Phoneless Phone Booths?

Have you recently looked around and asked yourself, where did all the pay phones go? You are not alone. More and more pay phone booths have disappeared since the invention of cell phones, but do not worry... phone booths have come back! New phone booths are appearing all over the world, but without any phones in them. According to USA today, phoneless phone booths have come out in the summer of 2006 to provide cell phone users a quiet area to talk. Have you ever heard of the term "talk pollution"? Dennis Raney, the man who launched these new cell phone booths, told USA Today that he has contributed to the problem. "I get on the cellphone and I do talk louder," Raney said.

This new type of phone booth, called Cell Zone, is designed with a steel sound-proof cylinder and a clear door "to prevent what the paper referred to as 'mischief'" (CNNmoney.com). According to CNN, these booths generally cost between $2,500 and $3,500 each, and come in a variety of styles.

Numerous people, including Real Tech News Writer Michael Santo, have recognized the modern cell phone booth in the movie Superman "Returns". "I still remember when the Christopher Reeve movies came out, and the look on Clark Kent's face when he saw a new-style phone booth," wrote Santo. Like Kent, lots were surprised by the new BYOC booths... Bring Your Own Cell Phone (Santo).

I think the media has covered the phoneless phone booth issue quite well. USA Today's report was objective, yet interesting. Olivia Barker, the writer for USA Today, got interviews with Raney, who launched Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Cell Phone Booths, nightclub and bar managers, who installed Cell Zone in their venues, and cell-phone-owning patrons who either support the booths or think that they are inappropriate in restaurants. Barker also included information about Cingular's first attempt to create designated cell phone areas in theater lobbies. I also like the way she referred to Superman and used the new slang "BYOC".

Santo, from Tech news, blogged about his views of the phoneless phone booths and incorporated a lot of what USA Today used.

CNN did a simpler piece than USA Today, and included the price and designs of various phoneless booths. I liked how they opened their story with quotes like, "I love you too, mom", which we often overhear during public cell phone calls.

I think these modern cell phone booths will come in handy for me one day. I have yet to see one for myself, but I've had experiences where I've wished there were one at the time. Using the Cell Zone during a concert would be the ultimate.

B.Y.O.C. Bring Your Own Cell phone... I wonder what's next. Blogger MisterNice guesses "the next version will have a coin slot charging $0.25 for 3 minutes."


References:
(2006, June 19). And now, the phoneless phone booth. Retrieved January 28, 2009, from CNNmoney.com Web site: http://money.cnn.com/2006/06/19/news/funny/phone_booth/index.htm

Barker, Olivia (2006, June 18). The phone booth returns-- sans phone. USA Today, p. C6.

Santo, Michael (2006, June 19). Phoneless Phone Booths. Retrieved January 28, 2009, from Realtechnews.com Web site: http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/3181

MisterNice, (2006, June 19). Phoneless Phone Booth. Retrieved January 28, 2009, from Flyertalk.com Web site: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/omni/570840-phoneless-phone-booth.html