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[–] 24 points 11 months ago (7 children)

I'd be shit out of luck using a payphone in today's world.

I don't remember anyone's phonenumbers except my teenage girlfriend's family, because while she has changed her phone number, the mother and brother were just 1 number off so I remember them, especially because the first 7 numbers are same as mine.

But aside from that, idk, maybe my own mother and brother.

But I haven't learned a phone number in fucking decades.

Pretty cool though as you know they're there, so either you can use the WiFi with your own device or just remember a few numbers in case you run out of charge.

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  • [–] 9 points 11 months ago* (2 children)

    yeah - i mostly see them as a public good for low income or homeless people… it allows them a lot of different places they can place free phone calls… perhaps not ideally as private as you’d like to deal with medical or social security things, but services exist for that too - just pay phones are everywhere

    also i guess for calling 000 (our 911)

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  • [–] 3 points 11 months ago (1 child)

    Ironically, for homeless people a smartphone is a great investment, since the web allows finding support services and such stuff. But free wifi from the booths is probably great. Idk where they're charging the phones, though — perhaps at sympathetic businesses.

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  • [–] 3 points 11 months ago

    absolutely correct! i used to work for a not for profit that built a big service search engine (largely used for crisis helplines, medical referrals etc) and released a phone app specifically for help finding homeless support services

    there are power points in maccas, food courts, libraries, and even randomly dotted around cities outside for maintenance

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  • [–] 1 point 11 months ago (2 children)

    You haven't learned new numbers in decades but you have a teenage girlfriend?

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