Phone books and Pay phones

[snowfire]

I do keep a phone book in my car.  I don't have a smartphone and so I can't just pull up the internet when I need a number.  If I know a specific business name I could just call the free information number, and sit through the ads, then try to find something to write on...or I could just look it up in the book.

[Ereine]

I can't remember when I last saw a pay phone. I think that I used one the last time in 1999 when I didn't have a cell phone yet and was taking an entrance exam in another town and needed to let my parents know when I was coming back.

We still get phone books (or at least I think so, I haven't seen them this year yet so maybe they've stopped delivering them). I've lived in my apartment for five years and every time I got a new phone book I would put it in pile on a shelf, in case I needed the maps or something (that was the only thing I used them for, I would tear out the maps I needed). Recently I took them all to my printmaking class, the paper is perfect for cleaning excess ink from the plate.

[sparksals]

In the last two years, I've used Yellow Pages to look up:

a plumber
a garage door opener repair man
roofer
locksmith
pizza delivery
Verizon tech support

Can you tell I moved into my new house two years ago?

I use the net for all that.  I haven't used a phone book or yellow pages in years.

[Sophia]

I have one use for phone books.  Before I married one, I found handy/tradesmen that way.  I kept old books for that use.  I'd use the oldest and then call until I found one that answered. (You'd be amazed at the number of calls) I at least knew they'd been in business for several years. 

[Tea Drinker]

I use pay phones in the subway moderately often--most of the NY subway system is not wired for cell phones, and either the depth/thickness of the earth overhead, or the amount of random other wiring in the streets, blocks signals. I haven't opened a phone book in ages, though.

[WillyNilly]

I haven't even seen a phone book in several years. They used to get delivered in a stack to my apartment building' lobby, but its been at least 5 or 6 years since that happened, and even when it did, I didn't take one. I've had a smart phone for at least 10 years though, and home internet over 20 years though (not that it was that great 20 years ago)...

Payphones I do still occasionally see around NYC though, and sometimes they do get used. I tried using one about 3 years ago though and it didn't work and ate my change. I tried the one right next to it (they are often in pairs) and it worked... but the person I was calling didn't answer the unknown number 

[daen]

The airports I've been in recently all have reasonably well-maintained payphones, a fact I make use of.

Part of my current position is arranging airport pickups for people flying in for meetings. The standard procedure is for the driver to wait in designated "cell phone parking" and the passenger to call the driver's cell phone on arrival to arrange a pickup spot. (Saves parking fees and is usually more efficient than parking, going in, meeting the passenger, going out to the parking lot... but I digress.)

This works well when someone's from in-country, but people from outside the country often can't or don't want to use their cellphones here. So I ask if they're willing and able to use a pay phone. If so, they call the driver from a payphone. However, if it's too difficult to come up with change or a calling card, the driver goes straight to "park and go inside carrying a company sign" protocol.

[Winterlight]

I keep the yellow pages around in case the internet goes out and I need something.

[Betelnut]

In the last two years, I've used Yellow Pages to look up:

a plumber
a garage door opener repair man
roofer
locksmith
pizza delivery
Verizon tech support

Can you tell I moved into my new house two years ago?

I use the net for all that.  I haven't used a phone book or yellow pages in years.

I know it's weird but I didn't even think of doing that (using the web).  Sometimes it takes more time than it's worth to use the computer--the yellow pages have all the companies listed together and it's fast.

[camlan]

When I've tried using the Web to find a repair person, or a craft store, or whathaveyou, I've found a lot of old, out-dated, no-longer-in-business store information. My old vet closed down five years ago, and if you search for vets in that city, his office phone number still comes up. A lot of stuff on the Web isn't updated regularly.

And some very good small, local businesses don't have much of a web presence, so they don't show up until the 3rd or 4th page of a search.

With the yellow pages, you know the business was in operation at least a year ago. They also have the menus of lots of restaurants, which makes it easy to compare their offerings.

I know a lot of people think the yellow pages are outdated, but I find them easier to use and faster than trolling through a myriad of websites trying to find what I need.

[Julian]

We still get phone books here, although I can happily say that the whole state, yellow and white pages, are in one book.  I use them occasionally if I'm looking for tradesmen etc, but for business I know the names of, I use the online white pages.

Old phone books make excellent kindling for the wood heater.

As for pay phones, I hadn't seen one in years till I moved here - there are 4 within 3km of my house. 

[jpcher]

I usually put the yellow pages on top of frig, and then the older one goes into the recycle bin (meant to clarify this earlier).  I feel I should have a YP just in case . . . computer crash, or if a visitor wants to look up something.

LOL! Just today my DD#1's computer went on the blink. I told her to call the nearest Apple store and ask them questions.

DD#1: How can I find out where the nearest store is without my computer?

Me: Use the phone book.

DD#1: What's a phone book?

 


I still keep my yellow pages because they come with valuable coupons for certain services/restaurants, etc. But I'm finding myself using the internet more often these days. It's just easier.