Oct 1- Public telephone extinction
By peachpurple
@peachpurple (13961)
Malaysia
September 30, 2017 10:48pm CST
In the past, public telephone were set up in many places around the city, at the bus stop, taxi stand, shopping mall, shop lots and even rural areas. However since the smartphone had surfaced in the market, public telephones were becoming extinct due to vandalism, theft of coins and faulty telephone lines.
The other day, I was in the shopping mall waiting for my hubby. Unfortunately, my smartphone battery was dead and I was stupid enough not to bring the power bank charger. I looked frantically for a public telephone so that I could give him a phone call, to let him know my whereabouts. Surprisingly, there ISN"T ANY public telephone in the shopping mall. I went outside to the shop lots, nearby taxi stand to look for the phone. Nope, not one insight. I asked the receptionist where can I find a public telephone, she smiled and replied " There isn't any. It has been removed several years ago." I had realized that I was obsolete....
Everyone is relying on smartphone to contact each other. Nobody is using the public phone anymore. Furthermore, vandalism of the phones were rampaged in the past.
Can you still find public telephone in your city today?
my photo: public telephone taken in 2014
8 people like this
10 responses
@petatonicsca (7070)
• Japan
1 Oct 17
It's really scary-- I was in the States and my Japanese phone did not work there so I was pretty much stuck for contacting people. I ended up buying a cheap phone I could recharge with a card and donated it to my friend when I left-- she has a house phone but not a mobile phone.
2 people like this
@peachpurple (13961)
• Malaysia
1 Oct 17
yes indeed, that reminds me I need to buy a new sim card just in case and also bring along a power bank charger
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (502374)
• Italy
1 Oct 17
@peachpurple It's great, because you do not always have the right coin to use.
1 person likes this
@peachpurple (13961)
• Malaysia
1 Oct 17
oh that is cool, credit cards.... not here in our country
1 person likes this
@Ithink (10106)
• United States
3 Oct 17
@peachpurple To expensive and to pay for something I might use once a month? Cant justify the cost with the use it would get.
@allen0187 (59692)
• Philippines
2 Oct 17
There are still public telephones but these are in establishment and you pay a fixed amount for a three minute phone call.
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (59692)
• Philippines
2 Oct 17
@peachpurple true.
There are also charging stations here in our country for mobile phones.
@peachpurple (13961)
• Malaysia
2 Oct 17
Oh good, for those with no batter phone, this phones are miracle
1 person likes this
@peachpurple (13961)
• Malaysia
1 Oct 17
yes, most of the public phones were removed. Initially the phones accept coins and then phone cards that can be top up. Now, most of the phones are vandalized.
1 person likes this
@Meramar (2695)
•
14 Jan 18
Where I live you still can find some here and there, but there aren't a lot. If you really would need one in a emergency situation, you may have a great problem. People are not used any more tu use them. But, what you may find more here are call shops where you not only can phone abroad, but also use internet and other services.
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
1 Oct 17
Public Telephone Kiosks are becoming very rare these days because the prolific use of mobile phones has virtually destroyed any demand for them. There are one or two still around, but they tend to use credit cards or pre paid telephone cards and will not accept cash.
@prashu228 (37518)
• India
1 Oct 17
Yes, we do find any public phones now.. it's scary when we don't have cell phone
