A rotary dial phone

[Rachel]

I actually have nightmares about trying to dial on a dial phone (in an emergency), making a mistake, and having to start all over again. I takes forever to dial a number and that was when I only had 7 numbers to dial.

When I was growing up our phone number had only 4 numbers and I still remember it, although I can't remember any of the numbers I had subsequently. I probably had a dial phone longer than most people because of that *extra charge* they used to have for touch tone.

[Freckles]

I have a 1982 version rotary in my bedroom. Don't dial out too often, but receive many calls.

[chocolatepuppy]

I remember them.

[Medusa]

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. She also has the furniture that she got when she married in 1953 and it looks as new as it did the day she bought it.

[Catlady711]

We had a rotary for many years growing up, a big white one with a 25' coiled cord and a 50' jack cord, it's long since faded to an antique white. I think mom got it back in the late 60's - early 70's.

Later we kept it around in case the power went out (cordless phones don't work without power). My mom eventually gave it to me (went for a cell phone), and I just kept it to test the phone jack line if we had phone problems.

When we got rid of the home phone service here we no longer had a use for it. Some friends were having a school play where they needed a stage prop of an old fashioned rotary phone, so we donated our fully functioning phone to the school as a stage prop.

[moosmom]

David,

Try the Salvation Army or Goodwill. Alot of people have turned them in.

Talk about antique...ROTARY

[Grace]

Oh, I remember. Black rotary dial, hard wired into the house. Party line. And you could only get a phone from the phone company. Nowadays, you can buy one in a drug store - among other places.

I even remember our phone number - Hillsgrove 1-1147R.

[davidpizzica]

David,

Try the Salvation Army or Goodwill. Alot of people have turned them in.

Talk about antique...ROTARY

At least you can call me this week without the phone cutting out, beautiful! Next stop wal-mart to buy a GOOD 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!

[davidpizzica]

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. She also has the furniture that she got when she married in 1953 and it looks as new as it did the day she bought it.

It could be a Pittsburgh or a Penn Hills thing, Mary! I have the rotary phone, and I still have an 8-track player and tapes and those big round things called LPs. People here don't throw ANYTHING away. I do have one concession to the 21st century, an MP3 player! BTW, Mary what part of Pittsburgh did you live?

[Randi]

Oh David, do you really have one of the old taperecorders! I need a 4 track one for all my favourite tapes I kept all these years. I also have lots of LP's filling up a whole bookshelf - some were John's though. He made the covers for some of them. I just can't throw them out, but I can still play them! I have a little music system which can play LP's, CD's, tapes - and there's a radio too.

In my opinion, things go just a tad too fast these days. I'll have to get a new TV within a year, or I won't be able to watch anything!