Do you know where’s the nearest payphone?

Photo Credit of jeremyfoo

Like all yuppies from Gen X or is it Gen Y or Z now… I can’t keep up… anyway, like everyone of the mobile phone generation, I have my mobile practically glued to me. Forget my phone for a day and suddenly I’m out of touch with the world. Actually forget my phone and have no internet for the day and I might as well have disappeared into a black hole.

But I digress.

There was a day a couple of months ago, when I was out and had no mobile on me. It was not by design – I did not realise it wasn’t with me, and I had jumped out of the car, popped into a store for 10 minutes and then come out to find my driver gone. (Note, I use the term “driver” very loosely )

And I had no way to contact them! Panic!

I waited about 10 minutes but no car came back to pick me so I got worried. So, I decided I’d do something I’ve never done for many many years, ever since I left school.

I’d find a pay phone and use it!

It took me 20 minutes to find a useable pay phone and another couple of seconds to figure out how much a call to a mobile would cost and how long I had to speak before I’d be cut off.

Thankfully, I had coins on me and the call was placed quickly and painlessly. In fact, I totally overestimated the amount needed so there was quite a bit of money left over.

It made me think. How do people without mobiles cope in an emergency? Are there enough working pay phones around? Do you know where’s your nearest pay phone should you need to use it?

I’ve never been more thankful to have a mobile.