechrswife]

Funny story--There is a rotary phone in the Sunday School officers' office at our church that is still in use. There were 2 girls (about 3rd grade age) who needed to call home from the church on a Wednesday night. The teacher sent them to the SS office to use the phone. They came back to the teacher with a very funny look on their faces--they had NO IDEA how to use the rotary phone! :D

[Karen]

Almost every town around my parents' house got touch-tone service before we did. So my parents' house had a rotary phone for my whole childhood, and there's still a couple in this house, but they're unplugged.

[lizbud]

I remember rotary phones and party lines. :D I even remember when
phone numbers didn't have prefixes. Our childhood number was 4 digits. :D

[davidpizzica]

This is going back a ways. Remember when there were telephone exchanges instead of all numbers? Like Churchill 2 xxxx?

[moosmom]

Remember when there were telephone exchanges instead of all numbers? Like Churchill 2 xxxx?

Boy does THAT bring back memories. But how many of you can say you actually remember your phone number when you were a kid???

Mine was 529-5408. My best friend's was 529-4275!!! See?? My mind is not such a terrible thing afterall!! :D

Any of you remember pay phone booths??? When a phone call was just a nickle. Then it went up to a dime. Now it's 50 cents!!! :eek:

[lizbud]

Ours was Melrose ####. :) It was wierd when someone would be
using the line when mom wanted to make a call. She knew everybody
on our line.

[davidpizzica]

I can, Donna. Growing up our number was Churchill 2- 2870. Then it became 242-2870. I even remember my dad's number from whem he had his store! (781-6424). Pretty good, huh?

[RedHedd]

Yup, Rotary phones and our phone number was Bayview 1-XXXX. I still use a corded phone as I've never heard good quality on a cordless phone. I have a VERY long cord so it reaches anywhere in my S.F. small apartment.

Answering machines? Do they still make those? I've had voicemail for eons now and don't miss having to deal with tapes breaking or running out of room or having to have extra shelf space for the danged machine.

Edit: When I was in high school I worked the phone lines for the school. We had one of those really old exchange service things (PBX?) with the cords that you plugged in. It was SO much fun!

[chocolatepuppy]

Sure do remember rotary phones. And party lines, ugh, I'd die if I had to live like that now! :D

[Pawsitive Thinking]

What about the trim phone? remember that????

[Catsnclay]

Growing up our phone number was JE7-xxxx, and we had a bright yellow rotary in the kitchen with a very long cord.

Then in my teenage years I had a pink Princess phone :eek:

My father STILL has an old rotary phone in the TV room. Several years ago I got him a cordless phone for the kitchen, he uses it, but doesn't take it out of the kitchen :eek: :confused: :rolleyes:

I also bought him a thinner, lighter, smaller answering machine - which he STILL doesn't know how to use - and discarded his brick of a answering machine (that old thing weighed a ton, and took up SO much space!)

<sigh> its tough getting your parents into the 21st century! :rolleyes:

[kuhio98]

We will have a bright red rotary phone in the house. Our cordless phones went out last month so we plugged it in. Kinda scared the cats when it rang. They are used to the more modern beeps and trills and songs.

[shais_mom]

In my Grandparents old house - they had one of the old black ones that actually connected directly into the wall.
My parents still have their old one from the telephone company out in their shed.

[davidpizzica]

We will have a bright red rotary phone in the house. Our cordless phones went out last month so we plugged it in. Kinda scared the cats when it rang. They are used to the more modern beeps and trills and songs.
I know what you mean. The first time it rang it scared Nikki & Daisy and sent them running!

[Vette]

When we first moved up here,, there was no 'push button' phones.. everything was
rotary for a long time... i was pretty little,, but i remember those days.

my parents thought it was funny since we moved from CA which used push button phones..
and then coming up here was like a blast from the past

[moosmom]

ReddHedd,

PBX!!! :eek: Just before the Hartford Times went belly up, I worked part-time as a PBX operator. Now THAT was a switchboard with a live person, not today's "automated" system that rattles off so many numbers, you forget who you're calling or why. The PBX also made it very easy to eavesdrop on one's conversation, not that I ever did that, mind you!!! :rolleyes:

Davidp,

Nothing wrong with OUR minds, right David?? What was this thread about again????? :p

[Pam]

Ours was Melrose ####. :) It was wierd when someone would be
using the line when mom wanted to make a call. She knew everybody
on our line.

Liz, we must have been neighbors at one time :p :p Mine was MELROSE 5 XXXX . :D

[lizbud]

Liz, we must have been neighbors at one time :p :p Mine was MELROSE 5 XXXX . :D


Funny. :D I know it's a small world but, you didn't happen to live in
Indianapolis did you?

[RedHedd]

The PBX also made it very easy to eavesdrop on one's conversation, not that I ever did that, mind you!!! :rolleyes: I NEVER did that :rolleyes: :p :D

[davidpizzica]

ReddHedd,

PBX!!! :eek: Just before the Hartford Times went belly up, I worked part-time as a PBX operator. Now THAT was a switchboard with a live person, not today's "automated" system that rattles off so many numbers, you forget who you're calling or why. The PBX also made it very easy to eavesdrop on one's conversation, not that I ever did that, mind you!!! :rolleyes:

Davidp,

Nothing wrong with OUR minds, right David?? What was this thread about again????? :p
Donna, I think it has something to do with old telephones? Donna, we're not getting older, we're getting BETTER!

[Pam]

Funny. :D I know it's a small world but, you didn't happen to live in
Indianapolis did you?

Nope I'm a born and bred Pennsylvania girl. :)

[davidpizzica]

Nope I'm a born and bred Pennsylvania girl. :)
Pam, what part of Pa?

[KYS]

Yep! I remember the rotary telephones along with the party lines.

[*iluvskipper*]

those are those spinning ones right? ya i have one of those and i like to use it sometimes lol. :p

[Ginger's Mom]

Yep, I remember the old rotary phones and party lines. And yes, I really do miss the old named exchanges (Devonshire 2-xxxx). :)

[krazyaboutkatz]

I remember rotary phones but I don't remember party lines or old named exchanges. I still find it funny when I call a business and get the automated system for touch tone phones and then they also say for rotary phones please remain on the line. I wonder how many people still use rotary phones.

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

Oh yes, I grew up with rotary phones! I also still remember our old telephone #!! My mom was so happy when they got a push-button, as she has problems with her fingers. These new phones are much easier too, as it doesn't take much time to enter a number ;)

[Pam]

Pam, what part of Pa?

David I was born in Philadelphia and raised in a little town in the suburbs of Philly called Elkins Park. :)

You know the other day I was just thinking about the change in technology in my lifetime. It is just astounding. The other day I was on the phone with my four year old grandson and he said "wait a minute Nannie I want to put you on speaker phone." He truly will think I am an old lady when I someday explain to him about rotary phones and party lines. :D

[davidpizzica]

David I was born in Philadelphia and raised in a little town in the suburbs of Philly called Elkins Park. :)

You know the other day I was just thinking about the change in technology in my lifetime. It is just astounding. The other day I was on the phone with my four year old grandson and he said "wait a minute Nannie I want to put you on speaker phone." He truly will think I am an old lady when I someday explain to him about rotary phones and party lines. :D
Pam, as you can probably tell, I represent the western end of Pa. Born & bred in Pittsburgh.

[shais_mom]

we use to have the party line - we'd pick up the phone and my grandma would be talking to my aunt and my mom would join in. Now you can't do that without 3 way calling.
My other grandparents (the one that had the phone) still had it when they moved - and so did her neighbor b/c (in 2002) she didn't want to pay for the private line!

[Felicia's Mom]

I remember dial phones, party lines, and pre-zip codes.

[Felicia's Mom]

I should have said Area Code not Zip Code.