Thread: Befuddled by a Rotary Phone

Originally Posted by Headworx

Yes, pick up the ear piece and if nobody was talking you turned the handle a few times and waited for the operator to come on and ask who you wanted to reach. Our number was 37U, and 3 shorts and a long on the party-line meant the call was for us

Got it. Send the man a TD amulet. My mom was the local telephone operator. Great job. She had all the dirt on the entire town.

My father always claimed we had the first phone in the village, something I've since doubted but I'll never forget the number, 365. Such excitement.

Originally Posted by Norton

Got it. Send the man a TD amulet. My mom was the local telephone operator. Great job. She had all the dirt on the entire town.

Cool . I forgot one part of the process, at the end of a call you gave the handle 4 or 5 short turns so everyone else on that line knew it was free again. And yeah, for sure every operator knew everybody's business!.

^ I didnt realise you were so fukkin old

Did you use a slate at school?

Originally Posted by Dillinger

Did you use a slate at school?

We had dip pen and ink well. Nary a ball point pen to be had.

Originally Posted by Dillinger

^ I didnt realise you were so fukkin old

Did you use a slate at school?

Not really old, but *technology* like party-lines were still common in remote rural locations till not so long ago.