Comment on If you are too young you really missed out being able to do this

LodeMike@lemmy.today ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

• rumba@lemmy.zip ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  Cell phones didn’t exist. Kids need to call to get picked up after hours. There were payphones anywhere they would be used. Malls, Outside fast food restaurants, in shopping centers at gas stations.

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  • Robust_Mirror@aussie.zone ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    I like in Australia we never got rid of them. More or less every payphone I saw growing up is still here. But they gave them 2 amazing upgrades:

    1. They are now free to use

    2. They are additionally free Wifi hotspots

    Much better than dismantling them imo. They may not be widely used, but it’s worth it for those that do. I’ve even used it once when my phone went flat and needed to call my wife.

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    • Event_Horizon@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      And the old oay phones came in very useful here in SE QLD after cyclone Alfred. Without power all the cell towers stopped working but the old landlines weren’t affected. People were lining up at the phone at the shops near me.

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    • BeMoreCareful@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      That’s the most anti-American thing I’ve ever heard.

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    • limelight79@lemm.ee ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Oh that’s nice. We visited Germany about 10 years ago and didn’t get international cell service, so we were relying on hotel wifi and other wifi hotspots. This kind of thing would have been great.

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    • gnuplusmatt@reddthat.com ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Free WiFi only if you are a Telstra customer for your home broadband

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      • Robust_Mirror@aussie.zone ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

        Nah they changed that a while ago

        …com.au/…/free-wi-fi-is-now-available-to-anyone-a…

        It might not be every single one yet, but they were/are working towards that goal.

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    • Crikeste@lemm.ee ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Bro what kind of utopia are you living in excuse me?

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    • rumba@lemmy.zip ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Free wifi! That’s freaking awesome

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• rmuk@feddit.uk ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  Replace “inside of a highschool” with literally any location with reasonable footfall to get the same answer.

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  • LodeMike@lemmy.today ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    Fair.

    Just seems weird to have it in a hallway. Maybe it opens up to a cafeteria behind the camera where I would expect it.

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    • limelight79@lemm.ee ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

      Ours was on a wall across from the office, but the wall opened up to the cafeteria just next to it. I recall students sometimes using it during lunch.

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• Wilco@lemm.ee ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  So kids could use the phone.

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  • LodeMike@lemmy.today ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

    And why is it the woman from B99

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• unphazed@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  So kids can prank call during lunchbreak and call 900 numbers… and call the parents to say they got in trouble for inappropriate calls…

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• Mickey7@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

  Because it was a time in between smoke signals and cell phones

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