[at-l] RE: [at-l]more re payphones

[nealb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (William Neal)]

Probably because most pay phones are not owned by public utilities (Bell
South, etc.), but because they are run and/or owned by private companies who
are as regulated as the utilities.  I doubt most public utilities are that
piratical.  Not that I have anything against pirates.  Sometimes I like
flying the black flag.  But generally utilities that operate as public
utilities are more cautious about what they do.

For example, the pay phone out in front of my apartment building is owned by
Bell South -- probably one of the last in the great outdoors.  It charges 50
cent for a call.  And the times I used a phone card, I have not seen any
extra time taken off of it.  But some nearby phones charge a $1 for a
minimum for any usage.  Plus they rack up extras for almost most anything.
Someday I expect to be charge for speaking into the phone.

To get back to trail related issues:  I HATE CELLPHONES!  But I am about to
break down and get one.  Someday.  Because good pay phones are getting hard
to find.  And there are certain advantages to owning one.  So on my dream AT
trip, I may well carry one for emergencies.  But I will carry it turned off.
I will not leave it on for every Dick and Jane to call me whenever they
want.  If necessary I will arrange to call them at certain times.  I most
certainly will not use it when others around -- except for emergencies.
Depending on pay phones will become harder as time goes along.  So hikers --
especially hikers who hate cellphones -- will have to get use to seeing
cellphone users on the trail.  And users will have to be respectful of
others sensibilities.

William, The Turtle

-----Original Message-----
From: Clark Wright [mailto:icw@esisnet.com]
Sent: Friday, March 07, 2003 7:58 PM
To: William Neal
Cc: 'Jim Lynch'; AT-L List (E-mail)
Subject: Re: [at-l]more re payphones


the other phenomena re payphones is the cute little trick of charging a
premium amount off your phone card . . . you will hear a recording
saying that using the phone costs "x" extra "units" and do you accept?
when you accept, they can hit your card with up to 10 extra minutes of
charges just for using that particular payphone, in addition to your
actual minutes used charges . .

thru-thinker

William Neal wrote:

> I did a survey and got dismal results, but from the news and other places,
> pay phones are quickly going the way of the dodo and the passenger pigeon.
> Items to consider:
>
> 1)	Phone companies are quickly yanking their pay phones out.
> 2)	Most pay phones are owned by companies that charge extra -- above
> and beyond the basic phone service -- for using their phone.  In my former
> home area, you could walk two blocks to a Mom and Pop grocery and pay 10
> cent, or use the one on the main street and pay 50 cent.  Guess which the
> local phone company owned.
> 3)	Many pay phones in some businesses are only for the custormers.  In
> other words "bums" off the street are not allowed to use the phone or are
> given the bums rush.  And guess what hikers look like.  And of the rest,
> many have a short time limit.  Of course they seem to let their "regular"
> custormers talk longer.
> 4)	With pay phones disappering quicker that an AYCE buffet bar in front
> of a group of thru-hikers, don't depend on guide books.  Ask, and take
even
> that with a grain of salt.  I recently heard a young lady be directed to a
> phone by a very polite and gentlemanly elder gentleman.  I caught up to
her
> before she had gone very far and told her that phone was no longer there.
>
> William, The Turtle
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jim Lynch [mailto:jplynch@crosslink.net]
> Sent: Thursday, March 06, 2003 11:25 AM
> To: hike-usa@pocketmail.com
> Cc: at-l@mailman.backcountry.net
> Subject: Re: [at-l] handbook and companion...
>
>
> A good trail service would be to have a web site that hikers could go to
> and post errors or updates to trail guides.
>
> hike-usa@pocketmail.com wrote:
>
>>hi all, this is pittsburgh.  a recent post had me going back to february
>>
> and reading the "wingy" posts.  i downloaded the sample pages of the
> handbook to see for myself what all of the hub-bub was about...
>
>>page 5, the page that has the first 22.2 miles of the trail (springer to
>>
> granny top mtn), has 6 verifiable errors.  5 of these errors have to do
with
> relocations that wingfoot is apparently unfamiliar with (all of these
> relocations are at least three years old).  4 of the errors are for water
> sources that are no longer on the trail.  the 5th error is incorrect
> directions on how get to an off-trail facility...
>
>>this is not a slam, but rather a heads up for those that wish to rely on
>>
> his publication...
>
>>to be fair, i have read the first section of the aldha companion, and
>>
> found one verifiable error.  the phone booth (associated with the defunct
> tritts grocery store near woody gap) no longer exists, and has not been
> there for two or three years.  you must get to the small store in town to
> find phones...
>
>>pittsburgh
>>
>>
> --
> James P. ('Jim') Lynch
> jplynch@crosslink.net
>
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