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Pay Phone caches


XGrunt

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With a slightly different twist, I found this cache listing while looking at what was available in the area that we're wintering: Life Line: Who are you going to call? Here you have to call the listed pay phone number and convince whoever answers to read you some numbers off the phone's information sheet to complete the coordinates of this puzzle cache.

 

That's too cool. Of course, I am assuming the final, actual cache would be in the same area, so the cache hunter could probably visit the pay phone in person and get the numbers, right?

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With a slightly different twist, I found this cache listing while looking at what was available in the area that we're wintering: Life Line: Who are you going to call? Here you have to call the listed pay phone number and convince whoever answers to read you some numbers off the phone's information sheet to complete the coordinates of this puzzle cache.

 

That's too cool. Of course, I am assuming the final, actual cache would be in the same area, so the cache hunter could probably visit the pay phone in person and get the numbers, right?

 

Well, it is the same area code. I tried checking a reverse phone book and all I can get for free is that it's an AT&T phone in McAllen, TX. That is the town in which the cache is posted. Not sure how you'd get an address for a payphone out of the phone company, though, so that you could check it for yourself. Of course that would defeat the purpose of the puzzle, right? :(

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With a slightly different twist, I found this cache listing while looking at what was available in the area that we're wintering: Life Line: Who are you going to call? Here you have to call the listed pay phone number and convince whoever answers to read you some numbers off the phone's information sheet to complete the coordinates of this puzzle cache.

 

That's too cool. Of course, I am assuming the final, actual cache would be in the same area, so the cache hunter could probably visit the pay phone in person and get the numbers, right?

 

Well, it is the same area code. I tried checking a reverse phone book and all I can get for free is that it's an AT&T phone in McAllen, TX. That is the town in which the cache is posted. Not sure how you'd get an address for a payphone out of the phone company, though, so that you could check it for yourself. Of course that would defeat the purpose of the puzzle, right? :(

 

THX!

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With a slightly different twist, I found this cache listing while looking at what was available in the area that we're wintering: Life Line: Who are you going to call? Here you have to call the listed pay phone number and convince whoever answers to read you some numbers off the phone's information sheet to complete the coordinates of this puzzle cache.

 

That's too cool. Of course, I am assuming the final, actual cache would be in the same area, so the cache hunter could probably visit the pay phone in person and get the numbers, right?

 

Well, it is the same area code. I tried checking a reverse phone book and all I can get for free is that it's an AT&T phone in McAllen, TX. That is the town in which the cache is posted. Not sure how you'd get an address for a payphone out of the phone company, though, so that you could check it for yourself. Of course that would defeat the purpose of the puzzle, right? :(

 

THX!

The cache in question sounds great, but a quick note regarding the current discussion:

 

There are, on the web, numerous phreaking (as in "phone phreak") and hacking websites which freely offer lists of every pay phone number matched to location for many areas. You can use Google to find such lists. I have used those same lists in planning and setup stages of difficult multistage caches; what easier way to find the location of a payphone in South Baltimore or in a tiny town for use a cache info stage? Of course, due to the popularity of them newfangled cell phones, some of the payphones listed on those sites are disappearing on a daily basis.

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I already had to archive a cache because of a pay phone being removed. However mine was because you had to call payphone and have someone answer a question to answer questions to get the coordinates. It was not an AT&T phone though; mayve other companies are doing the same.

 

Edited to add I somehow missed the last few entries. Mine is similar to the Life Line cache that was listed.

Edited by andGuest
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I waited almost 20 minutes one time for a guy to get off a pay phone to log a cache. In the age of cell phones, I was thinking who the heck even uses a pay phone anymore. :(
Seems that they're only used when folks (like me) forget my phone at home. I lost my keys in snow just the other day when scoping out a prospective hide. It was on the rare occassion when I forgot my phone at home that morning. My son needed to be picked up from school (immediately). I had to beg the use of one girl's phone before I found them and beg the use of another girl's phone afterward. Normally I scoff at the 50 cents required to make a call--what a ripoff! But, oh, what I wouldn't have given for the use of a pay phone that day! Edited by meralgia
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In all likelihood, some other company will take over the pay phone operation so there should be no impact.

 

But if that's not the case then in all likelihood AT&T will only take away the phone and leave behind the booth/stand/... If that's the case then the following icon can be useful.

 

phone-no.gif

 

Darn it, did I just give away the solution to some puzzles?

 

Edited to try to fix the image link that the forum software edited OUT.

 

Edited a second time to try again to get the image link in. Is anyone else having a 5.25 minute slowdown from posting a reply to actually getting it up. 2 times in the last 10 minutes it's been soo very slow. I guess the forums servers are due for upgrading

Edited by trainlove
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A couple months ago, I accidently threw my celphone in a fish-filled dumpster (don't ask!). Rather than climb in after it, I decided to just get a new one.

 

Later that day, I was having some chest pains (happily, it turned out to be gall bladder, not cardiac) and I needed to call my wife to let her know that I was going to go to the hospital. It took a little searching, but I eventually found a payphone to make the call.

 

There are certainly fewer pay phones than there used to be, but those phones tend to be owned by some third-party vendor, rather than one of the big phone companies. I suspect that trainlove is absolutely correct and that if the phones are in a location that is still viable, the spots will be snapped up by these smaller companies.

Edited by sbell111
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I waited almost 20 minutes one time for a guy to get off a pay phone to log a cache. In the age of cell phones, I was thinking who the heck even uses a pay phone anymore. :D

 

Tell me about it. The Team has been predicting the demise of payphones for a couple of years now. Just check around the airport the next time that you stroll thru. There's simply not enough demand any more.

 

I'll really miss all those really neat phonebooth micros though. Poor poor Superman, gonna be getting arrested for indecent exposure 'bout 4 times a week, eh? :blink::blink::ph34r:

Edited by Team Cotati
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I waited almost 20 minutes one time for a guy to get off a pay phone to log a cache. In the age of cell phones, I was thinking who the heck even uses a pay phone anymore. :ph34r:
Tell me about it. The Team has been predicting the demise of payphones for a couple of years now. Just check around the airport the next time that you stroll thru. There's simply not enough demand any more.

 

I'll really miss all those really neat phonebooth micros though. Poor poor Superman, gonna be getting arrested for indecent exposure 'bout 4 times a week, eh? :D:blink::blink:

Super speed allows him to change clothes without being spotted; unlike your avatar. (Also, he traditionally wore his uniform under his clothes, so he has no fear of being arrested for indecent exposure. He simply doesn't want to be spotted making the change because then people would know his secret identity.) Edited by sbell111
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I waited almost 20 minutes one time for a guy to get off a pay phone to log a cache. In the age of cell phones, I was thinking who the heck even uses a pay phone anymore. :D

 

Um, please enlighten me. How does one log a cache using a phone? I assume it's something like wap.geocaching.com and not just phone a family member.

 

Am I behind the times?

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I waited almost 20 minutes one time for a guy to get off a pay phone to log a cache. In the age of cell phones, I was thinking who the heck even uses a pay phone anymore. :D
Um, please enlighten me. How does one log a cache using a phone? I assume it's something like wap.geocaching.com and not just phone a family member.

 

Am I behind the times?

I'm thinking that the cache was stuck to the phone that the guy was using. This kept Arrow One from being able to sign the log.

 

My guess is that he hasn't started keeping chloroform in his cache bag. He'll learn.

Edited by sbell111
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I waited almost 20 minutes one time for a guy to get off a pay phone to log a cache. In the age of cell phones, I was thinking who the heck even uses a pay phone anymore. :D
Um, please enlighten me. How does one log a cache using a phone? I assume it's something like wap.geocaching.com and not just phone a family member.

 

Am I behind the times?

I'm thinking that the cache was stuck to the phone that the guy was using. This kept Arrow One from being able to sign the log.

 

My guess is that he hasn't started keeping chloroform in his cache bag. He'll learn.

 

You got it! The cache was a tiny micro, hidden in the frame around the phone. (not really a booth)

I could have just walked up and said "excuse me" and grabbed it! :blink:

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