Quote Originally Posted by shais_mom

Our local phone company came in one day and RIPPED out both of our PAY PHONES
without telling anyone about it b/c they didn't have enough charges on it ...
Quote Originally Posted by ramanth
... walked up to the Ranger Station to use the pay phone and were surprised to find them gone.
... to the local marina. THEIR phone was also gone.
... got in the truck and drove for hours looking for a payphone.
Sadly, Pay Phones are a dying breed - soon to be come extinct.

Many years ago, Pay Phones were a source of considerable profit to the major
telephone companies - the ONLY folks who were allowed to "own" a pay phone
and connect it to the national phone network. No competition and no competing technologies.
Life was good - Pay Phones on every corner of most intersections - 5 or 10 cents a call.

Enter "deregulation" - the change that was going to revolutionize communications ...
It did ...
* 1-800 numbers became affordable and everyone got one.
* "Calling Cards" ate into the cash that used to pile up in Pay Phone hoppers.
* Any Tom, Dick, or Harriett could buy a Pay Phone - and Ma Bell HAD to let
. . the owner connect it to the network and "make some money".

Net results >>>
* NObody found many coins in their Pay Phones any more
* The Baby Bells spent tons of money servicing Pay Phones and providing network services
. . to all the "private pay phone owners" that were now getting a piece of the revenue pie.
* Vandalism of the remote phones increased - what little money fell into the hopper
. . was stolen, and the damage cost more than 3 years "revenue" to repair.
* Rates went up; phones became Really Scarce; the "dial tone" cost you an initial
. . 50 cents ... more due if you "connected"; NO "free" 1-800 calls - everybody "pays"!

And THAT resulted in ...
* The Bells and the Privates started pulling out phones left & right
* "Operator Service" has deteriorated - you can wait for 5-10 minutes to "talk" to a human!
** More & more CELL PHONES to kill what little business remains for the Old Antique Pay Phone!

Progress ...