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singpolyma3
I wonder how this will work with the FCC's proposed regulation to require ID, address, and "alternate phone number" for anyone who make make a phone call.
arbuge
> free-to-use pay phones

Some redundant words there perhaps.

userbinator
This is an example of the few places where something like this is feasible.

free-to-use pay phones

What an oxymoron. I suggest the term "public phone".

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bahmboo
How many phone numbers do you have memorized? These days I only know a few but I used to know dozens.
vel0city
Easily half of the numebrs I still remember are numbers which are totally unimportant to me now. A Pizza Hut in a city I haven't lived in for well over a decade. A friend's home phone number that was disconnected when they moved many many years ago. My own home phone number growing up, long disconnected.

Kind of interesting what just gets etched into your memory. I still remember an address of a house from when I was very small and have no other real memory of as my parents wanted to be sure I'd be able to tell people if I was ever lost.

alnwlsn
Do TV lawyers, roofing installers, or carpet stores count?
AussieWog93
One of the few good things that Telstra did in Australia was open up their whole old payphone network for free, nationwide.

Apparently they're a genuine lifeline for people fleeing from abusive relationships; they need to leave their mobile behind to avoid being tracked.

Frank-Landry
I went to school with Patrick and I live a couple towns over from him. He knows his stuff that's for sure.
linsomniac
I should add a VoIP pay phone to my Little Free Library. A friend reported a pay phone in a dumpster near work and I was, at the time, feeling like I should rescue it, but I have too much stuff as it is.
FlyThruTheSun
Wow this article really gave me flashbacks of payphone phreaking back in the day to call my mom for permission to go somewhere.
gyulai
What's the law these days in Vermont / the U.S. around anonymous use of the phone system? Are anonymous burner SIMs still allowed?
doublesocket
I had an idea years ago to hook up a bunch of old payphones on the playa at burning man. Solar powered and connected over VoIP on a mesh network. Sadly never got to make it happen but would have been a fun art project.
MikeRichardson
You used to be able to connect Google Voice to a specific brand of ATA (and existing connections still work); that would have been perfect for something like this.