A rotary dial phone

[Karen]

My sister Shirley still has one. She doesn't have long distance calling either and I asked her why not and she said "Who would I call?" I said "Me!" She said "Why? You always call me." Of course, no cell phone or computer either. I told her that when I visit her I jokingly tell my friends that I'm going into the time warp, so if they never hear of me again, they'll know why. I'll bet somewhere in her place there's a wringer washing machine, too. Must be a Pittsburgh thing, David.

Um, careful there. I've never even been to Pittsburgh, and there's a wringer and a washboard in my basement!

[Randi]

I remember the old dial ones too. My aunt had one of those and four families shared the line, I even remeber her no. BE 3647y, you dialed BE (for Bella) then told the operator the number. I attached a picture of the one she had.

The next one is older, and I must admit, I would not know how to use it. However, when I was 17 I worked for a big Taxi company and operated a switchboard looking like the one on the forth picture.

John used to have one like the red - also attached. He sold it to a colletor.

Some of these had a loud ringing tone and almost made you jump!

I still have a little black plastic phone from my childhood.

To call the police or an ambulance for emergency, you dialed 000, which was quite smart, as the cero's was first on the dial, so quick to do.

A few years ago, they changed it to 112, which I find rather irritating. When I called an ambulance for John, I was so upset, confused etc. that I first dialed 000. Of course, they then told you what to dial.

[Medusa]

Um, careful there. I've never even been to Pittsburgh, and there's a wringer and a washboard in my basement!

LOL, that's funny! Probably the difference is that my sister actually uses hers. Plus she still wears her hair in a huge beehive like Marge Simpson.

Randi, I remember the old prefixes, now that you mention it. Ours was OR for Orchard. Goodness, the memories this has brought back!

[Pam]

Yes I remember the old rotary phones too. In fact there is one in our basement right now (hubby never throws anything out without me begging ) I can still remember picking up the phone when I was a child and hearing an operator say...."number please.." and our phone number started with ME for Melrose. Thanks for the little trip down memory lane.

[pitc9]

My dad still uses one in his garage!!
It's the funniest thing!
It's brown too!!

Growning up we had a yellow one in the kitchen with a SUPER long cord so we could reach the bathroom and shut the door for private phone conversations. With 4 girls in the house, that was done all the time! My parent's finally put a phone booth sign on the bathroom door!

[kitten645]

Really funny...at a trade show recently I saw someone who is selling a rotary phone you can plug into your cell phone! LOL! You just plug it in and you can use it like the old rotary phone. I still have fond memories of my light blue princess phone I grew up with.
Claudia

[Ginger's Mom]

Ah yes, Devonshire (DE) was our exchange. I really do miss those old exchanges. They were so nice and homey. It's funny we think of rotary phones as so slow now, and in a few more years we will probably think of dialing at all as being slow. We will all be used to just saying "call (whomever)," and the phone will connect.