NYC has removed the actual telephones in their booths and installed Wi Fi hubs instead.
Here are my ideas for some other ways to repurpose a Phone Booth. Just deposit 4 quarters, enter the compartment and do your thing. Think of all the revenue the city makes!
- Time-Out Booths for Your Misbehaving Kids. Sit them firmly down in the bean-bag chair, holding a sign stating, “I was naughty so now I’m in Time-Out.” (Also helps reinstate the word “naughty” as parent admonishment and not just for vocabulary in the BDSM community.)
- Fan-Filled – Cooling devices installed on all four sides and the ceiling expressly for menopausal women who need to tame a hot-flash. Or for glamour models on their way to photographer’s studios requiring that sexy, tousled-haired look, but who are too cheap to invest in wind-blowing machines.
- Weigh-Station. For dieters who need to step on a scale to see if they should go for the New York style pizza or just stick to sushi.
- “I Just Need a Moment” – a comfy chair and curtains for when you feel embarrassed and would like some privacy. After you’ve stepped on the scale in #3 would be just such an example. “Sushi it is!”
- Pre-Dental Booth – – Equipped with mini-sink, disposable toothbrush, paste, and floss. Because you can’t just show up for your hygienist and immediately demand to brush your teeth before your routine cleaning, can you? That’s cheating!
- A Mirror with a built-in hairdryer Stall– – For all the times you run out of the house with damp hair. Talking mirror utters the following phrases, “Snow White is the fairest of them all.” Or “Hey, nice blow-job!” Or dispenses a single white glove while singing, “I’m starting with the man in the mirror / I’m asking him to change his ways / And no message could have been any clearer… la la la la”
- A Casket — Leave the original telephone inside and turn the phone booth horizontally on the ground with a silk lining and a sobering sign proclaiming, “Here lies the reason we used to be able to say, “Here’s a dime – Go call someone who cares!” It’s The Death of the Pay Phone.
- Costume Changing Station – – Hang a red cape with a big “S’ on it and a pair of nerdy glasses for all those Clark Kent wannabees. “It’s a bird, it’s a plane . . . “
- A pinball machine or a Jukebox — Just to remind us that these objects are even more archaic than telephone booths.
- “It’s Alive!” Alcove — Fill it with water, add lobster, crab and salmon and drape a fishing pole over the top with a sign, “Teach a man to fish . . . ” Alternatively, turn it into a cage with a talking parrot that screeches, “ET, Phone home!”
OR . . . Just leave it vacant with a sign stating, “Please go inside and shut the door so when you jabber incessantly on your cellular device, the rest of us don’t have to be subjected to your divorce proceedings, your grocery list, or the lab results from your physician.
(And by the way, I overheard your cholesterol numbers . . . better stick to the sushi tonight.)
Poor Santa, having the word, naughty, corrupted like that. Good for you for helping him reclaim it.
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Haha! Santa owes me one. How you’ve been?
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Not online much. Did you guess?
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I had a VERY sneaking suspicion that you were missing in action. Glad to see you, as always.
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Well, in a few years, they can become actual tourist attractions. Kids will ponder what the odd booths are for, and clamor to take selfies (or whatever they will be doing in a few years) with them!
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I’d very much like it if people using their cellphones would use telephone booths so the rest of the world doesn’t have to listen in on their often rather boring and depressing conversations. It would also be nice if it could be a small place to take a short nap for example during your lunch break at work. Just pop into a phone booth and take a power nap in a rather comfortable chair or something. Write on – Craig Wilder
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LOL actually these are some practical ideas. I could use the Pre-Dental Booth for more than just dental visits.
One could also take out the phones the old phones and make them street shelters.
Or as I would call them Phoneless Homeless Pads.
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#2 & #4 please. Oh and how about a beam me up device?
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I would so be on the hot flash sofa! I assume it’s stuffed with ice packs, lol!
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Absolutely ice packs – – and can’t forget ice-cream too, right?? For medicinal purposes, of course. 😉
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“Hello operator. What are you wearing ?” 🙄 ❤
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Or did you ever do the “Is your refrigerator running?” one?? “Better go catch it.” People were so innocent back then.
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“Is your refrigerator running?” one?? “Better go catch it.”
No way ! I’ll catch a cold ! 🙄
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I love some of your suggestions, particularly the weighing station, and the one for menopausal women having a hot flush. 🙂
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Yep, menopausal women deserve one on every street corner! So do you call them hot flashes or hot flushes where you are?
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We call them hot flushes 🙂
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How about a multple charging point for smartphones. Then lots of those privileged, but socially incompetent people with one could all pile in at once and learn to talk to each other face-to-face. Alternatively, the booths could be installed as lifts-with-a-view on the outside of all the ‘scrapers. But your ideas are funnier!
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I think they are doing charging stations for smartphones, actually! But I love your face-to-face consequence. What ever will they do?? And turning them into lifts! How fun….Peeping Toms would have a blast. 😉 Thanks for reading/commenting.
Stephanie
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I think we should motorize them, paint them up and race them.
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It’s that competitive spirit in you, Don.
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🙂
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I like these ideas. I’ll need your assistance in NYC, it’s a two person thing. Was that too naughty? I did not see the option for changing into my super hero outfit. How about putting it on it’s side and adding wheels for those who have six kids at market. However, the last one is certainly seeming to be the most needed.
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Who in the heck has six kids these days?? 😉
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Wow, I can’t believe they took all the phone booths away in NYC. How about we just collect them all and sell them on Ebay. Bet they’re worth a pretty penny! And all along I was thinking, darn, how am I going to change into my Rock N’ Roll Supermom outfit, but you got me on #8.
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I have soooo much stuff I need to sell on Ebay. I really need to learn how to do all that with an account. Phone booths can be the public meeting spot to make the Ebay exchange….cash for the merchandise.
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Wow, it all seems very under the table (or phone booth) that way. I kind of like it. Reminds me of those Progressive commercials where Flo is out on the corner looking all dodgy trying to sell insurance.
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I love your sense of humor! How about adding “Talk to Siri – why have you gotten me lost, you bitch” a resting place for those of who have no idea how to use our iPhones?
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Haha – – Yes, Good ole Siri! A punching bag mannequin of her can be in the booth. Hmmmm, would she be a blonde, brunette or redhead? Clever add-on…wish I woulda thought of it!! (thanks so much for commenting!)
Stephanie
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