Payphones may seem like yesterday’s technology, but they aren’t quite dead yet ... at least not in New York. Mayor Michael Bloomberg has announced semi-finalists in a competition designed to drag payphone infrastructure into the 21st century – the "Reinvent Payphones" Design Challenge... Continue Reading NYC Mayor announces finalists in Reinvent Payphones competition
Section: Telecommunications
Tags: Competition, New York, Payphones, Phone
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Redesigning payphones again?
ReplyDeleteThey did it years ago, supposedly to reduce vandalism. By getting rid of booths that actually kept you out of the rain, snow, etc., in favor of those little box things that don't even protect the phone. (NB: maintenance costs went up for that reason.)
Vandalism did not decrease. In fact, it increased because it was now easier to use a ball bat, etc., on the phone with a full swing. Bloomberg, of course, banned baseball bats in NYC. No word on his position on tire irons, 2x4s, etc., as yet.
Now they want to redesign pay phones yet again. How? Just leave them on a post, entirely out in the open? There is a practical limit to "minimalism", after all.
Getting rid of them altogether is not a practical idea. Sometimes you need a hard-wired landline. Cell phones are not the universal answer to communications.
Could it be that Bloomberg is simply a delusional individual who believe he can Make The World Perfect if he can just force it to conform to the latest fantasy in his lifelong succession of same?
The main thing he does for me, personally,is make me glad I don't live in NYC. Or New York state, for that matter.
We have our share of gibbering dingbats here in OH. But with the possible exceptions of Cleveland and Columbus, we generally avoid making them mayors.
clear ether
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