The A A telephone box, i can't remember the last time i seen one of these or where it might have been. the AA must have phased them out years ago. The AA roadside telephone is now to be phased out because of mobile phones. Out of 5.5 million calls a year only 6,000 are made from AA roadside phones. I've still got my AA key on my key ring i got many years ago, i wonder if new members are still issued with them.
God help us, Come yourself, Don't send Jesus, This is no place for children.
did you ever have a reason to try to use the phone in one of those boxes. I did in 1969, i opened the door with my key attempted to use the phone and found you needed coins of the realm just like in a road side BT phone box. I only had a half crown and a ten bob note on me so ended up thuming a lift to a garage for help.
Ships that pass in the night, seldom seen and soon forgoten
Wasnt there a number 189 or 198 special service on the phone ?? i remember titting around with the phone box and dialing crazy combinations to see if i found free numbers etc.. I know about the 0800 891 - 899 (what ever 3 numbers here which access over seas shit) try 0800 891 585 for a test and be shocked
is it illegal? Cant risk getting into trouble! Lol
Came across a K4 box in Frodsham, apparently came into service around 1920 and are only four left in use in the country, its like a mini post office, buy stamps, post letter and make a phone call.
God help us, Come yourself, Don't send Jesus, This is no place for children.
I saw an old AA box (or was it RAC) on the side of the road when i was in Scotland last year !. can't be exactly sure where, it was somewhere between Dumbarton and Tyndrum !!.
When i joined the AA i was issued with a key...never used it though !.
Ah - the old public phone boxes. I remember you didn't really have to pay anything to use them; all you needed to do was tap out the number you wanted on the phone rest and it connected.
Ah - the old public phone boxes. I remember you didn't really have to pay anything to use them; all you needed to do was tap out the number you wanted on the phone rest and it connected.
That was an urban myth, you could dial out in that manner (as you can with any landline phone) but it didn't circumvent the need for paying.
We don't do charity in Germany, we pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments' responsibilities - Henning Wehn
Ah - the old public phone boxes. I remember you didn't really have to pay anything to use them; all you needed to do was tap out the number you wanted on the phone rest and it connected.
That was an urban myth, you could dial out in that manner (as you can with any landline phone) but it didn't circumvent the need for paying.
You are wrong, my friend. I did it more time times than I care to remember.
Did you ever have a "blue box" or "green box"? Originally the telephone call boxes didn't have the filters in to stop the tone signalling (a long time before dtmf) which enabled a few con tricks.
The tap method you described worked occasionally when the previous user had left credit on the box, but it would have worked equally well using the dial in those circumstances.
The tap method (cradle switch) does exactly the same as the dial switch - there was no difference, the circuits for most models of telephones are all over the internet, you can check it out.
Last edited by diggingdeeper; 22nd Jun 20114:43pm.
We don't do charity in Germany, we pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments' responsibilities - Henning Wehn
Did you ever have a "blue box" or "green box"? Originally the telephone call boxes didn't have the filters in to stop the tone signalling (a long time before dtmf) which enabled a few con tricks.
The tap method you described worked occasionally when the previous user had left credit on the box, but it would have worked equally well using the dial in those circumstances.
The tap method (cradle switch) does exactly the same as the dial switch - there was no difference, the circuits for most models of telephones are all over the internet, you can check it out.
The tap method I described worked all the time - it had nothing to do with what previous callers had or had not done. As schoolboys we would regularly use the boxes in Claughton village at lunchtime and make any number of calls. I know nothing of the technicalities of blue or green boxes or dtmf but this was around 1960/1961.
When my friends first told me about it I, like you, didn't believe them. But I, like you, was wrong. We had endless (childish) fun doing it. I can't remember the last time I did it and I've no idea when advancements were made to prevent it.
I also done it as a child, can't say whether there was credit on the phone or not but i must have been pretty lucky if there was, as i done it a number of times. I also on many occasions got through to the wrong number, the reason why was explained to me in later life. If you were tapping 6 for example, the tap had to be completed within the time the 6 would have returned had you been dialing, if that makes sense.
God help us, Come yourself, Don't send Jesus, This is no place for children.
The dials were adjusted for a set return speed. The small cam on the back of a dial operated a contact. Dial 2 - it "made" twice. Dial 7 - it "made" 7 times. Dial "0" and it "made" 10 times. A rough setting in the field was the dial returned from "0" to rest in the same time you could say 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10, as FAST as you could !
To tap out a number on the cradle, you had to be pretty slick !
The Strowger equipment on the racks in the exchange had a little leeway, but not much. I started my apprenticeship with ATE in Edge Lane. They made the stuff !!
