British Telecom starts adoption scheme for unprofitable but much-loved red telephone boxes
Britain's distinctive telephone boxes, victims of the growth of cellular technology, may be "adopted" by locals instead of removed. For just £1—and a promise to maintain them in perpetuity—town councils can assume ownership of the red booths, which are often part of an area's distinctive character for decades.
A spokesman for BT said: "During the consultation process around removing unprofitable payphones, a number of suggestions have been voiced by local people and local government."We have listened to these suggestions and can now confirm that local authorities that wish to maintain red telephone boxes - minus the telephone equipment - for aesthetic or heritage reasons will be able to do so.
"In addition, local authorities that have requested to contribute to maintenance costs to retain a red telephone box with a working telephone will also be accommodated."
Of the 95,000 that were in Britain at their peak, facilitating calls by day and roaming the dales at night in search of prey, only 66,000 remain. Two thirds, according to operator British Telecom, are unprofitable.
Photos: Ulleskelf and Nathan Messer
Red telephone boxes could be saved by adoption scheme
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What will the councils do with phone boxes they buy without telephine equipment? Will they just decoratively take up space on footpaths looking "quaint" (and, presumably, requiring maintenance when they are vandalised), or will they be put to some other use?
In Scotland, a company has repurposed old police boxes (you know, like the one from Doctor Who) as coffee kiosks, though those are considerably larger than a phone booth.
Turning them into non-functioning street decorations is probably just what they'll do. We've done the same thing with the old police/fire call boxes here in DC.
ACB: I think your assumption is basically right: they'll just be quaint local color. But there's plenty of uses for a little shelter, like you say, even without landlines.
They could put them near bus stops and have the schedule and a seat in them; have message/advertising boards in them (whores use them for this already); just shelter in the rain is enough!
Me, I'd put MAME in it.
They would be nice for cell phone calls, too.
You know, since these have been eclipsed by new telecommunications technology, they should be put to use serving the new tech. They could function as cell charging stations. Drop in a reasonable amount of change, connect your phone and get juice for 10 minutes - long enough to make that important call.
Or perhaps turn them into public urinals with the glass panes replaced with smart glass (that automatically darkens upon occupancy).
Heck, maybe even mini-library take-a-book-leave-a-book kiosks.
At any rate, it's damn good of the phone company to let the locals have them.
DECULBERSON is on the right track and should consult to BT in business development.
Following his lead, BT could still profit from the iPhone, even though they can't offer tariff service: coin-op iPhone browsing, apping, and conversing in out of the drizzle, but most importantly for the non-replaceable battery electron-hungry device, ***charging*** stations.
Apologies GEEKPDX: when I refreshed after posting, I noticed your simultaneous invention, and possibly antecedent. Please consider the similarities as flattery rather than plagiarism.
So, after I've ignored the locals' advice to beware the moon and keep off the moors and my friend has been mauled, I can make a desperate run towards the red phone booth I've glimpsed in the distance through a break in the fog, only to find that it doesn't have a fucking phone in it. Then I get disemboweled.
Fabulous. Just great.
Lots of clever ideas for retrofitting these things. I recommend a classic: paint it blue and stick a time machine inside it.
Nice article, but bring back the blue police boxes, then we'll talk.
put an internet terminal in it
Unless they weld the doors shut, they will just become urinals with no drainage. Or worse.
S, ftr I'v gnrd th lcls' dvc t bwr th mn nd kp ff th mrs nd my frnd hs bn mld, I cn mk dsprt rn twrds th rd phn bth I'v glmpsd n th dstnc thrgh brk n th fg, nly t fnd tht t dsn't hv fckng phne n t. Thn gt disemvoweled.
Fabulous. Just great.
They getting rid of them? Superman ain't savin' ya now.
Zuzu, I got your point, even if no-one else acknowledged it!