rotary telephones?

**davidpizzica** · 03-18-2006, 02:07 PM

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** · 03-18-2006, 02:10 PM

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

**Pam** · 03-18-2006, 02:13 PM

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

**elizabethann** · 03-18-2006, 02:32 PM

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.

I also remember when phone numbers were 5 digits long.

**Laura's Babies** · 03-18-2006, 03:04 PM

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** · 03-18-2006, 03:44 PM

I DO! I DO!

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

**prechrswife** · 03-18-2006, 04:03 PM

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!

**Karen** · 03-18-2006, 04:07 PM

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** · 03-18-2006, 04:23 PM

I remember rotary phones and party lines.

I even remember when
phone numbers didn't have prefixes. Our childhood number was 4 digits.

**davidpizzica** · 03-18-2006, 04:31 PM

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

**moosmom** · 03-18-2006, 04:37 PM

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!!

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!!!

**lizbud** · 03-18-2006, 04:41 PM

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** · 03-18-2006, 04:44 PM

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** · 03-18-2006, 05:32 PM

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!