Last week, at a rest area along I-87, far north in upstate New York, I encountered this anachronistic scene. It was like stumbling into some exhibit at the Museum of Modern American Culture.
I can’t even remember the last time I saw the mini, open bottom public phone booth — and here it was, not only available for use but also side-by-side with the even older, full-fledged, classic telephone booth, in all its Clark Kent changing into Superman on a concrete pad glory. And, to complete the sense of absolute historical accuracy, the phone booth lacked any sign of a phone book.
I’m not sure there is a full-length phone booth left anywhere in the Columbus area, much less one that is right next to the abbreviated version. I wonder how often these public phone booths are used in our cell phone age?
Seeing these signs of days gone by was jarring, and made me think about how what was once commonplace can vanish seemingly overnight, without anyone really even noticing.
Webner House 