Is it time to remove the payphones?

[AB Asks]

There have been calls for the removal of payphones in towns and cities. Apparently payphone use has halved in three years, mainly because of the increasing numbers of mobile phones (70 million in the UK according to Ofcom). What do you think, have payphones had their day? Or are there arguments for keeping them on our streets?

[cazzz1975]

what happens if you breakdown and dont have a mobile?

I was in this situation a few weeks back and I was grateful that there was a phonebox, I had left my mobile at home. lets not be too quick to assume that everyone has mobiles or that pay phones are not used or needed.

[Gok Wan]

Like cazzzz1975 says, sometimes they are necessary. Last week my parents locked their keys and mobiles in the car whilst in town shopping (dozy idiots, I know). Luckily they found a phone box and mum could remember my office number and rang me so I could go and rescue them.

What would have heppened if there were no pay phones? 2 OAPS would have had a long walk to my work place.

[Gromit]

And where would the inebriated go to empty their bladders on the way home?

[China Doll]

The underpasses and shop alleyways Gromit.

As someone who quite often forgets to charge their mobile even if they do have it on them I think they need to stay.

[Gromit]

I bow to your superior knowledge of these things China Doll.

So you can charge your mobile via a payphone, that's clever. You'll be telling us you have an O' Level in Electric next.

[China Doll]

It's not nice to mock the afflicted Groms. Especially as I've been pushing for that cheese section again today. Very ungentlmanly of you... ;0P

[Gromit]

I was shocked last time I needed to spend a penny.

It was 40p!

And Gordon Brown tries to pretend there isn't a recession on the way.

[Bathsheba]

Spare a thought for the poor adulterers with suspicious partners! How would they be able to keep in touch?!( am not including myself in this category, obviously!)

[Gromit]

I would avoid shop doorways if I were you. These tend to have CCTV.

Have you noticed the Butcher smirking when you buy your beef jerky?

[eyebrows]

im not being funny but how many numbers do you actually know from you phone.....i only know my mobile number, which seems to defeat teh object!

[China Doll]

I still have an address book eyebrows precisely because I forget to charge my phone on a regular basis!

[juliet704]

If payphones are removed completely, the assumption is being made that everyone will carry a mobile. What about people (like myself) who feel that the technology is untested and do not want to be human guinea pigs in a great experiment? What about people who feel sympathy for those who have huge masts foisted on them and their communities--health risks in the long term not yet known--and therefore do not want to participate in a system that subjects people to these unknown effects? If I was to get a mobile phone, I would be helping to impose these unwanted masts on other people. So let's keep those phone boxes.