You see, kids, there actually used to be phones that had wires that ran from them to an outlet in the wall, called a phone jack! If you pulled the wire out of the outlet, the phone actually stopped working!
I don’t remember them having to come to the house to physically disconnect a phone. I thought they’d just do it all remotely. They only needed to come out to get everything set up.
They never had to come to the home to disconnect service, but it’s a first-class punch line, worthy a little suspension of disbelief. Remember this is a comic strip; he doesn’t have talking animals, but that doesn’t mean he has to be more realistic than Gravity (which I enjoyed despite the frequent breaks from reality).
I’m over 70 and naturally have seen a lot of changes. What you consider so modern and “hip” today will be considered quaint by your descendants. Living on an island off the coast of Maine, I have a land line phone since access to other types of phones is limited at best. My “old” phone is currently far superior to the newer phones in sound quality. That too will change, of course, and we will be on to the next thing. Avoid ageism (in everything), I say, or someday you too will be on the wrong side of the equation.
Back in the day, when I was notorious for my ongoing battles with Ma Bell, I, perchance, wound up dating a telephone company supervisor.
This was in the days of real operators and analog phones.
I found out through her, that the phone company was like the FBI – they kept a file on me because of my complaints etc.
Mike should have done what I did. I had an unlisted, unpublished telephone number that very few people knew. Even the police department that I was working for at the time, would have to call my pager, if they needed to reach me.
I had a love/hate relationship with pagers for years but found them very useful, along with an answering service, in screening unwanted callers.
Now I’ll have to explain what an analog phone, a pager, and and answering service is to those under-30 readers !
In the early 80’s, I was attending a concert by the great guitarist Andres Segovia. Classical guitar concerts are generally not amplified, even in a concert hall, so the audience has to be very quiet. Somebody’s pager went off during a number. Talk about almost-lynchmob!
BE THIS GUY over 7 years ago
I’m going to have to explain this to the under 30 crowd.
Masterskrain over 7 years ago
You see, kids, there actually used to be phones that had wires that ran from them to an outlet in the wall, called a phone jack! If you pulled the wire out of the outlet, the phone actually stopped working!
sueb1863 over 7 years ago
I don’t remember them having to come to the house to physically disconnect a phone. I thought they’d just do it all remotely. They only needed to come out to get everything set up.
jeffiekins over 7 years ago
They never had to come to the home to disconnect service, but it’s a first-class punch line, worthy a little suspension of disbelief. Remember this is a comic strip; he doesn’t have talking animals, but that doesn’t mean he has to be more realistic than Gravity (which I enjoyed despite the frequent breaks from reality).
GT definitely deserves some slack on this one.
Diat60 over 7 years ago
Radical, man.
chief over 7 years ago
At one time you didn’t own your phone, you rented it from the phone company. When the phone was disconnected they would take the phone.
jakko1 over 7 years ago
I’m over 70 and naturally have seen a lot of changes. What you consider so modern and “hip” today will be considered quaint by your descendants. Living on an island off the coast of Maine, I have a land line phone since access to other types of phones is limited at best. My “old” phone is currently far superior to the newer phones in sound quality. That too will change, of course, and we will be on to the next thing. Avoid ageism (in everything), I say, or someday you too will be on the wrong side of the equation.
Linguist over 7 years ago
Back in the day, when I was notorious for my ongoing battles with Ma Bell, I, perchance, wound up dating a telephone company supervisor.
This was in the days of real operators and analog phones.
I found out through her, that the phone company was like the FBI – they kept a file on me because of my complaints etc.
Mike should have done what I did. I had an unlisted, unpublished telephone number that very few people knew. Even the police department that I was working for at the time, would have to call my pager, if they needed to reach me.
I had a love/hate relationship with pagers for years but found them very useful, along with an answering service, in screening unwanted callers.
Now I’ll have to explain what an analog phone, a pager, and and answering service is to those under-30 readers !
Honorable Mention In The Banjo Toss Premium Member over 7 years ago
In the early 80’s, I was attending a concert by the great guitarist Andres Segovia. Classical guitar concerts are generally not amplified, even in a concert hall, so the audience has to be very quiet. Somebody’s pager went off during a number. Talk about almost-lynchmob!
David Huie Green AmericaIsGreatItHasUs over 7 years ago
The simplest solutions are often the best solutions.