Comments on: ‘Can you hear me now?’ Straphangers wonder about MTA pay phones http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/02/08/can-you-hear-me-now-straphangers-wonder-about-mta-pay-phones/ A New York City Subway Blog Mon, 21 May 2012 16:13:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Straphangers: 1 in 3 subway payphones broken – modrstudio http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/02/08/can-you-hear-me-now-straphangers-wonder-about-mta-pay-phones/#comment-241270 Straphangers: 1 in 3 subway payphones broken – modrstudio Sat, 21 Jan 2012 15:15:13 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/02/08/can-you-hear-me-now-straphangers-wonder-about-mta-pay-phones/#comment-241270 [...] it’s worth, back in 2007, the Straphangers found that 29 percent of payphones were nonfunctioning. That survey had a margin of error of +/- 4 percent, and [...] [...] it’s worth, back in 2007, the Straphangers found that 29 percent of payphones were nonfunctioning. That survey had a margin of error of +/- 4 percent, and [...]

]]> By: Straphangers: 1 in 3 subway payphones broken :: Second Ave. Sagas http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/02/08/can-you-hear-me-now-straphangers-wonder-about-mta-pay-phones/#comment-202347 Straphangers: 1 in 3 subway payphones broken :: Second Ave. Sagas Tue, 12 Jul 2011 19:31:25 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/02/08/can-you-hear-me-now-straphangers-wonder-about-mta-pay-phones/#comment-202347 [...] what it’s worth, back in 2007, the Straphangers found that 29 percent of payphones were nonfunctioning. That survey had a margin of error of +/- 4 percent, and while the methodologies have changed, the [...] [...] what it’s worth, back in 2007, the Straphangers found that 29 percent of payphones were nonfunctioning. That survey had a margin of error of +/- 4 percent, and while the methodologies have changed, the [...]

]]> By: kanut heermehnaow http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/02/08/can-you-hear-me-now-straphangers-wonder-about-mta-pay-phones/#comment-60860 kanut heermehnaow Tue, 12 May 2009 14:55:27 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/02/08/can-you-hear-me-now-straphangers-wonder-about-mta-pay-phones/#comment-60860 The complaint about no dial tone is far too real, but here's something a lot of peope don't even know: MTA limits Verizons access to the feeder cables which connect the payphones to the network. To access a feeder the tech has to call MTA, contract an appointment with an escort, find the exact location for the cable in question & trace it; all the way through while the escort complains about having to stand for a half hour in a noisy grimy subway (instead of his nice quiet clean MTA office) God forbid if the feeder is in a barely-used closet that hasn't been opened since 1971, and the key has been lost for decades, or it takes 2 techs to trace the wire (try getting MTA to escort you a second time, even for a repeat trouble!), or vermin are apparent, or asbestos, or unidentifiable liquids seeping down from the storm drains, worse still when the lights don't work...trust me, I have seen many things in the subway system that makes that grimy phone on the platform look like fine china, suitable to slurp your noobles off of... Payphones don't make the company any money; the only reason that Verizon even keeps them is because of that 99 year lease that was some guys golden rollerskate in the 60's (what a feather in his cap...who could have predicted cellphones back then!) and now they are stuck maintaining an archaic system that even Fred Flintstone would laugh at. The complaint about no dial tone is far too real, but here’s something a lot of peope don’t even know: MTA limits Verizons access to the feeder cables which connect the payphones to the network. To access a feeder the tech has to call MTA, contract an appointment with an escort, find the exact location for the cable in question & trace it; all the way through while the escort complains about having to stand for a half hour in a noisy grimy subway (instead of his nice quiet clean MTA office)
God forbid if the feeder is in a barely-used closet that hasn’t been opened since 1971, and the key has been lost for decades, or it takes 2 techs to trace the wire (try getting MTA to escort you a second time, even for a repeat trouble!), or vermin are apparent, or asbestos, or unidentifiable liquids seeping down from the storm drains, worse still when the lights don’t work…trust me, I have seen many things in the subway system that makes that grimy phone on the platform look like fine china, suitable to slurp your noobles off of…

Payphones don’t make the company any money; the only reason that Verizon even keeps them is because of that 99 year lease that was some guys golden rollerskate in the 60′s (what a feather in his cap…who could have predicted cellphones back then!) and now they are stuck maintaining an archaic system that even Fred Flintstone would laugh at.

]]> By: Second Ave. Sagas | A New York City Subway Blog » Blog Archive » With #3333 nearly finished, service advisories in digital form are best bets http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/02/08/can-you-hear-me-now-straphangers-wonder-about-mta-pay-phones/#comment-43624 Second Ave. Sagas | A New York City Subway Blog » Blog Archive » With #3333 nearly finished, service advisories in digital form are best bets Fri, 08 Aug 2008 22:33:15 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/02/08/can-you-hear-me-now-straphangers-wonder-about-mta-pay-phones/#comment-43624 [...] can reach a pre-recorded message detailing all MTA service advisories by dialing #3333 from any (working) subway platform pay phone. Of course, with cell phone use prevalent and pay phones on the way, [...] [...] can reach a pre-recorded message detailing all MTA service advisories by dialing #3333 from any (working) subway platform pay phone. Of course, with cell phone use prevalent and pay phones on the way, [...]

]]> By: john perales http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/02/08/can-you-hear-me-now-straphangers-wonder-about-mta-pay-phones/#comment-25085 john perales Wed, 13 Feb 2008 01:19:49 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/02/08/can-you-hear-me-now-straphangers-wonder-about-mta-pay-phones/#comment-25085 We need phones withouy handles to break, just to speak into. after all cell phones is not private anymore. Why should payphones be any different. This way,you only your index finger. We need phones withouy handles to break, just to speak into. after all cell phones is not private anymore. Why should payphones be any different. This way,you only your index finger.

]]> By: Murder at the Canal Street station « Second Ave. Sagas http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/02/08/can-you-hear-me-now-straphangers-wonder-about-mta-pay-phones/#comment-135 Murder at the Canal Street station « Second Ave. Sagas Tue, 20 Mar 2007 04:48:35 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/02/08/can-you-hear-me-now-straphangers-wonder-about-mta-pay-phones/#comment-135 [...] City subways. Wait a minute, you might be thinking, do those payphones actually work? Well, about a quarter of them don’t work. So part of the game is finding a working payphone at Canal Street. (The other [...] [...] City subways. Wait a minute, you might be thinking, do those payphones actually work? Well, about a quarter of them don’t work. So part of the game is finding a working payphone at Canal Street. (The other [...]

]]> By: Peter http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/02/08/can-you-hear-me-now-straphangers-wonder-about-mta-pay-phones/#comment-133 Peter Fri, 09 Feb 2007 14:10:11 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/02/08/can-you-hear-me-now-straphangers-wonder-about-mta-pay-phones/#comment-133 Payphones were once ubiquitous, and universally utilized. At a Nickel, Dime or Quarter they were profitable. Now people (at least people younger than 30) regard them merely as disease vectors if they notice them at all. Of C O U R S E many of them don't function. What do you think a payphone costs to design, build and install? The cost is likely in the low 4 figures. What do you figure it costs to send a union-scale employee around to repair one every time some dimwit decides to test his strength by yanking the handset out? All that for a handful of Quarters every week or so? It certainly costs far more to regularly retrieve the change inside the phone than it can possibly be worth. Once, payphones made money for both the Phone Company and NYCTA, and so paid for themselves. Like it or not, in our present culture, if something doesnt make money, and lots of it, dont expect the entity or endeavor to be well-run. Is the solution $2.00 Payphones? Free Payphones? No Payphones? Or maybe wire the entire system for cell coverage? OK, it will take years to design and install, at a cost HUNDREDS of millions of dollars. Who can afford to do that, upfront? When theyre finished and they control every single call made from underground, what do you figure theyre going to charge you, per call? Payphones were once ubiquitous, and universally utilized. At a Nickel, Dime or Quarter they were profitable. Now people (at least people younger than 30) regard them merely as disease vectors if they notice them at all.
Of C O U R S E many of them don’t function. What do you think a payphone costs to design, build and install? The cost is likely in the low 4 figures. What do you figure it costs to send a union-scale employee around to repair one every time some dimwit decides to test his strength by yanking the handset out? All that for a handful of Quarters every week or so? It certainly costs far more to regularly retrieve the change inside the phone than it can possibly be worth.
Once, payphones made money for both the Phone Company and NYCTA, and so paid for themselves. Like it or not, in our present culture, if something doesnt make money, and lots of it, dont expect the entity or endeavor to be well-run.
Is the solution $2.00 Payphones? Free Payphones? No Payphones? Or maybe wire the entire system for cell coverage? OK, it will take years to design and install, at a cost HUNDREDS of millions of dollars. Who can afford to do that, upfront? When theyre finished and they control every single call made from underground, what do you figure theyre going to charge you, per call?

]]> By: Victoria http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/02/08/can-you-hear-me-now-straphangers-wonder-about-mta-pay-phones/#comment-134 Victoria Fri, 09 Feb 2007 03:00:14 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/2007/02/08/can-you-hear-me-now-straphangers-wonder-about-mta-pay-phones/#comment-134 I'm surprised it would even occur to the people at the Straphangers' Campaign to undertake this operation. I, for one, have completely forgotten about the existence of payphones. But you do raise an interesting point about where the phones are that don't work. And I don't blame that woman for being so reticent with the phone; I always think they seem kind of dirty too. I’m surprised it would even occur to the people at the Straphangers’ Campaign to undertake this operation. I, for one, have completely forgotten about the existence of payphones. But you do raise an interesting point about where the phones are that don’t work. And I don’t blame that woman for being so reticent with the phone; I always think they seem kind of dirty too.

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