I was 10 years old when dad's supervisor told him to get a telephone, installed at home. I remember dad being upset about having to pay $6 a month for the "damn thing". "Who the hell was he going to call. He didn't know anyone with a telephone". Dad was not happy about having to spend so much money, for something he didn't need, or want.

At the time it was difficult to get a "private" line, so almost everyone had at least one other party that could listen to your conversations. It wasn't really that big a deal, as by that time, only the number being called rang, not everyone on the line. So unless someone just happened to pick up the phone, it was hard to tell if the line was in use.

In Calif., at that time phone numbers started off with a "prefix". Ours was FRontier. I still remember that old number: FR(37) 40952. There was no such thing as an area code. All telephones belonged to Bell Telephone, and you rented it from them (it was included in the $6 monthly fee), you were allowed so many local calls, before being charged extra, and "long distance" was prohibitively expensive. Any call to another "prefix" was long distance, even if it was just a couple of blocks away.

None of my friends had a telephone, not that it would have mattered, calling them would have been out of the question. Telephones were for "emergencies" only. If you wanted to talk to someone, about something specific, you did so the next time you saw them. Relitives live out of state, write them a letter, stamps on cost 3 or 4 cents, a telephone call, out of state, cost dollars.

How different time, and attitudes were.

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If you want change stop electing "liberal: democrats and "radical" Republicans. Find and support true Conservatives; those who believe in fiscal responsibilities, individual accountability, and a smaller government, with less control of your daily life.

I briefly remember the party line, but the prefex, mine was AX, was in use till the late 60's, early 70's?

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How soon do we get our rebates, free health care, lower taxes, better schools, and cheap energy?

I don't recall when they dropped them, Dizzy. Probably because I spent the late 50's and early 60' in the Marines, over seas.

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If you want change stop electing "liberal: democrats and "radical" Republicans. Find and support true Conservatives; those who believe in fiscal responsibilities, individual accountability, and a smaller government, with less control of your daily life.

I remember our first phone, the prefix was EM. We got ours in 58 or 59. I am not sure if Dads job needed or required the phone but we damm sure didn't call long distance.

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An informed voter scares the Goverment lackeys.

An American first and always a Conservative.

I lived in Europe until 62, when we moved back to the states, we got a phone. Our prefix was Union (UN). We had a party line and when we got a call it rang 3 times quickly then a slight delay and the 3 times again until someone picked up. long distance was always a big deal, we would get on the phone and say our hellos and goodbyes as quickly as possible all the while my father would be timing the call on his watch. Seems like 3 minutes was the cut off point because after 3 minutes the rates increased. Maybe that's why I don't like talking on the phone now, I say what needs to be said and then it's goodbye.

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"If you don't know where you are going, you will probably wind up somewhere else."
- Laurence J. Peter

I remember party lines. Then you could get a private line for a few bucks more. The phone co at the time owned everything, the phone lines in the house included.
I bought my grandparents a cordless phone one year. My grandfather kept saying he had to call the phone company and tell them he had it so they could charge him for the use. He just couldn't understand deregulation and how they no longer owned the phones.
I ran a line for him and hooked the phone up. Pretty sure he went to his grave believing he had been ripping off the phone company for years.
He was old school and a lot of the new technology and rules amazed him. He thought I was the smartest man in the world because I could install his phone AND install a ceiling fan for him with no electrician needed.
Sure do miss him.

Errr Ummm.....I remember the rotary phone

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Bless your heart. I know he was proud of you.

I had a simular event the Christmas we gave my Mother a cordless phone. She never got over how she could walk all over the house, talk on the phone and not have a "long enough" cord on the phone.

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America Home of the Free because of the Brave

I once tried phone sex with a rotary...........................Got my little PeePee caught in the #9 slot.

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How soon do we get our rebates, free health care, lower taxes, better schools, and cheap energy?

Yea?...try it in a phone booth!

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"People have so manipulated the concept of freedom, that it finally boils down to the right of the stronger and richer to take from the weaker and poorer whatever they have left."