I miss dial phones.

[Citizen B]

Remember when this happened?

[Longshanks]

I don't remember when it first came out, but I grew up with it early 70's until its slow death. There was something satisfying about listing to the dial return to home position. I believe our grandparent's area code was 605 when I was a kid, so there was plenty of enjoyment listening to the folks dial long distance.

[Lostdog5152]

I miss it. I don't need all the crap on cellphones. The dial phone with caller ID. Ah, those were the days. We still have a push button home phone with unlimited dial up internet access included for $59 a month. At least for now. The wife and I have a cellphone we use when we travel, which isn't very often. She has got so she makes me take it with me during my meanderings in the woods. They do have a useful purpose I suppose, even if the reception is poor to non-existent where we live.

[kschatey]

I don't miss party lines though!

[ncrobb]

My father in law was a phone man. He worked for Alltel (local telephone company) for over 40 years. He also didn’t throw stuff away so we have a number of rotary dial phones, a couple pay phones and misc unknown equipment. At one time we had a phone booth. All cool stuff. When I was a kid our phone number ended in 6348. There was a Country music radio station in the next town over (105.7 WFMX) and their phone number ended with the same 4 numbers, the “exchange” number was different. I can’t recall how many times some drunk guy would call our house at 2 am and say “Hey can y’all play some Merle?” My dad would always something like “Sure, we’ll get it own for you.” He was more patient than I am.

[Ruffinogold]

What I would give to have a way to communicate with people today that isnt downloaded or tracked . The old hard lines , you didnt get tapped unless you were in the cross hairs already . Simpler times

[kschatey]

What I would give to have a way to communicate with people today that isnt downloaded or tracked . The old hard lines , you didnt get tapped unless you were in the cross hairs already . Simpler times

Smoke signals or semaphore.

[MikeDennison]

I have no great love for dial phones over mobiles or what have you, but I miss being able to leave the house and not be reachable. I remember as a small boy, dad would sometimes load us all up in the car to go for a drive in the country, just to get away from the telephone ringing.

[Wildcat]

I have no great love for dial phones over mobiles or what have you, but I miss being able to leave the house and not be reachable. I remember as a small boy, dad would sometimes load us all up in the car to go for a drive in the country, just to get away from the telephone ringing.

I used to miss being able to escape and be unreachable. Then I remembered, just don't take the cell with me. When the Mrs and I go out, she takes hers. The kids know not to try me so they call her.

As for dial phones, anyone remember having to rent them from Ma Bell? I can remember going to the phone company store and picking up new kitchen phones with my mom as a kid. She'd paint the kitchen or get a new stove and need a matching phone. We only had the one wall phone in the kitchen. Dad rigged a second tabletop one in the "finished" basement where we watched TV. Mom was always afraid we'd get caught. Years later when she had to get a new kitchen wall phone, in Harvest Gold, it was only available in push button. She could not get the hang of it. She couldn't hear the clicks. There was a little switch on the side of the phone that would allow you to hear the clicks. She was okay after that.

[Wildcat]

My father in law was a phone man. He worked for Alltel (local telephone company) for over 40 years. He also didn’t throw stuff away so we have a number of rotary dial phones, a couple pay phones and misc unknown equipment. At one time we had a phone booth. All cool stuff. When I was a kid our phone number ended in 6348. There was a Country music radio station in the next town over (105.7 WFMX) and their phone number ended with the same 4 numbers, the “exchange” number was different. I can’t recall how many times some drunk guy would call our house at 2 am and say “Hey can y’all play some Merle?” My dad would always something like “Sure, we’ll get it own for you.” He was more patient than I am.

I can remember party lines. Everyone had a different ring. My grandparents and their peers would give their numbers out this way, "TU3-1234"