Does your venue have a payphone? In this day and age of cell phones, I am assessing the value of a payphone. Ours costs $90 per month and averages 5 calls out. That's $19 per call! State-funded museums may have some policy obligation to have one, maybe not.

This is sort of a straw poll, hopefully.

wyld@sbcglobal.net

> Does your venue have a payphone? In this day
> and age of cell phones, I am assessing the
> value of a payphone. Ours costs $90 per
> month and averages 5 calls out. That's $19
> per call! State-funded museums may have some
> policy obligation to have one, maybe not.

> This is sort of a straw poll, hopefully.

Nope, no pay phone at SCRM. We're lucky to have a depot and bathrooms! :o)

The South Carolina Railroad Museum

mconrad@compuzone.net

I'm not affiliated with a museum or venue, but I saw a story on the local TV news this morning saying pay phones were rapidly becoming extinct. The statistics given were that the number of pay phones in service has declined from a peak of 2.6 million 10 years ago to about 1.6 million now. During that same time, the number of cell phone users has ballooned to 148 million. Pay phones sound like an unnecessary expense to me. I don't remember the last time I used one myself.

> Does your venue have a payphone? In this day
> and age of cell phones, I am assessing the
> value of a payphone. Ours costs $90 per
> month and averages 5 calls out. That's $19
> per call! State-funded museums may have some
> policy obligation to have one, maybe not.

> This is sort of a straw poll, hopefully.


http://www.mstrp.com/
davew833@yahoo.com

> Does your venue have a payphone? In this day
> and age of cell phones, I am assessing the
> value of a payphone. Ours costs $90 per
> month and averages 5 calls out. That's $19
> per call! State-funded museums may have some
> policy obligation to have one, maybe not.

> This is sort of a straw poll, hopefully.

Cell phone penetration is greater than 50% of the population, and payphone revenues are reflecting this (it's a fast-dying industry, and most of the Baby Bells have sold their payphone businesses).

I can't imagine that any facility has an "obligation" to provide a pay phone. Many places do it for convenience, but not out of obligation.

There are payphone vendors that will put a phone on your premises, pay all phone line costs, and give you a share of the revenue (usually small). But I sure wouldn't keep a pay phone that is costing me $90 per month. You're better off taking them in the back and letting them make a credit-card call or even paying for it yourself, aren't you?

JAC

Branford Electric Rwy./Shore Line Trolley Museum
doesn't have one, but I don't know why. Also, I
don't know whether pay phone companies still pay
you for the privilege of putting their phone on
your property.

TyburnRR@cs.com

> I can't imagine that any facility has an
> "obligation" to provide a pay
> phone. Many places do it for convenience,
> but not out of obligation.

>But I sure wouldn't keep a
> pay phone that is costing me $90 per month.
> You're better off taking them in the back
> and letting them make a credit-card call or
> even paying for it yourself, aren't you?

> JAC

Agreed. Get rid of the payphone and install an ATM in the gift shop. You'll come out ahead.

1.No.
2. Do you hear Inspector Clouseau's voice in your had when you read this question?

dave

irondave@bellsouth.net

If the current trend continues, you might just want to keep that payphone around for historical purposes!

rjenkins@railfan.net

> If the current trend continues, you might
> just want to keep that payphone around for
> historical purposes!

Now THAT is funny! Actually, it may not be too far off base for a museum site. It could become part of the museum, just make sure you disconnect it.

I think someone is getting ripped if they have to pay $90 a month to have a pay phone on their site. I think I would cut it off immediately.

Our Maritime Museum building in San Francisco has a pair of phone booths. Not the modern kind you see on a post but the kind set in the wall with a door that has a hinge in the middle. A real
antique that still works. Currently a local call costs $.50

As for railroad content both the 4449 Freedom train and the Flying Scotsman came to visit via the now gone State Belt Line Railroad.

ted_miles@nps.gov

> 2. Do you hear Inspector Clouseau's voice in
> your had when you read this question?

> dave

No. Only when I read, "Does your Dog Bite?" Ü

wyld@sbcglobal.net

The Museum of Transportation in St. Louis does have a pay phone, but I don't know anything about its financial setup, cost, etc.

Museum of Transportation
rdgoldfede@aol.com